Bugatti Veyron Super Sport speed record cancelled by Guinness

The title of the world’s fastest car held by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport has been removed from the Guinness World Records.

But, nearly three years on from when the Veyron Super Sport achieved its world record run of 267.81mph, Guinness World Records have decided that it’s invalid.

It seems the heirs to the McWhirter twins have discovered the Veyron Super Sport Bugatti used for their record setting run wasn’t a standard production car, but that Bugatti had removed its speed limiter.

We’re assuming it’s not a coincidence that the news comes just a few weeks after John Hennessy took his Venom GT – a Lotus Elise based supercar with 1244bhp from a 7.0 litre GM LS9 engine – to 265.7mph at a Naval Air Base in California, and claimed the speed a world record for the Hennessy Venom GT.

In claiming the world speed record for a production car, Hennessy was very careful to point out that he was aware the Veyron Super Sport did 267.8mph, but that the record was invalid as Bugatti limits the production SS to 258mph. It looks like Guinness were listening.

Of course, we all understand why Bugatti limit the Veyron Super Sport to 258mph in the hands of their customers – it’s a nice safe speed, so much safer than 268mph.

We expect the news that all customer Bugatti Veyron Super Sports have had their limiter removed forthwith. After all, Bugatti spent billion to take the title and they’re not going to let a man in a Lotus Elise with a bought-in engine trump their achievement.

However pointless the ‘World’s fastest production car’ title is.

By Cars UK