Ricardo Selected to Supply Seven-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmission

VAN BUREN TWP., Mich., December 4, 2008: Ricardo has been selected as supplier of the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) for the upcoming convertible version of Bugatti's highly successful Veyron supercar. The seven-speed DCT, first developed for the coupe version of the Veyron, is the result of a highly successful collaboration between Ricardo and Bugatti that resulted in the development of both the transmission hardware and its electronic control unit and software.

This state-of-the-art DCT is an important contributor to the exceptional driving experience offered by the Veyron, which is widely acknowledged as being exemplary of a modern high-performance sports car. Gear selection is sequential in action, using steering-wheel-mounted paddles or the innovative multi-functional electronic gear lever. Ricardo engineered the transmission - which also can be operated in full automatic mode - to the highest standards of refinement and quality as well as for functionality and safety, utilizing the latest technologies in transmission design, electronics, control software and mechatronics.

In addition to providing support for the design and development of the Veyron DCT, Ricardo manufactures and supplies the vehicle's transmission from a dedicated production unit at the company's Midlands Technical Centre in the United Kingdom. This new production order will ensure that the plant remains in operation in order to supply the future needs of this exceptional vehicle.

"We are extremely pleased to have been selected by Bugatti to fulfill its on-going production requirements for the Bugatti Veyron's dual-clutch transmission," said Mark Barge, Ricardo's director of high performance transmission products. "The Veyron is arguably a vehicle without comparison, and the state-of-the-art technologies that it demonstrates in its DCT are the result of a highly successful collaboration between Ricardo and Bugatti."