The Bugatti Chiron is a Masterpiece, Plain and Simple

BOLD RIDE

 

Copyright © 2016 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted on 13 May 2016 by Jeff Perez

                                     

The Bugatti Chiron is a car that needs no introduction. It’s like walking into a room and seeing George Clooney standing there in a well-tailored suit and some artfully-crafted leather loafers.

 

COO of the America’s Maruzio Parlato made that point clear when I met with him in Miami to see the Chiron in person. Much like the Veyron, the Chiron was not intended to be just another supercar—it’s an event.

 “Evolution not revolution,” was something designers and engineers took to heart when creating this new machine, staying true to Bugatti’s dramatic, eye-popping persona both on the exterior and under the hood.

Being in Miami, the Chiron is a vehicle that feels right at home. The Sunshine State—specifically anywhere south of Orlando—makes up 30 percent of the U.S. market for Bugatti, only marginally behind the two largest U.S. markets, LA and New York. This year, Bugatti hopes to acquire 50 percent new buyers. And of those buyers, many of them younger, a number coming from Silicon Valley even.

 

But among the bright lights and effervescent nightlife of Miami, the Chiron dazzles with a scenery all its own. A new “spine” splits the car down the middle, heralding back to the glory days of the Type 57 Atlantic. The strategy follows suit inside, where a crescent-shaped divider gives you the feeling of being in a cockpit, and flows seamlessly together with the interior layout.

That interior, I should mention, is completely new. Put it side by side with the Veyron, and you’ll notice just how much more luxurious the new Chiron actually is. More leather, softer features, and a steering wheel—what with its many buttons—that feels more at home in a fighter jet than anything else.

With the Chiron, the “customer becomes the designer,” says Parlato, and everything from the interior finish to the exterior paint scheme is customizable. Though, to be fair, customers are working with an already impressive package to start, it’s just a matter of not making it look tacky—which might be difficult for some previous Veyron owners.

There’s plenty to talk about when it comes to design—but I know, I’m avoiding the 1,500-horsepower elephant in the room. It’s fast, no doubt about that. Though Bugatti hasn’t yet allowed anyone to get their grubby little paws on the new Chiron, Parlato assured me and everyone else in the room that every inch of this car was built for speed, from the sculpted side angles to the specially designed tires to the more aerodynamic front end.

261 mph is the goal, don’t think Bugatti has gone soft on us.
The beauty of the Chiron, though, is that it’s not a particularly garish thing like some high-end supercars. It’s stunning, in every sense of the word. Only until you realize that it could tear your face off with one fell swoop does it become the thing of legend that the Internet has made it to be.

But the company knows what it’s doing. It won’t be building anything other than mind-boggling, breathtaking two-door supercars anytime soon, so don’t even ask.
 Hybrids are likely to come, but for now, customers still want to feel the roar of an 8.0-liter W16 and the spooling power of four turbochargers.

The Chiron, then, is another achievement for the French automaker to put under its very lofty belt. It’s beauty and class nearly surpasses the immensely impressive powertrain. It’s worth every penny of it’s $2.5M price tag.

 Photo Credit: Jeff Perez for BoldRide