But how does a company go about making a car like the Veyron even better? For one, it needs to be faster. In a broader spec, it also needs to be better looking, more efficient, more luxurious, and modern. Piece of cake, right?
What’s In a Name?
In his five-year career with Bugatti, he won over a dozen races, including the European Grand Prix in Monza. He retired at age 56, making him still the oldest driver ever in a Formula One race, and a legend back home in France.
Go Turbo or Go Home
Naturally-aspirated engines are dying a slow death, it’s a sad fact of life. Bugatti understands this change, and stuck true to its turbocharging roots in the development of the Chiron.
While most expected to see a hybrid variant of the already powerful W16, Bugatti instead decided to go with good ol’ fashioned turbocharging. Four turbos power the 8.0-liter W16, producing an earth-shattering 1,500 metric horsepower (or 1,478 horsepower in American speak), and a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of 2.5 seconds. That makes it the most powerful production car ever made. Ever.
Designed to Drive
Development of a car like the Chiron isn’t all about engine and transmission (though, that’s a pretty big part). Creating a car of this magnitude takes time, and plenty of thought in design.
Bugatti’s thinking: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Chiron shares many cues with the outgoing Veyron, including a very Bugatti-esque grille and front end. The aerodynamics have been improved, as has the weight. At 4,400 pounds, the Chiron is 340 pounds lighter than the Veyron thanks to a healthy heaping of carbon fiber.
Oh, and if you thought Bugatti was all about straight line speed, consider this: the new Chiron has a drift mode. That’s right, a damn drift mode.
Elegance Meets Speed
Bugatti once again built one of the fastest cars on the planet. But maybe not the fastest car on the planet. Top speed is estimated at 261 mph, significantly slower than early rumors of 290 mph. But from 0-186 mph, the Chiron gets there in just 13.5 seconds. That’s a full three seconds quicker than the Veyron.
It’s definitely faster than the outgoing Veyron (261 mph vs 254 mph), but the Hennessey Venom’s 270 mph top speed seems to still be out of reach. Though, the Chiron is significantly classier.
Speed Comes With a Price
What, you didn’t think Bugatti was going to make a cheap hypercar, did you? The Chiron definitely isn’t cheap, exceeding even the Veyron with a €2.4 million ($2.6 million) price tag. At least the performance definitely matches the price.
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