Bugatti has been
putting the 1,479bhp Chiron through its paces on camera, with Juan Pablo
Montoya at the wheel
The new 1,479bhp Bugatti Chiron has
set a new world record – not for outright top speed, but by achieving a
0-249mph and back to nought dash in 41.96 seconds, with former Formula 1 driver
and Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya behind the wheel.
Alongside
the announcement, the hypercar manufacturer has released a series of videos of
the Chiron hitting various performance benchmarks. 0-62mph is dealt with in 2.4
seconds, with 124mph taking 6.1 seconds. A 0-186mph dash has been recorded at
13.1 seconds, with 0-249mph coming in at just over half a minute – 32.6
seconds.
The
Chiron is currently electronically muzzled to 261mph, but it’s understood that
a top speed run will take place next year with the limiter removed, as Bugatti
hopes to better the 267.4mph speed record set with the flagship version of its
predecessor – the Veyron Super Sport.
New 1,479bhp Bugatti
Chiron: all the details
The £1.9
million Bugatti Chiron - successor to the all-conquering Veyron hypercar
released in 2005 – has been in the making for a while now, but first customers
are getting their cars now.
Limited
to just 500 examples, the Chiron packs 1,479bhp and in time will attempt to
smash the current top speed record for a production car, set at 268mph by the
Veyron Super Sport. We’ve got all the details and the latest news on the new
hypercar right here.
The
latest word from Bugatti reveals that production is gathering pace at the
firm’s Atelier workshop in Alsace, France. First deliveries of the Chiron are
set to take place during the first quarter of 2017 and the firm plans to build
70 examples per year.
The
Chiron’s is powered by a new quad-turbo 8.0-litre W16 engine – developing
1,479bhp and 1600Nm of torque. The engine may share the same format as the
Veyron, but Bugatti's boss Wolfgang Dürheimer claims 95 per cent of the
engine’s components are completely new. Firm details regarding a 0-62mph
time are yet to be released, but it could be around as little as 2.5 seconds.
London-based
luxury car dealer H.R Owen has been confirmed as the only dealership in the UK
where you can order a Chiron. Of the 500 models Bugatti will produce over 200
have already been sold, with 15 of those coming from UK based
customers. Dürheimer also confirmed to Auto Express that one customer has
ordered six Chiron's. On average, customers spend an additional £250,000
on options when speccing their Chiron.
Bugatti Chiron top speed
The
Veyron Super Sport holds the current top speed record – clocked at 268mph with
its electronic speed limiter deactivated.
According
to Dürheimer, the Bugatti engineering team ‘knows the Chiron is faster, but not
by how much’. However, there will have been plenty of computer
simulations to give the company confidence about a significant improvement on
the record. Sources suggest 288mph is definitely possible, but whether Bugatti
discovers a way to find another 12mph and be first to that tantalising 300mph
target remains to be seen.
With all
this power and perfomance, the Chiron certainly doesn't score high in the
economy stakes - Bugatti has revealed its new hypercar will do 12.5mpg on a
combined cycle, with 516g/km CO2.
The Bugatti Chiron roars on video
The new Chiron
makes almost 300bhp more than its Veyron Super Sport predecessor. The top speed
is limited to 261mph for “road use”, but the firm states this is “by no means
the end of the road” for the Chiron. The speedo runs up to 500kmh (310mph).
Bugatti
has made this monumental speed possible by enlarging each of the four turbos
and introducing an innovative new two-stage spooling system. A titanium exhaust
also features, as do six enormous catalytic converters. The manufacturer also
claims the Chiron uses the highest-performance clutch ever fitted to a
passenger car. Carbon silicon carbide brakes with eight pistons rein all that
power in, as does the air-brake that protrudes from the rear haunches.
But this
isn’t just a straight-line weapon, according to Bugatti. The carbon body is
based around a new carbon-fibre monocoque chassis, which should mean it’s
considerably lighter. It gets an adaptive suspension system and specially
developed tyres, and is claimed to be “an agile, modern Bugatti with handling
that ensures maximum driving pleasure”.
Although
the car has been testing for some time now, the bold mix of curves and straight
lines for the exterior is still striking. At the front it gets a sculpted
bonnet and low headlights, while round the back, a unique 1.6m long LED light
strip features. It’s taller and wider than the Veyron, with increased space in
the cabin. Inside you’ll also find luxury features like a high-end sound
system, WiFi and 31 leather trim colour options.
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