Now we live in an era in which supercars have topped 410kph and 430kph – with 480kph being seriously whispered about in more than one arena in the industry – it’ easy to forget what a monumental leap in power and speed the original Bugatti Veyron was over a decade ago. The brief to design a 400kph (248mph), 1,000bhp supercar was beyond the limit of road legal vehicle comprehension. So it was inevitable that there’d be one or two mishaps during testing.

And with that thought lingering, we’ll merely point you towards this video interview with legendary supercar test driver Loris Bichocci. Here, he recounts a little-known tale about what happens when a Bugatti Veyron prototype’s front left tyre lets go while lapping the Nardo test bowl at an estimated 394kph.

If you’re not fluent in Italian, remember to hit the subtitles button to read along as Loris talks. And leave space for your jaw to hit the floor.

What a story. What a car. And what a guy.