Bugatti Veyron - 2006 Grand Award

Popular Science awarded the Bugatti Veyron with the "2006 Grand Award". The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 cannot fairly be compared with other cars, because none, including Formula One racers, can match its specs: 1,001 horsepower, 253 mph, 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds.

In 2000, Ferdinand Piech, then CEO of parent company Volkswagen, announced the project and its stunning perfomance goals. The Veyron would make a statement, not a profit. (The car sells for $1.2 million; each of the 300 models to be made will cost VW a rumored $5–6 million.) Engineers spent years refining the eight-liter, four-turbo, 16-cylinder engine—the 16.4 in the name—to squeeze 1,001 horsepower from it.

They refined the aerodynamics with a morphing rear wing and an adjustable suspension to get a final top speed of 253 mph. They developed a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to harness the 922 pound-feet of torque blasted to all four wheels. The final product is a supremely stable supercar that can be driven by anyone (its gearbox has a docile automatic mode), is mind-bendingly fast, and will probably never be matched in our lifetime. $1.2 million