Bugatti Veyron targa to be called Grand Sport

MOLSHEIM, France — The long-awaited targa-top edition of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 has been dubbed the Grand Sport. Seen here in these official images, the Veyron Grand Sport will make its public debut on August 16 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The first car, slated to roll off the line next spring, is to be sold at this year's Gooding & Company auction at Pebble Beach. The folks at Gooding have a great track record with exotic cars, previously auctioning a rare 1927 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix for $2,585,000.

Curiously, Bugatti is not referring to the topless Veyron as a targa but as a roadster with a removable roof. The automaker says the variant incorporates a number of "innovative structural solutions" to help reinforce body and chassis.

We brought you early details on the car last month, including the word from insiders that production is likely to be limited to 75-80 units.

What this means to you: The Veyron Grand Sport is likely to be one of the showstoppers at Pebble — no mean feat considering some of the exotic hardware that will be on display at this year's event