[joe_the_user]

Hmm,

The whole description seems satisfyingly low tech. The engine is carburetted rather than fuel-injected but it claims a higher power to weight ratio than a Vyron.

It's interesting that this company's nearly hand-made cars cost only three times the cost of a factory made Toyota ("Our cars start at $56,995 for the 427 models and $61,995 for the 289 models"). I would have imagined that the ratio was much more - a hand-made Pentium would set you back a lot more than 3X the cost of a factory built one.

[aaronblohowiak]

Small-run machine parts are less expensive than chip fabrication.

"The smallest run possible is typically 12 wafers, which can cost more than US $50 000 after tallying up the cost of materials, photolithography, and fabrication, he says."

http://www.theinstitute.ieee.org/portal/site/tionline/menuit...;

[albertsun]

A hand-made Pentium would be impossible to make, just like much other modern tech where building the tools and process to create the end product is more important and costly than the actual end product.

What I'd like to know is how much this custom made car cost.

[gaius]

Indeed. There was an article posted here not long ago about Dubai which included a photo of a solid gold Mercedes. This car is understated by Dubai standards.

[something]

"only three times the cost"

...without an engine!

[ynniv]

The Vyron isn't a performance car. You can easily build an Ultima GTR for less than $100,000 with well over 600 HP. People often mistake expensive with fast, when expensive really means safe, luxurious, flashy and then fast. Ellison's roadster is not safe, or luxurious, but it is flashy and fast. [ http://www.ultimasports.co.uk/Content.aspx?f=usaintro ]

[ryanwaggoner]

When you say "Vyron", I can only assume that you're talking about the Veyron, which decidedly is a performance car:

BHP: > 1000 bhp 0 - 60: < 2.5 sec Top Speed: > 253 mph Braking: 249 mph to 0 in < 10 sec 1/4-mile: 10.2 sec

Not a performance car, my ass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugatti_Veyron

[ynniv]

Glad that you get upvoted for completely missing the point. The parent was surprised that a custom, hand built car could cost $60,000 and have a higher power to weight ratio than a Veyron (the misspelling was accidentally carried from the parent).

  Veyron:
  P/W ratio: .24
  Price: $1,400,000
  Quarter mile: 10.2

  Ariel Atom:
  P/W ratio: .3
  Price: $65,000
  Quarter mile: 10.4

  Ultima GTR:
  P/W ratio: .333
  Price: ~ $100,000
  Quarter mile: 9.9

So the Veyron is only $90,000 (6.4%) worth of performance and $1,310,000 (93.6%) of something else. It is an overpriced luxury car that is fast. An Ariel Atom or an Ultima GTR is a 100% performance (aka "race") car.

[ryanwaggoner]

The comparison is irrelevant; I was simply responding to your statement that the Veyron isn't a performance car. The fact that a homebuilt allegedly beats it on a metric or two hardly means that it's no longer a performance car. That's like saying that I can build a model rocket with a higher P/W ratio than an F-22, so the F-22 isn't really a performance jet.

[ynniv]

Dude, the original comment and the point of the thread was price per performance. You are technically correct but missing the point in saying that the Veyron is a "performance" car, and I stand by my statement that it is 6% performance and 94% flash and exclusivity.

Your comments regarding P/W and comparison of an F-22 to a rocket are illogical. A rocket is not a fighter jet, but an GTR720 is an automobile, one which in every way out performs a Veyron at 1/14 the price.

If you feel the need to make sure that the Veyron is labeled as a "performance" car, continue to repeat yourself. You will be missing the forest for the trees, because no one purchases this car based on performance.

[ryanwaggoner]

Apologies for the poor formatting...meant this:

  BHP: > 1000 bhp 
  0 - 60: < 2.5 sec 
  Top Speed: > 253 mph 
  Braking: 249 mph to 0 in < 10 sec 
  1/4-mile: 10.2 sec

[hristov]

A lot of hotrodders love to claim incredible power outputs for their engines when tested separately, but those usually do not relate much to real world use. There are all kinds of tricks to make your engine look powerfull on the bench.

The Vyron was EPA tested so its power rating is for the engine in the car which is much harder.

But I have no idea why they used a carburated engine. That seems too low tech.

[ahpeeyem]

I'm a bit disappointed that it has a carburettor to be honest. The rest of the car is no-expense-spared, state of the art (check out the F1 CVs/driveshafts!), and then to see that they put a carb on it was a let down.

[blasdel]

It looks like they're made in Poland, which probably keeps the cost down a lot.

[toppy]

You mean this?

http://www.leopardautomobile.com/