Watch how a Bugatti Veyron is made

Watch full episodes of the Science Channel Series "How It's Made."

This is how a Bugatti is made. Like other works of art, this supercar is a limited edition. Only 450 of them will ever be made. Bugatti calls its 1,000-square-meter production facility the Atelier. Instead of a typical assembly line found in most car factories, the Veyron is assembled at individual stations.

Here, a technician unites the transmission with the engine and carefully bolts them together with a handheld ratchet. The mechanical components of the car's rear section have all been assembled. Technicians push the back end along a track to meet the front. The track sits below the floor and is covered by metal plates that open and close around the trolly feet as they move. The workers join the two sections with just 14 titanium bolts. Once again, they use handheld ratchets rather than power tools.

The powerful mechanics of the Veyron have been assembled, but a Bugatti is not a Bugatti without its sculpted exterior. To bring the Veyron to its artful conclusion, technicians wear white gloves so as not to mar the surface with fingerprints. They install each component with the same care and precision used throughout. But before reaching this stage, an expert tests the car's systems at this rolling-test station. These components are part of the rear-wing assembly. At high speeds, the rear wing extends and provides massive downward force to keep the car firmly on the ground. And when the driver breaks, it immediately flips to a vertical position, adding the braking power of a hatchback to the car's powerful ceramic disks.

Here, a specialist prepares the car for its final inspection. The car will spend two entire days at this station as he painstakingly buffs and polishes the car to shining perfection. He must ensure that every centimeter of the surface is absolutely flawless.

Bugatti's Molsheim factory built the Veyron from 2005-2015. The factory now only builds the new Chiron.