MINI fans may never...
MINI fans may never own the firmò€™s electric version, but the new entry-level First is already a hit. The budget car accounts for nearly a quarter of the brandò€™s sales since its summer launch.
The distinctive emblem...
The distinctive emblem already adorns the world"s fastest production model, the 252mph Veyron. However, it has an í‚á£830,000 price tag, while the new machine is expected to sell for í‚á£90,000.
Sources say it"ll be named after a 17th century painter - so Vermeer, Caravaggio and Rembrandt are all possible. However, fans who are hoping for a junior version of the 16-cylinder Veyron monster look set to be disappointed. Unlike the 987bhp two-seater, the baby model is set to follow more traditional lines.
The entry-level Bugatti is expected to be a front-engined 2+2 using either a VW VR6 or V8 motor. And, as with the Veyron, it could boast all-wheel drive. It"ll go head-to-head with Aston Mar-tin"s DB9 and the Bentley Continental GT - and as Bugatti, like Bentley, is owned by the VW Group, it could even use the latter"s platform to cut costs.
Engineers have already started work on the project. The final design is expec-ted to be signed off early next year, paving the way for a 2008 launch. However, development of the Veyron was plagued by problems, and bosses will be keen to avoid a repeat of that situation.
When production does eventually get underway, the car will be built at the brand"s Molsheim factory in Alsace, France. Founder Ettore Bugatti established the firm in the town in 1909.