Have you ever come across one of your old journals and read your 15-year-old self’s life goals? “Become a famous actor. Work with Al Pacino. Win an Oscar.” If you have, you probably didn’t share it with the public. Not even your friends.
But the company that makes the only quad-turbo W16-powered car on the planet does things differently. Shocking.
Bugatti will present a rolling diary of its ambitions from 15 years ago at the Salon Rétromobile in Paris February 5-9. Attendees will get to see the design study for the almighty 1,001-horsepower Veyron hypercar in its first trade fair display since the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999. (In case you haven’t heard, the French automaker hit its mark of a 253-miles-per-hour top speed. However, in the transition from car show candy to production vehicle, the cylinder count went from 18 to 16.)
Which car do you think looks better, the design study or the actual Veyron? Do you think they’ll play a certain Prince song at some time during the event?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
