In 1998, Volkswagen Group acquired the rights to the fabled Bugatti company in a strategic acquisition born to realize Ferdinand Piëch’s vision for an 18-cylinder automobile of unsurpassed power, performance, and heritage.

His mandates for the car that eventually became the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 would be some of the most ambitious ever issued by an automaker: It needed to produce 1,001 PS (987 horsepower) and achieve a top speed in excess of 400 km/h (nearly 250 mph), yet also be entirely tractable and livable for daily driving, with great comfort for both driver and passenger.

The final product was intended not just to resurrect one of the most famous names in automobiles, in utterly spectacular fashion, but to absolutely demonstrate the engineering prowess of the Volkswagen Group as a whole to the world.

Piëch’s team responded to this challenge by not only meeting but, in many cases, exceeding his ideals.

The production Veyron that emerged in 2005 could accelerate from 0 to 62 mph ...