Over almost a decade in production, the special edition Bugatti Veyrons became somewhat notorious. From Pur Sang to Sang Noir and Fbg Par Hermes to Middle East Edition, it seemed that barely a month went by between 2005 and 2014 without a new limited run model being announced. Which always seemed a bit bizarre when so few Veyrons were going to be made anyway (to order, with a raft of personalisation options), and especially so when they included features like porcelain accents - see 2011's L'or Blanc.
There really was a danger of cars like the Black Bess (really) and the Grand Sport Vitesse Legend Meo Costantini diluting the impact of what the Veyron had achieved. Which was no less pivotal than the establishment an entirely new hypercar benchmark, combining a never-before-seen top speed with freakish usability. It's arguably taken until the latest generation of electric hypercars for the sector to be as disrupted as it was when the Veyron arrived. Nothing else like it had ever happened; even the Chiron, with another 500hp, could never have the historical significance of the Veyron.
Happily, there are a few Veyrons that clearly stand out among the 450 made. The Super Sport is undoubtedly one; though most famous for being the 1,200hp Veyron that spawned the World Record Edition having reached 268mph, it's notable for being referred to by some as the 'Veyron Mk2' - with an array of changes far more extensive than just more power.
But the power is hard to ignore. With new turbos, intercoolers and two more fuel pumps, standard Veyron power went up by 199hp and torque by almost 200lb ft - 1,106lb ft against 922. Which meant the Super Sport was meaningfully quicker by almost every benchmark than the fastest car in the world.
There was more to it, however, as proven by the development time: Bugatti spent two and a half years getting the SS right, having already invested five years on the original. Little was left untouched in giving the Veyron another 200hp, with a stronger, lighter carbon tub, thinner A-pillars, fully carbon doors, lighter wheels, completely reworked aero and an overhaul from chassis guru Loris Bicocchi. Bilstein dampers were swapped for Sachs items that were softer in compression but stiffer in rebound, alongside firmer springs, retuned suspension and larger anti-roll bars. The SS was certainly a lot, lot more than just more power.
Which makes all 48 very special indeed, and this one especially so, because it's the very last one. Yep, this was the end of Veyron Super Sport production, 48th of 48 and made as late as 2014. It's only covered 1,200 miles in that time, always serviced at Bugatti London and still under warranty until January. Matte black does a disservice to the drama of a Bugatti, but it does at least contrast well with the Carmine Red. And there isn't a hint of porcelain anywhere.
For sale at Tom Hartley Junior, this Super Sport is listed at POA; incredibly there are currently 11 (!) other Veyrons for sale on PH, and a similarly used SS that isn't the last one costs £1.65m. This one will clearly take more than that, however, especially given it sold for £2m at a Bonhams auction in 2018. Worth it? For the prestige and status that comes with being the final version of such a significant car, there will surely be more than a few interested parties. And for those that miss out, a plain old 16.4 can now be yours for just the £800k...
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