Nigel Rides Again! He Drives a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Prototype

Filed in archive Best of , European Specials , Great Drives , Rare Europeans on November 20, 2009

Our friend and contributor Nigel Matthews has just experienced every man's fantasy (and some women, too, I suspect). Here's his story.

What could a guy who has been at the wheel of just about every sports car and super car, including the Bugatti Veyron Coupe, drive that could possibly top this lot? How about the pre-production Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport? It was at my disposal in Vancouver and boy, did I have fun. My co-pilot was the North American Bugatti test driver, none other than Butch Leitzinger: ex-Bentley team Le Mans Driver, Le Mans Cadillac team driver, Le Mans Panoz team driver, and three-time Rolex 24hr Daytona winner. I was in good hands! (That's Butch on the left.) So what was the car doing in Vancouver you might ask?

Well, Bugatti have been building cars since 1909 but to the best of my knowledge they have never had a representative or dealer in Canada. Last Monday the first Canadian Bugatti dealer celebrated its opening. Weissach Perfomance is owned by my pal Asgar Virji. Asgar and I began working in the business during the mid-70s. I was an apprentice autobody technician and he was in the parts department at the local Alfa Romeo and Renault dealership in Vancouver. Times have certainly changed for both of us. The photos are of the "second most incredible driving experience day of my life." The other was in August of 2007, driving the Bugatti Coupe around Monterey.



Ah, Nigel, as usual you leave the rest of us weak with envy.

[Photo Credit: Warwick Patterson at Formula Photographic]