Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse becomes the fastest convertible in the world

Following being stripped of its title as the world's fastest production car, Bugatti performed a rebound worthy of Walt Bellamy. Grabbing the convertible Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, they took to the track recording a speed of 254.04 mph, claiming the title as the fastest roadster in the world.

The track in question is VW's 12-mile ring in Ehra-Lessien, Germany, and the record occurred with Chinese race car driver Anthony Liu at the helm. Bugatti will produce eight examples of the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition (the longest name in history), all of which will be decked in the same two-tone orange and black colorings and cost a hefty $2.6 million. The actual world record car will be on display during this month's Shanghai auto show.

“When we introduced the Vitesse, we established the top speed for open-top driving to be 375 km/h," said Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. "Still, we could not let go of the idea of reaching the 400 km/h mark with this car as well. The fact that we have succeeded in reaching 408.84 km/h is a thrill for me, and it reaffirms once again that Bugatti is the leader when it comes to technology in the international automotive industry."

Driver Anthony Liu claimed "Even at such high speeds it remained incredibly comfortable and stable. With an open top, you can really experience the sound of the engine and yet even at higher speeds I did not get compromised by the wind at all.”

This result detracts from the removal of Bugatti's Guinness World Record title, and draws the spotlight away from U.S. rivals Hennessey - who claim its 265 mph Venom GT tops the Veyron as the fastest production car in the world. With speeds ever increasing - and Bugatti's rumored 1,600 hp Veyron on the horizon complimenting Hennessey's plans to surpass 270 mph - it promises to be an incredible year for speed freaks worldwide.

Watch a video of the record run below, courtesy of EVO:

Photo: Dominic Fraser