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Photography and sketches courtesy of Bugatti
This is the world’s fastest production car. At least, it will be, once owners take delivery of the ~$2.6 million Usd. Bugatti Chiron sometime this fall. To defeat its own Veyron SuperSport, the company had to shoot for more than 258 mph—surely not an easy target—but the new car is limited to 261.
Besides its speed, opulence, and undoubtedly incredibly intricate servicing routine, I think the 2017 Chiron is notable simply because automakers have finally surpassed the extravagant heights of 1930s excess. Exotic carbon fibre supercars are the modern age’s ‘Art Deco’ streamliners, the most advanced, expensive machines also packed with the most power and performance—just like when Delahaye, Pegaso, Isotta Fraschini, Voisin, Duesenberg, Bugatti, and the others roamed around. Chiron comes from Louis Chiron, the Monaco-born driver who was the company’s pre-Second World War star, notably competing well into his 50s.
I have a feeling that Chiron would be pleased that his name graces this machine. Now, we get style and continent-crushing performance: zero-to-186 mph (300 km/h) is over in 13.6 seconds, which (down here on planet earth) is an acceptable 1/4 mile time for a sporty car. Like the Veyron, it boasts four turbos, 8.0-litres of displacement from its 16 cylinders, and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission—only the brake horsepower is now at 1,479 and torque at 1,180 lbs-ft.
We still don’t know how fast the car is: when Bugatti attempts to officially set the record for the fastest car in the world, it’s even hinted the car may top 270 mph thanks to just-for-the-feat Michelin tires. Essentially, Bugatti has found a way to surpass even the most wild ’70s sports racing and Can-Am prototypes in performance, while also heaping luxury, comfort, and safety onto its best-travel-lightly occupants.
Everything about this car is, expectedly, mind-bending.
So as you begin to divest yourself of assets in order to jump in line, keep in mind there’s a lot to learn about this new car, like its blown rear diffuser, carbon fibre monocoque (that’s as strong as a Le Mans prototype’s), air intake LED headlights, and cooled glove box for your morning cold-pressed juice. Better start studying on the firm’s handy microsite.
For now, what do you think of the latest Bugatti?
I think all the Motor Trend videos has made some people think that Koenigsegg is inventing amazing stuff every other day. They make great cars and use different solutions but many times they are not as groundbreaking as some may think. Also lack of testing resources show in reliability issues with most of their cars.
Bugatti has access to all of VW’s resources and testing facilities. They use some of the most forward tech and materials available today and some are available only to them. The beauty of Veyron was that it could be driven as easily at 5 mph as 250 mph. With or without the roof. With NO hiccups.
Chiron, just like Veyron, is a GT car, NOT a sports car. Compering it to a bespoke sports car is not smart. But in it’s own class, it’s unrivaled and unbeatable. Regardless of Regera or Venom or any other car/kit car that wants to be part of this class.
That is why Bugatti could sell all of Veyrons and already sold 1/3 of all Chirons, even before the car was ready. If the others were as good as they claim, how come customers are not buying so many? As always, what fans think is light years apart from what paying customers want. And they want Bugatti. Basta!
Much less striking than the car they built in Forza. It is still an exercise in using brute force to gain spead.
The Koenig is a much more innovative car and also looks better. I would guess also that when they show the Regera R it will best the Bugatti.
As Gordon Murray said, it is not a sportscar when it weighs in excess of two tons. He has a point.
I think this car looks fantastic. I am generally hard pressed to like any newer cars (supercars or “normal” cars) designed for the street, but this car looks amazing, and it looks expensive. It exudes speed and wealth, while maintaining class. I think the colour scheme is wild and daring, while still carrying some kind of brutish elegance.
It looks fast standing still. I think the photography is fantastic and I can appreciate the sketches from the two designers (although they are of disparate quality, in my opinion). I think the car looks better than the exterior renderings suggested.
My ten year old boy loves this car, as well. (He even said the interior concept drawings look just like my drawings.) Ha. So, I’d say he’s got a good eye… 😉
Thanks for sharing.
All this talk about other supercars? Meh. I’ve seen the close-up shots of the handiwork, and I have to say that I am not impressed.
I think it looks good. Not different enough from the Veyron but has some appealing design details and you cannot ignore the amount of engineering that surely has been done to make a car this powerful drive and perform this “normal”.
It’s definitely not one of my favorite hypercars but I’m glad it exists nonetheless!
Fugly – wretchedly excessive – more hype than reality – yet another VeryGoneWrong in disguise – as depraved , fat and bloated as the majority of its prospective owners – technology for technology’s sake – disgustingly vulgar – and no doubt like its successors absolutely worthless anywhere but VW’s private test track [ memories of watching an RS6 embarrass the living daylights out of Veyron owner while I following a reasonable and discreet distance behind coming to mind ]
Seriously folks … when it comes to todays wretched excuses for Super/Hyper/UltraCars there’s only two names worth considering once in this stratospheric price range
Pagani [ for the fashion conscious owner wanting some seriously fun performance with a whole lot of Italian brio and style ] and Koenigsegg [ for the discerning owner who places engineering and performance as well as on the road usability over Wow Factor looks ]
The design invokes thought, without question but I have to wonder if I were a child growing up today if seeing one in the wild would move me in the same way as seeing a Countach, for example, did when I was a young and impressionable car crazed kid growing up in the 70’s. Huge performance and safety advances since then aside, I’d imagine the Bugatti absolutely dwarfs the old Lambo in size if they were seen side by side, which makes me question if I’d even be into cars at all if I were a kid growing up today…
Why go with the protruding doorhandles? Why not go for the streamlined handles in the F-Type, Aston Martin etc. handles? From the looks of it the big C scoops are air intakes, so wouldn’t a flush door handle make slightly more sense? If not functionally but aesthetically, it seems like an odd choice for a 2.5 mil hypercar.