Uh-Oh Veyron!

autoblog.com:

"New U.S. airbag rules going into effect in September could be a disaster in the making for supercar maker Bugatti. Apparently complying with the new rules will require a redesign of the Veyron, increasing the price of the car more than $125,000.

In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency, Bugatti president Thomas Bscher said the requirement for "smart" airbags "could well put Bugatti out of business," citing the domino effects of costly redesign of the current car, cuts in production and delay in the introduction of its next model.

A number of low volume automakers have applied for an exemption to the rule, including Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari, Spyker, Lotus and Morgan.

If the NHTSA grants Bugatti's requested two-year exemption, it will only affect the 150 cars it hopes to build for the U.S. market before introducing its next version, which presumably will include smart air bags. Lamborghini is similarly affected only for its current models - the next-gen Murcielago, due out in 2009, will comply with the new rules."

[Source Financial Times via MSNBC]

Hmmm, we know the NHTSA is strict about everything (excluding crash testing), so it will be interesting to see what happens...
Read Article

mstangpny07 - 8/16/2006 11:22:37 PM

+1 Boost

Whoa! While looking for the picture for this article, I came apon this:

http://www.benni.is/Jeppar_nanar_rexton_myndir.htm

What company is that? Never heard of it? the ".is" is country internet code for ICELAND!

Wait! Theres a Chevy on the other page, no, two, and a rebadged Forenza, ....and a Porsche Cayenne! ??
This is the strangest website I've EVER seen.

mstangpny07 - 8/16/2006 11:56:21 PM

+1 Boost

efoxS4: Daewoos aren't sold here, so I was putting it in American terms.
And the Veyron might be sold out, but there's no way it can deliver all of those vehicles by

mstangpny07 - 8/16/2006 11:58:29 PM

+1 Boost

....by September.(When the law goes into effect) And the Veyron has a two year model cycle.

(Sometimes my computer randomly submits my comments before i'm finished..weird, I know.)

chewy - 8/17/2006 12:29:28 AM

+1 Boost

Ferrari already got an examption for the F430, I am sure that Bugatti will get one for because it sells even less cars. The whole requirement (as reported for the F430) concerned very small people, women that are very short and light. I think Ferrari said that not many of such peole buy their cars. I also believe that the Veyron is probably extremely safe. The Enzo that flipped at nearly 200 mph lately IIRC would also probably not pass the airbag rule.

Carboy - 8/17/2006 12:59:03 AM

+1 Boost

Daewoos use to be sold here

mstangpny07 - 8/17/2006 1:05:23 AM

+1 Boost

Yeah, but then people saw that they were junk and GM wasn't making any money off them.

mstangpny07 - 8/17/2006 1:06:24 AM

+1 Boost

Oh, and I'm thinking that website is some sort of rental agency, but I can't read Icelantic so who knows.

Jovi - 8/17/2006 2:33:05 AM

+1 Boost

sad, but if they don't grant exemption, Bugatti has customers elsewhere outside US...

BMW530i - 8/18/2006 4:00:14 AM

+2 Boost

Someone buying a Veyron will scoff at a price increase of a "mere" $125K.