Mark McCann’s Bugatti Veyron Takes Huge Step Towards TRAX 2026 Appearance
One of the most talked-about project cars on YouTube is a huge step closer to appearing at TRAX 2026 after Mark McCann’s Bugatti Veyron finally drove forwards and backwards under its own power for the first time in years.i
If you’ve been following Mark McCann’s now legendary Bugatti Veyron build, you’ll know that simply seeing the car move under its own power again felt like a long shot. When Mark bought the Mansory-modified Veyron, it arrived carrying more questions than answers. The gearbox had already spent months being rebuilt, parts were virtually impossible to source and, at one stage, the car was literally sitting in two separate halves. Plenty of people doubted it would ever drive again.
Now, after months of setbacks, specialist engineering work and a fair amount of determination, the project has reached its biggest milestone yet. The Veyron finally drives forwards and backwards under its own power once again. For TRAX fans, that could be very significant news indeed.
A Build That Captured The Internet
Few project cars have generated as much interest as McCann’s so-called ‘Spaghetti Veyron’. The series has followed every twist in the story, from tracking down gearbox specialists capable of repairing the car, to reverse-engineering components that Bugatti no longer supplies and solving problems that most owners will never encounter. At the heart of the challenge was a gearbox fault that had left the Veyron unable to engage reverse properly. Fixing it required the car to be split apart, the transmission removed and months of specialist work before it could finally be reunited with the rest of the vehicle.
Even then, nothing was guaranteed…
“The seal is a gamble, but it’s a gamble right now that we have no option on,” Mark admitted during the rebuild process, knowing that if it failed, the car would need to be split apart all over again. With replacement parts unavailable and several components impossible to buy off the shelf, the team faced a nervous wait as the rebuilt transmission was reinstalled and tested.
The Moment Everyone Was Waiting For
The latest episode documents what may become the defining moment of the entire project. After painstakingly reassembling the drivetrain, flushing contaminated systems, pressure-testing cooling circuits and reconnecting the Veyron’s famously complex network of hydraulic and electrical systems, the team finally reached the stage where there was only one thing left to do.
Turn the key.
The engine fired into life and, despite an initial misfire that still needs investigation, the rebuilt gearbox system immediately showed promising signs. Hydraulic pressure built successfully, there were no major leaks and the transmission was finally ready for its first real test. With plenty of nervous faces looking on, the Veyron selected first gear and rolled forward under its own power.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for…
Reverse. The issue that had sidelined the car for years had finally been solved. Moments before the test, Mark could barely contain his emotions. “If this works, it’s just going to be… oh God, I’m getting quite emotional. Please, please, please, please work.”
Against all odds, it did. The Veyron backed up successfully, prompting celebrations from everyone involved in the build. “Yes! Everything was worth it. It works. It bloody works.” For a project that many believed would never return to the road, it was a remarkable moment.
From Dream To Reality
Part of what has made the series so compelling is that even Mark himself wasn’t entirely sure what he’d bought. At one point in the latest video he reflected on the scale of the challenge, saying: “I remember first looking at this car thinking that car will never be back on the road. Everyone agreed with me. But the more I thought about it, the more I dreamt it could drive again. And we are making that dream come true.” That optimism has been tested repeatedly throughout the build, but the latest breakthrough finally feels like proof that the project is moving into a new phase. For the first time since the series began, the Veyron isn’t just a collection of expensive parts and unanswered questions.
It’s a running, driving Bugatti once again.
Could The Veyron Be Heading To Silverstone?
While there’s still work to do before the car can be considered fully finished, this latest breakthrough changes the conversation completely. The gearbox works. The car runs. It moves. And for the first time since the project began, the possibility of seeing the Veyron out in the wild feels genuinely realistic.
That naturally raises one very exciting question. Could we see Mark McCann’s Bugatti Veyron at TRAX on 16 August? Nothing has been confirmed, but with each new update the prospect becomes increasingly likely. And if it does happen, it would undoubtedly be one of the biggest attractions of the entire event.
After all, this isn’t just any Bugatti Veyron. It’s one of the most followed automotive restoration projects in the UK, a build that has attracted millions of views and kept enthusiasts glued to every update as the dream of bringing a seemingly impossible car back to life slowly became reality.
The car is still far from finished, with further testing and development planned before it’s ready for regular road use, but the hardest part appears to be behind them. As Mark summed up after the successful test: “It works. You got to think this car was in two halves. We managed to buy it for half the price of what it’s worth. It’s far from finished, isn’t it? But we go forwards and, more importantly, we go back.”
And that’s exactly why we’ll be keeping a close eye on the next chapter of the build. Because if the project continues on its current trajectory, there’s every chance one of the most talked-about cars on YouTube could be making its way to Silverstone this summer and making it’s first public appearance at TRAX.