So what's the brief for the next Veyron? Forget McLaren, Porsche and Ferrari, says Dr Schreiber. All the next Veyron has to worry about is... the current one. "It has to redefine the benchmarks," he states firmly, "and the benchmark today is still the current Veyron. We are already working on it."

Will the Veyron, like the McLaren, Porsche and Ferrari, utilise hybrid power in pursuit of ultimate speed?

"Maybe," smiles Dr Schreiber. "But it's too early to open the door and show you what we have planned. For now we have to keep the focus on the current Veyron, and help people to understand that this really is the last opportunity to get the car, which will have run for ten years from 2005-2015. Then we will close this chapter and open another one."

Dr Schreiber confirmed that just 43 of the Veyron's total 450-car production run remain up for grabs, including the remaining three of Bugatti's six-strong ‘Legends' series. "The 300 coupés have sold out. We announced we would only make 150 roadsters, and we only have 43 left. People are becoming increasingly conscious that their opportunity to buy a Veyron is running out..."

Authenticity[edit]

For various reasons, it was not possible to run a historically accurate recreation of how the race would have gone in 1949. Instead, according to Graeme Bunker, the race was "done just for fun and entertainment".[6] A major restriction was Tornado's maximum speed limit of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h), set as a condition of its current main line certification (although the A1 Trust was planning to have Tornado certified to a higher speed over time). The 'Flyers' of the 1950s would have gone on to speeds of 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) and beyond.[2] A further difficulty was due to water troughs having been removed from the rail network, meaning it was not possible to achieve the post war steam timings of 6 and a half hours.[6] According to Steam Railway magazine, if Tornado had been able to use troughs, the train would have won the race easily.[2] On the plus side for the car and bike, they had the speed advantage of not having to travel through towns and villages exactly as the old Great North Road would have, but instead benefitted from the use of modern bypasses, and the faster A1(M) sections of the A1, where it has been upgraded to motorway standards.[6] However, speed restrictions outside of built up areas were only introduced in Britain in 1965. So if this had been in 1949 neither the car or motorbike would have been subject to any speed restrictions for most of the journey.[citation needed]

Vincent’s countless racing and speed record successes underlined the performance of its high-cam, 50-degree V-twin. In fact, attempts to run a 1000cc Clubman’s TT in the Isle of Man foundered after just three races because nothing could touch the Vincents – in the final 1950 edition, only Vincents took part. Nothing else could compete with these bike created by legendary Australian engineer, Phil Irving.