Taking a joyride in a $2.5 million Bugatti

Quietly parked in front of the J House, an upscale boutique hotel in Greenwich, Conn., our bright orange Bugatti drew stares from folks of all ages and walks of life. "Is this the Veyron 16.4?" asked a breathless young passer-by on a bicycle. "See, I told you," he said to his friend after getting the answer he expected. Then, a couple of older, affluent women strolled out of the hotel and stopped to admire the $2.5 million machine. They loved it — except for the orange color and the price tag, both of which they thought ludicrous.

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The original Veyron came out in 2005. Yet, its styling still looks relevant today. The Veyron is not exactly gorgeous, but it is unique and won't be mistaken for anything else. Basically, the Vitesse is a Veyron convertible that's been given the Super Sport treatment.

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In addition to a staggering 1,200 horsepower (Bugatti upped the Veyron's power by 199 ponies), the Bugatti-built 8.0-liter W16 engine delivers a chart-topping 1106 lb-ft of torque, thanks to larger turbochargers, intercoolers, and four fuel pumps. All that extra power creates gobs more heat, and dissipating it was quite the challenge, says Jens Schulenburg, Bugatti's chief vehicle engineer. That's where the different bumpers come in.

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Bugatti engineers enlarged the radiator and inlets below the front bumper for better cooling. This altered the car's aerodynamics, so a diffuser was added below the rear bumper to balance things out. Wheels, bearings and the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission were all beefed up as well. The result is a car robust enough to crawl through city traffic, cruise on the highway or do zero to 62 mph in 2.6 seconds. Oh, and it has a top speed of 233 mph.

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It takes a special person to demonstrate the capabilities of the Vitesse. With 32 years of racing experience and numerous wins at the world's most grueling endurance races, Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace was that person for us.

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As beastly as the specs and aggressive look make it seem, the Vitesse is actually a lamb in everyday driving. However, getting into one does require some effort; contorting yourself to climb over the wide door sill and into the superlow seating position is not easy. But once in the driver's seat, the attention to every detail of this car is immediately evident; everything is in the right place and impeccably designed and crafted.

Bing Images: Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse

It's clear the Vitesse is made by people who relish driving as something to be enjoyed rather than tolerated. There are no buttons on the steering wheel and no fussy multimedia interface. The seats are firm yet comfortable — perfectly supportive. Readouts and controls are ideally placed. Everything is exquisitely crafted to bring a sense of pleasure, from the shape of the gear selector to the hand-finished trim panels.

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We can't tell you how the stereo sounds. It never got turned on during our afternoon drive with Wallace. Listening to 16 cylinders pumping away just behind our heads was enough sonic entertainment for us, and not only for the awesome roar the big engine makes upon acceleration, but also for the gritty noises it makes under more sedate conditions. With the roof off, the car's crackles, clanks and ticks permeate the cabin, lending a raw texture that is pleasantly at odds with an otherwise pervasive refinement.

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A carbon-fiber lip installed at the top of the windshield and a mesh panel behind the seats quell wind turbulence. We chatted with Wallace comfortably while doing 70 mph on the highway. Even the engine noise recedes to the background when cruising. The car really does have two personalities, or perhaps it just walks softly while carrying a big stick. Either way, if conversation wanes, flip the left paddle on the steering wheel to downshift and drown the monotony with the shriek of 16 cylinders.

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We've driven all manner of road cars and a handful of race cars. None — absolutely none — feel like the Vitesse under full acceleration. Wallace says it will rearrange the muscles in your face and crush your lungs — both apt descriptions for what it feels like to slow the car to 35 mph on the highway, downshift to second and bury the throttle. This is a warp machine that reduces traffic to specks in the rearview mirror.

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You feel like a hero behind the wheel of the Vitesse. It is a drug that makes you giggle uncontrollably, drunk with speed. You will jones to hear and feel the fury of its acceleration time and again — and this is without even testing its 233 mph top speed, which we know the Connecticut State Police wouldn't appreciate. But this car is not just about mind-bending acceleration in a straight line.

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In the seven years since the original Veyron 16.4 came to market, Bugatti has learned a lot about how the car behaves on roads and in environments of all kinds. Schulenburg, who helped develop the first Veyron, and his fellow engineers have taken this knowledge and improved, for example, the suspension; it is now more supple, yet no less direct. The car rides firmly, but doesn't beat you up, which is remarkable considering the Vitesse's extremely low-profile tires.

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The more you drive the Vitesse, the more subtleties and subtexts reveal themselves. The larger turbochargers have the slightest bit of lag, which Wallace prefers for the way it tempers the buildup of speed. Visibility is good for a mid-engine supercar, which is surprising. The dual-clutch transmission revs so precisely that the tachometer needle seems to tick like a second hand on a fine wristwatch, rather than flutter up and down as it does on every other car.

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The steering, brake and throttle are so direct that it feels as if you don't even have to think to drive — you assimilate with the car. With a mere flick of the steering wheel we swerved around a minivan barreling out of a driveway on a tree-lined back road. The Vitesse reacted so swiftly, and with such tight body motion, that it took a moment to even register what had happened.

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(As part of a sponsored press event, the automaker provided MSN with travel and accommodations to facilitate this report.)

Matthew de Paula wanted to be an automotive journalist ever since reading his first car magazine in grade school. After a brief stint writing about finance, he helped launch ForbesAutos.com and became the site's editor in 2006. Matthew now freelances for various outlets.