There are four Bugatti sports cars that represent automotive innovation like no others cars do.

It would come as a surprise that the four cars that represent innovation in automobiles in its purest form are all Bugatti sports cars. Showcasing the evolution of automobiles in a way that is unique and amounts to flexing the boundaries of what machines can really be or do what they are expected to do to the fullest, the four Bugatti cars are the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition, Chiron Super Sport 300+ and the W16 Mistral World Record Car.

Successful in carving out a niche, each of the four cars – ultra super cars – have come to represent Bugatti’s incomparable legacy. The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, on a beautiful day of April 2010, achieved a new land speed world record for production cars on the proving grounds of the Volkswagen Group at Ehra-Lessien (nearby its headquarters at Wolfsburg). In the presence of the German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) and a representative of Guinness Book of Records, the Super Sport achieved an average top speed of 431 kmph!

Bugatti’s Pilote Officiel Pierre Henri Raphanel put his helmet and gloves on, pulled the safety belts tight whilst the engineers checked the car a very last time for tyre pressure, temperature and all the systems.

The orange-black Super Sport crossed the light barrier within one hour by driving from South to North and then in the opposite direction. The driver being the only one to touch the car during the record run, the description of the Veyron as its headlights appeared at a certain point of the track was of a jumbo jet coming closer and simply jetting by.

The GPS-tachometer recorded a speed of as much as 933 kmph. The average speed generated by the TUV and Guinness representatives was a whopping 431.072 kmph, which surprised even the Bugatti team.

The roadster version of Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition, set the world speed record for open-top production sports cars at the Volkswagen Group’s proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien.

TÜV, the renowned independent German organisation for technical inspection and certification, officially confirmed that a top speed of 408.84 kmph was achieved when the super car was driven by the Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu in 2013.

On the market since the spring of 2012, the open-top sports car is fitted with an 8.0 litre W16 engine that pours 1,200 PS and a torque of 1,500 Nm at 3,000 to 5,000 rpm on the road. Its high-performance handling can be attributed to a racing chassis, which together with extremely fast-acting shock absorbers and reinforced anti-roll bars, guarantees exact control of both the four-wheel drive system and the entire vehicle.

The other factors that enable such performance at the upper limits include a standard carbon monocoque with high torsional rigidity and an outer shell made entirely of carbon fibre. With wind noise and air turbulence a particular concern with open-top vehicles, the Vitesse is offered with a specially developed roof spoiler along with an intricately designed windbreak that guarantees calm open-top driving.

The Chiron Super Sport 300+ is the fastest Bugatti ever made, redefining what is possible when it comes to speed and aerodynamics. Piloted by Bugatti’s Pilote Officiel Andy Wallace, the hypercar smashed through the 482.803 kmph (300 mph) barrier in 2019. Never had a production car reached such speeds ever!

Occupying a spot in the history and standing as a marker in the quest for greater performance and speed, the hypercar was fitted with a re-engineered version of Bugatti’s legendary 8.0 litre W16 engine that produced 1,600 PS of power. A new thermal management system for the engine and gearbox were developed. Refinements to the software governing the engine, gearbox and turbochargers were also made.

To ensure top notch stability, the car was fitted with a ‘longtail’ that extended the car length by approximately 25 cm. This allowed the laminar flow to pass over the body for a longer period of time, reducing aerodynamic stall by more than 40 percent. Air curtains adorning the hyper sports car’s front corners dispersed excess air pressure towards the car’s sides. Simultaneously, air outlets at the wheel arches and behind the front wheels guided excess pressure away from each wheel arch, reducing drag by also producing a small amount of negative lift. Liberal use of exposed carbon fibre – flowing through into the car’s engine cover and the windscreen wiper, thereby contributing to crucial weight-saving that helps the hyper sports car push the envelope of performance – was resorted to. Extremely light and strong magnesium alloy wheels were deployed.

Andy Wallace – Bugatti Pilote Officiel and winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours – assumed the controls of the one-off W16 Mistral World Record Car, warming up the vehicle’s bespoke high-performance tyres on a first anticipatory lap. Ascending to a specified speed of 200 kmph into the banking of the track (of ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg GmbH), he increased the speed before unleashing the full power of the vehicle as the straight opened up coming off the banking, taking it to new heights of record speed in November 2024. Under the meticulous control of SGS-TÜV Saar GmbH, the achievement of a new world top-speed record for an open-top car was officially confirmed at the end of the run, with Andy reaching an incredible 453.91 kmph.

The EUR 14 million hypercar is powered by an 8.0-litre, quad-turbo, W16 engine that does an impressive 1,578 bhp. Innovative is the W16 Mistral’s X-taillight arrangement, which channels hot air from the radiators through ducts towards the rear of the vehicle. The air is expelled through the vents in the X-taillight arrangement.

The hypercar’s ramp-design diffuser accelerates the air’s journey from the rear of the vehicle, which increases downforce and helps the model excel at high speeds. Contributing to the vehicle’s excellent stability are bespoke high-performance tyres.

MT

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Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has reported domestic wholesales of 42,416 units in December 2025, which was 6.6 percent higher YoY.

Tarun Garg, Managing Director & CEO, Hyundai Motor India, said, "Driven by the positive momentum from GST 2.0 reforms, Hyundai Motor India recorded a robust 6.6 percent YoY growth in total monthly sales for December 2025. The all-new Hyundai VENUE continues to receive strong customer interest with bookings received already reaching the 55,000 mark in less than 2 months of launch. Further, reinforcing our 'Made-in-India, Made-for-the-World' goal, we delivered 26.5 percent year-on-year growth in exports volume in December, reaffirming our commitment to offering world-class products manufactured indigenously."

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Tata Motors, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has reported its wholesales for December 2025 and Q3 FY2026.

The company reported sales of 50,046 units last month, up 13 percent YoY, as against 44,230 units last year.

For Q3 FY2026, the wholesales came at 168,616 units in the domestic market, up 20.9 percent YoY, as against 139,424 units a year ago.

Highlights for Q3 FY26 include:

• EVs: Sales reached 24,103 units.
• CNG: Volumes passed 47,000 units.
• SUVs: Volumes increased by 18 percent.
• Models: The Nexon recorded sales of 64,000 units.

The period saw the introduction of Harrier and Safari petrol models and the launch of the Sierra.

For the 2025 calendar year, sales reached 587,218 units. This figure includes EV volumes of 81,125 units.

Shailesh Chandra, MD and CEO, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said, “CY2025 saw steady progress for the PV industry powered by a growing preference for SUVs and accelerating adoption of cleaner, emission-friendly powertrains. For Tata Motors, it was the fifth consecutive year of record-breaking annual sales, with 587,218 units sold, including the highest-ever EV volumes of 81,125 units in a calendar year.”

At present, the company said its dealers are well placed to meet customer demand with average inventory of around 18 days.

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has reported record wholesales of 178,646 units in December 2025, up 37 percent YoY. In comparison, the company sold a total of 130,117 units for the same period last year.

Furthermore, for YTD FY2026, the total wholesales came at 1.32 million units, up 37 percent YoY, as against 1.27 million units for the same period last year.

On the other hand, Maruti Suzuki India exported 395,000 vehicles in CY2025, up 21 percent YoY. With this the company continues to be the leading passenger vehicle exporter from India for five years.

In 2025, the company exported 18 models across 100 countries. The year included the start of exports for the e Vitara, a battery electric vehicle. Following the launch at the Hansalpur facility in August 2025, 13,000 units were sent to 29 countries.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “This is a proud moment for the company as we record our highest-ever calendar year exports of 395,000 units. It reflects India’s manufacturing strength and trust of customers worldwide. At a time when global trade is passing through a turbulent phase, we regard this 21 percent growth as a responsible contribution in supporting the nation’s export momentum.”

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers in the country has announced its wholesales for December 2025 and CY2025.

The company reported sales of 34,157 units last month, which was 37 percent higher YoY, as compared to 24,887 units sold last year.

For CY2025, the company recorded its-best-ever sales performance with 351,580 units, up 17 percent YoY, as against 300,159 units last year.

The company attributed the performance to its robust product mix in the SUV, MPV and compact segments, including the Innova Hycross, Fortuner, Urban Cruiser Hyryder, Hilux, Urban Cruiser Taisor and Glanza.

During the year, the company also expanded its Toyota Used Car Outlets (TUCO) and services including T CARE and T GLOSS. Marketing activities involved a tour by the group Drum Tao, the opening of the Toyota Experiential Museum (TEM), and participation in conventions with collaborations involving Shin-Chan and Attack on Titan.

Varinder Wadhwa, Vice-President, Sales-Service-Used Car Business and Profit Enhancement, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “Overall, 2025 has been a meaningful year for Toyota, marked by stronger customer acceptance across our products and services, both in domestic and export markets resulting in a year-on-year growth of 19%. This sustained performance has been driven by progressive GST reforms by the Government of India, strategic product enhancements and the introduction of new model variants. Our continued focus on strengthening brand connect among the youth by driving innovation and excitement through the launch of tem and Drum Tao activation along with the enhancement of our dealer network across both rural and urban markets, has positioned us strongly for continued momentum. We sincerely thank our customers for their trust and dealer partners for their unwavering support. Looking ahead, our commitment to decarbonisation remains steadfast through Toyota’s multipath way approach, offering a broad range of technologies tailored to diverse customer needs and real-world usage. Anchored in our customer-first philosophy and long-term commitment to India, we will collaborate closely with all stakeholders to deliver world-class mobility solutions, resulting in mass happiness for all.”

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