Bugatti Veyron vs BMW S1000 RR

In mid-August, a video on YouTube appeared, uploaded by the magazine Bike, which gave us a preview of the duel between two gods of the motoring world: Bugatti Veyron vs BMW S1000 RR.

The bad news was that the results would not be published until the October edition of the aforementioned magazine. The wait has felt endless, but we can now tell you the conclusions they reached.

First of all, I think it would be worth making a brief introduction to these two super machines. Let’s start with the Veyron, probably the one you know best. I’ll be quick: a 16-cylinder W engine, 8 litres of displacement and a maximum output of 1,001 CV. 0-100 km/h acceleration in 2.5 s and a top speed electronically limited to 407 km/h. Until the Super Sport version arrived, with 1,200 CV, it was the most powerful vehicle that could be bought on the market.

Now it’s the turn of the bike, the BMW S1000 RR. An inline 4-cylinder engine, 1 litre of displacement and a maximum output of 193 CV. 0-100 km/h acceleration in 2.9 s and a top speed of over 300 km/h. It is the most powerful motorcycle on the market and one of the most effective on the track. Its arrival has revolutionised the world of motorcycles and has put its prestigious Japanese rivals on the ropes.

The Veyron’s output is 5 times greater than that of the S1000 RR, but the bike is 9 times lighter than the car. The power-to-weight ratio favours the motorcycle, but the tyre contact patch with the road is much larger on the car. We could go on forever wielding the typical arguments of the car-versus-motorcycle debate. So, enough data. Let’s start the engines and settle the great question as soon as possible: who is faster in real life?

To resolve the question, the contenders met on the mountain roads of Molsheim (France), where the Bugatti factory is located. Once underway, cornering along the region’s twisting roads, the battle between these two titans proves very evenly matched. The motorcycle’s rider struggles to tame the almost 200 CV delivered entirely through the rear wheel, whose contact patch is smaller than a “Labrador retriever’s nose”. It is a true exercise in concentration, and it becomes frustrating when the rider sees the Veyron in his mirrors, pursuing him without apparent effort, as if nothing were happening.

In a straight line, the British magazine expects a very close fight up to 225 km/h, at which point the Veyron begins its devastating surge beyond 400 km/h. That is something the BMW, and in fact no motorcycle, can rival. The Veyron is one of the fastest road-going machines you can buy.

Even so, Bike is a magazine oriented towards motorcycles, and so they declare the BMW the winner of this contest. Their reasons: the motorcycle is a more logical choice for everyday use, it consumes far less, it is easier to experience the breathtaking acceleration it offers, it is not as affected by traffic jams, and with its built-in luggage rack you can carry more things than in the Veyron’s boot.

The BMW also wins in the maintenance section. As an example, they cite that changing all four tyres on the Veyron costs approximately €100,000, and moreover this operation can only be carried out with a special machine, of which only 2 exist in the world, one in France and another in the United States.

You may or may not agree with the result, but I am clear about it and, if I were given the choice, the Veyron would be my option without any doubt. Here is the link so you can read the full article. It was obtained through Edmunds Inside Line and is in English, but it is worth taking a look. You can also enjoy a gallery of images of these two powerful vehicles.