Bugatti stripped of landspeed record

Hmm, something’s not quite right here. Just days after Hennessey reckoned that their Venom GT should be acknowledged as the world’s fastest production car Bugatti, who set the record almost three years ago, has had their title rescinded.

In effect, Hennessey accused Bugatti of cheating because the Veyron Super Sport used to set the record had had its 415km/h speed limiter removed, thereby allowing it to reach a verified top speed of 431km/h (267.8mph).

In an official statement the Guinness Book of World Records stated:

“It has come to the attention of Guinness World Records that there was an oversight in its adjudication of the ‘Fastest production car’ which was set in 2010 by the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport,” said Jaime Strang, PR Director of the company.

“As the car’s speed limiter was deactivated, this modification was against the official guidelines. Consequently, the vehicle’s record set at 431.072 km/h is no longer valid. Following this, Guinness World Records is reviewing this category with expert external consultants to ensure our records fairly reflect achievements in this field.”

Bugatti is standing firm, though. “Guinness knew the Veyron’s speed limiter was deactivated but that for safety reasons, cars subsequently sold to customers would have their speed limiters activated [set at 258mph],” a spokeswoman said. “It’s not a hard blow if we lose this title. The Super Sport is more than just a world-record car.”

[Source: Driving.co.uk]