A notable aspect of the human condition is the concept of free will, which allows individuals to act within the law and respect others, even if their actions have no apparent utility or logic. This principle also applies to opinions, challenging the notion that all human thought must be coherent.
Consciousness is described as something extremely complex and ineffable, something that science has not yet been able to fully explain. Therefore, the requirement that all a person's ideas, tastes, and subjective issues be perfectly organized and free of contradictions is questioned, raising the possibility of disagreeing with oneself.
The ability to form and defend an opinion and subsequently criticize it is a human characteristic that distinguishes humans from animals, which act by immediate instinct or survival. Humans, on the other hand, are complex, constantly reflecting, even if this is not always useful for basic survival.
The author mentions an apology before the Bugatti Veyron, initially seeing it as an exaggeration of waste. However, he began to perceive it as an engineering statement. Although it is known that it is possible to exceed 1,000 hp and 400 km/h with less than eight liters, sixteen cylinders, and four turbos, Volkswagen demonstrated that by pushing its standard components to the limit, it managed to revitalize a brand and create a model of unnecessarily absurd opulence and performance.
Despite recognizing the thermodynamic achievement of the Veyron, the author argues that this vehicle is the main cause of the current state of the industry. The Veyron is seen as the 'patient zero' of a plague that transformed the pursuit of dynamic engagement into an arms race focused solely on technical numbers, acceleration, and metrics that serve the vanity of engineers and owners.
Before the Veyron, the supercar market followed more human rules. When Gordon Murray designed the McLaren F1 in the 1990s, the focus was on weight, throttle response, and central driving position, with the 386 km/h achieved being a consequence of the search for aerodynamic efficiency and lightness, driven by a naturally aspirated V12.
Ferdinand Piëch, in contrast, defined the Veyron with specific numerical goals: '1,001 hp, over 400 km/h top speed, and daily usability to take the wife to the theater.' Bugatti engineers were forced to adapt physics to meet this bureaucratic ultimatum, resulting in the use of four turbos, ten radiators, and a heavy W16 engine.
Although the Veyron won the battle against physics, it permanently changed the mindset of the sector. The car's value shifted from the delicacy of contact with the driver or the chassis balance in corners to scale, brute force, and the ability to impress with grandiose numbers.
This breaking of the four-digit power barrier triggered an uncontrolled spiral. Manufacturers realized they could simply add larger turbos or auxiliary electric motors instead of spending years perfecting suspension geometry or reducing chassis weight. This led to the emergence of the 'Holy Trinity' of hybrid hypercars – LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918 Spyder – where weight increased and electronics began to control every millisecond of dynamics.
The peak of this trend is represented by full electrification, with Mate Rimac as a central figure. Rimac began his journey by converting a BMW M3 E30 in Croatia, seeking electric performance. Later, he presented the Rimac C_Two (future Nevera) at the Geneva Motor Show, promising 'Almost 2,000 hp. 0 to 100 km/h in 1.8 seconds.'
The Nevera is seen as a direct descendant of the Veyron, adopting the premise of seeking shocking numbers but replacing gasoline with lithium ions. To achieve 2,000 hp, four electric motors and a battery pack resulting in a weight of 2,300 kg were used.
Recently, Mate Rimac, who now has a stake in Bugatti, expressed that he considered the Tourbillon 'too much car.' He commented that the 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine, developed with Cosworth, already delivered almost 1,000 hp on its own, without the need for the trio of electric motors and battery added to reach 1,800 hp. Rimac admitted that, personally, he would prefer a simpler, lighter version with a manual gearbox and purely analog.
The author criticizes this stance, reminding that it was the Veyron that initiated this escalation. After the 1,500 hp Chiron, the arrival of the Nevera proved that electricity could surpass combustion. Now, with technological saturation, the creators of chaos suggest a return to light cars with manual gearboxes.
This demonstrates that the Bugatti Veyron corrupted the market, addicting the world to a dependency that no longer generates pure pleasure. In the past, having 400 or 500 hp in a rear-wheel-drive manual required skill and respect. Today, 2,000 hp or 1,800 hp are accessible to those who can afford it, without the need for skill, as control is done by torque vectoring via software. The supercar has become an ultra-fast luxury appliance, killing the need for purist refinement at the top of the market.
