Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse is officially the fastest roadster in the world, having reached a maximum speed of 254.04mph (408.84km/h) at the Volkswagen Group’s proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien where TÜV(independent German organisation for Technical Inspection and Certification), has officially confirmed the record breaking top speed.

The 1184bhp Vitesse was driven by a 29-year old Chinese entrepreneur and racing driver Anthony Liu, who commented after the race:

“This was a very exciting moment. In our training sessions we exceeded 400 km/h but the fact that I could surpass this unbelievable speed once again and even higher has made me very proud. The car is even at such high speeds incredibly comfortable and stable. With an open top, you can really experience the sound of the engine and yet even at higher speeds I did not get compromised by the wind at all.”

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse has been on the market since the spring of 2012 and to celebrate a new world record, a special edition World Record Car (WRC) will be unveiled to the public next week at the Shanghai Auto Show.

The special edition Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse WRC features a dual-colour scheme in black and orange, with production limited to 8 vehicles. The price is 1.99 million euros (roughly £1.7 million) plus tax.