An official figure of 252.95 mph was recorded as the two-way average in the car’s most recent high-speed test run.

The figures see the Veyron smash the recent 241mph claimed by Koenigsegg with its CCR and the McLaren F1’s long standing 240.1mph record set in 1998. It’s not only the top speed that’s sensational but also the Bugatti’s acceleration. The four turbo, four-wheel-drive supercar sprints to 62mph in just 2.5 seconds and reaches 300kph (186mph) in a scarcely believable 16.7 seconds. To put those figures into perspective a merely fast car like an Aston Martin DB9 would take over a minute longer to reach 300kmh and sprints to 62mph in 4.9 seconds. The Bugatti makes even Porsche’s Carrera GT look pedestrian; it takes 3.9 seconds to reach 62mph and tops out at ‘just’ 205mph.

To achieve its sensational top speed and acceleration figures the near two tonne Bugatti is powered by an 8.0-litre, sixteen-cylinder engine. Producing 987bhp and 922lbft of torque it makes the McLaren F1’s 627bhp and 479lbft look puny in comparison. Differing significantly in ethos over the McLaren and other supercars though, the Bugatti compliments its phenomenal performance with opulent luxury where previous record holders have focussed on driving purity and weight saving. Keeping that huge output in check is a four-wheel drive system and a seven-speed twin clutch paddle shift transmission. This should mean it’s an easy car to drive, but we’ll not know until someone from outside Bugatti gets behind the wheel. That should be quite soon, too, as the final production car will be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week, which MSN Cars will be covering in full.