Everybody knows that the Nurburgring->ke999 attracts automakers from all over the world with almost all of them using the track as a testing ground for their newest models. But there's one company that rarely makes that that trip for that specific purpose, so it was pretty surprising to see Bugatti->ke16 doing some test runs at the 'Ring with what can only be described as a mysterious looking Veyron->ke1112.

This video of the strange Veyron was captured taking in some test laps at the famous German circuit, and from the looks of things, there's something going on with the supercar->ke177's engine because the entire cover has been taken out. Clearly, Bugatti was doing some performance testing on the car, presumably making some tweaks and revisions to the engine in between these hot laps.

Could this be a new, special-edition Veyron that Bugatti has in store, or could this be a mule testing out the drivetrain of the promised second-generation Veyron?

Only time will tell, but if you ask me, this could be a special-edition Veyron that Bugatti is preparing ahead of the supercar's exit. Besides, there's still no timetable on when the successor is going to be launched, so in the meantime, Bugatti is probably preparing one special model to give the it the kind of exit it so richly deserves.

Click past the jump to see the spy video.