Ken Schnitzer must be doing something right. Three months ago, his Park Place Bentley/Maserati/Rolls-Royce dealership brought in the big guns with the Bugatti Veyron. Today the dealership let a few of us take a Bugatti Grand Sport for a spin.
A 101-degree day may not be ideal for driving in a convertible, but it didn’t seem to get my co-pilot, Heath, down too much. (Former Le Mans/NASCAR driver Butch Leitzinger was supposed to come to Dallas and supervise, but his wife had a baby earlier this week. Mazel tov.)
After signing a three-page waiver, I hopped in the passenger seat and we headed for the Tollway, where the dealership’s GM gave me a taste of what the car can do.
We quickly hit 100 mph and the windows automatically came up, which is handy because rich people do not appreciate mussed hair. The mid-engine intakes behind our heads sucked so much air the car was screaming (and by screaming I mean something akin to angels singing). The acceleration planted me in the seat a bit, and the driver said something about pyrotechnic seat belts, but it’s all kind of a blur. Definitely one of the greatest moments I’ve had in a car.
When it was my turn to drive, traffic on the Tollway kept me to 92 mph, which was just fast enough to make me want more. The car is extremely user-friendly, with light steering and smooth braking that I didn’t expect in a 16-cylinder with 1,001 horsepower (detuned a bit for media drives, truth be told).
I’m not sure how many in our readership are looking to spend $1.96 million on a sports car, but I know several of you would like to see one in person, so here’s a tip: Park Place at 5300 Lemmon Ave. will have the two Grand Sport models at the dealership tomorrow, but they’ll be gone by Saturday afternoon.
(Photography by Andrew Butler)
