Is A Bugatti Veyron Better Than A Pagani Zonda?
Is a Bugatti Veyron better than a Pagani Zonda? It depends what you mean by better. Sure it is faster and more expensive. In theory it is more exclusive, but in practice any of these exotic cars is so exclusive it does not matter. What about the Ferrari FXX - now that is so exclusive you can't drive it on the road.
If you want to accelerate faster than anyone else you don't need a Bugatti. There are other cheaper cars that do the job. The Ultima GTR is one, and the Caparo T1 will be another. Maybe the SSC Ultimate Aero TT is another.
The Bugatti Veyron gets to 100 mph in about 5.5 seconds - the actual figure varies according to who timed it. However,the Ultima GTR can reach 10 mph in 5.3 seconds which is blisteringly quick - that was timed independently.
The Pagani Zonda is not as quick as that, taking 2 seconds more than the Veyron to get to 124 mph (200 km/h).But believe me, for practical purposes there is very little difference between the performance of these cars. In real life, the difference is smaller because neither the Zonda nor Ultima have turbochargers, so when you press the accelerator you get instant response; with the Bugatti you will wait an instant for the turbos to cut in.
Sure, the Veyron looks and sounds different from other cars, and if you like the looks. well, go for it.
On the other hand if you want a car that accelerates, handles, is very fast, beautifully finished, and causes excitement wherever it goes you might go for a Pagani Zonda or another exotic car, like the Ascari KZ1 or Saleen S7. The Ultima is the world champion for out-and-out acceleration and braking.
All depends what you want it for. Me, I fancy a Pagani, although it is not the prettiest of cars, but it sure has fantastic presence on the road.
John Hartley is editor of http://www.fast-autos.com an online magazine devoted to fast cars and supercars, where you can read the latest articles about fast cars. He has written from many of the world's top auto magazines, and has written many books about cars and the auto industry, including 'Suspension and Steering Q&A' and 'The Electronics Revolution in the Motor Industry'.
