Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of some of the biggest stories in the automotive industry without the fluff or bull – which this week is mostly pre-game for next week’s festivities at Pebble Beach. I just throw in a little opinion of mine because I can. This week:

• Bugatti reveals their final Legends Veyron

• McLaren previews a one-off P1 and 650S Spider for Pebble Beach

• Aston Martin updates the Vanquish and Rapide S to improve performance

• Rolls Royce announces new model in development for 2016

• Dodge will reveal a new performance model next week

• Plus a bunch more to look forward to from Pebble Beach

Bugatti Veyron Ettore Bugatti Legend Edition

At last year’s Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, Bugatti revealed the first of a super exclusive line of special edition Veyrons dedicated to the most influential people in the famous marque’s rich history. The Legends of Bugatti series has produced five other special edition Veyrons thus far and this week we’ve got the sixth and final one to add to that ridiculously expensive list. Fittingly enough, the final Les Légendes de Bugatti and likely the final Veyron period is dedicated to Ettore Bugatti himself, also known as the founder of the company. Other Legends edition Veyrons thus far have taken inspiration from an early Bugatti which had some connection with the person they were honoring, and this one looks to the Type 41 Coupé de ville Binder for that. Silver and Royal Blue are the two dominant colors, but on the exterior at least, there isn’t a lick of paint to be found. What you see is actually clear-coated aluminum (hand-polished, of course). The unnecessarily complicated “paint job” seems to pay off, because it may have just made a Veyron pretty. The diamond-cut, polished wheels are nothing simple or cheap either. Its insides are especially not cheap, with both calfskin and cordovan leather being used together to adorn an already expensive cabin. The platinum-coated dancing elephant – in honor of Rembrandt Bugatti and the Type 41’s hood ornament – that you get on the center console is the six-figure cherry on top. Because pricing on the Veyron has always been outrageous, it’s fitting that the final one takes it further over the top. Pricing for the Bugatti Veyron Ettore Bugatti Legend Edition is €2.35 million or about $3.15 million. Just three of these will ever be made, which signifies how many people on earth can afford a car they’ll never drive. This car will make its first public appearance at The Quail during the week-long celebration of fine automobiles at Pebble Beach. Accompanying this one will be the five other Legends Edition Veyrons produced up to this point, which is the first and maybe last time that all six will be together before the others are locked away in a vault in Switzerland. [Source: Bugatti via Autoweek]

McLaren Special Operations P1 and 650S Spider

McLaren, like pretty much every other manufacturer, will be at Pebble Beach next week with a car or two which aims to draw the biggest crowd. To prove they mean business, McLaren will be bringing a P1 and 650S Spider, both of which are one-offs created by McLaren Special Operations, who were enlisted to work their magic once again. MSO, McLaren’s personalization program, has not touched the super fast, super expensive P1 up until now. What they’ve done to their first P1 seems pretty simple at first glance, but it’s really all that the already-exclusive P1 needs. Sterling Gray paint with trademark McLaren Orange accents add a touch of sinister to an already mean-looking car. The orange accents continue to the massive brake calipers and even the adjustable rear wing’s pistons. Not impressed yet? How about a heat shield for the engine bay and exhaust made from 24-carat gold? The purposeful interior also gets similar treatment (not including the gold heat shield) with orange accents on what few knobs and switches there are on the center console, Alcantara upholstery, carbon fiber (more than usual), and satin-nickel trim around the vents. Meanwhile, MSO’s idea for a one-off 650S Spider is a bit… brighter. The custom paint of choice for this one is called Cerulean Blue and it certainly stands out. Carbon fiber trim and chrome wheels should also help it attract onlookers when sitting on the grass at Pebble Beach. The interior is all black but features contrasting blue stitching to match the paint. Both cars will be on display next week at Pebble Beach. No word yet on whether these will ever be sold, but I’m guessing plenty of people will try anyway. Side note: McLaren is also expected to reveal the insane P1 GTR at Pebble Beach as well… stay tuned. [Source: McLaren]

Aston Martin Vanquish and Rapide S updates

How do you improve on two of the most desirable cars in your fleet? By fixing the couple of things that anybody could complain about – the transmission, driving dynamics, and the lower-than-expected top speed. The Aston Martin Vanquish and Rapide S are being updated to address these concerns and are done so in a way which you could only appreciate by driving it, which is what Jeff did a few weeks ago. The updates that he previewed are mostly beneficial to the way these two Astons move around. Headlining these updates is an-all new Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic gearbox which was developed with ZF. Gearshifts are faster and smoother which leads to improved 0-60 mph times for both – the Vanquish drops from 4.1 seconds to 3.6 and the Rapide S can now do the same in 4.2 seconds. Fuel economy is also improved thanks to the addition of two extra gears which can keep the revs lower when cruising around the nicest part of town to show your dominance. Once you’re done cruising at a leisurely pace, you can now hit that magic 200 mph mark in either car for the first time thanks to a revised final drive. Bosch provides a new engine management system for the AM29 V12 engine, which delivers precise engine control and is specially calibrated to work seamlessly with the new gearbox. A reduction of back pressure in the exhaust also adds a bit of power, and to help tame that extra three horsepower, the steering gets a bit of tuning as well to make it more crisp and precise. The Vanquish also receives a slightly stiffer suspension, the Rapide S gets larger front brakes, and both cars benefit from a retuned brake booster. In terms of styling, a new lightweight wheel option is available along with new exterior and interior colors. [Source: Aston Martin]

Blips

Zagato is bringing eight cars together for the first time at Concorso Italiano in Pebble Beach. The world’s largest showing of fine Italian automobiles will be the first place where eight of the most sought after Zagatos can be seen out in the open and in the flesh to celebrate the 95th birthday of Zagato Atelier. Some of the cars have never been seen before on US soil and each one is unlike anything else on the road. The eight Zagatos you can see are as follows: Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale (pictured), Aston Martin DB7 Zagato, Aston Martin DB AR1 one off with Zagato shelter system, Aston Martin V12 Zagato America, Aston Martin DB9 Spyder Centennial Zagato, Ferrari 575 GTZ,  Ferrari 550 Barchetta Zagato, and the Lamborghini 5-95 Zagato. No touching. [Source: Concorso Italiano] Rolls Royce has confirmed a new model is in development and is set to reach the market by mid-2016. That’s a pretty long way away so the Goodwood-based manufacturer isn’t saying much about it yet, other than that it will build upon the success of the Phantom, Ghost, and Wraith and will deliver “effortless open-top touring  through the perfect marriage of modern Rolls-Royce luxury, style and elegance with an engaging and exhilarating driving experience.” Sounds fancy. [Source: Rolls Royce] The beautiful “Million Franc” Delahaye will return to the track at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, because not every car that is descending on Pebble Beach next week is there to just sit and look pretty. This “Million Franc” 1937 Delahaye Type 145 V-12 will be there to race and look pretty. This Delahaye secured its reputation as one of France’s most significant race cars after its landmark victory of dominant German and Italian cars at Montlhéry – a feat which the French government and the French Automobile Club recognized with a cool one million Francs. Now on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum and having gone through a full engine restoration, this Delahaye will be on track once more at Laguna Seca. If you’re in the area, which I hope you are, keep your eyes and ears peeled for this gorgeous machine. [Source: Mullin Automotive Museum] Dodge is revealing something new at the Woodward Dream Cruise, according to a press release that landed in my inbox. On Wednesday, August 13th, Dodge will continue its 100 year anniversary celebrations with the world premier of its next “ultimate performance vehicle”. They’re bringing back the Neon SRT-4! My educated guess would be the Charger SRT Hellcat, which as they teased a week or two ago, takes the 707 horsepower supercharged V8 found in the Challenger SRT Hellcat and puts it in a CTS-V-hungry Charger. When they do show it off next week, I’ll be ready to spew facts about it from my desk. [Source: Dodge] Larte Design wants to make your Infiniti QX60 stand out with a new premium performance tuning kit. If you have an Infiniti QX60 but want it to be a bit faster and louder (both in sound and style), this is for you. A high-quality custom body kit which includes a redesigned front end with a new grille, additional fog lights, and a rear diffuser is included along with a stainless steel twin-pipe exhaust system. It rides on 22-inch light-alloy wheels finished in matte-black. Those interested can check out www.larte-design.com for more details. [Source: Larte Design] Have you ever wanted to dress like a Pep Boy? Of course you have! Pep Boys stores and their website will soon offer a new apparel line for the gearhead in all of us. Brands like Mustang, Camaro, Charger, Shelby, Mopar, Cobra, and even Honda will be well represented in a full line of apparel and accessories for both kids and adults with prices ranging from $9 to $20. [Source: Pep Boys]