The Bugatti Veyron and the Super Sport variants are now officially retired. The world of hypercars has just crowned a new king. All Hail the Bugatti Chiron.
High expectations for the new Bugatti Chiron
The expectations are high considering that the car it is replacing set the bar really high. The Chiron, named after the famous Bugatti racing legend, has some of the most jaw-dropping specs around. You might want to hold on to your jaws for this.
The Chiron sports an 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine. Yes, that’s four turbochargers on an engine that is essentially two V8s just like the old Veyron. The power output has increased by around 40% to a staggering 1,478bhp. It doesn’t stop there because the Chiron also produces 1,800 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000rpm. The power increase is due to bigger turbochargers and a new intake and cooling system. Other shiny new engine parts are the carbon fibre intake manifolds, six catalytic converters and a titanium exhaust system.
With all this power, the Chiron can haul its massive 4,400lbs around pretty well. It can easily go from a 0 to 62mph sprint in less than 2.5 seconds, 0 to 124mph in less than 6.5 seconds and 0 to 186mph in 13.5 seconds which is around 3 seconds faster than the Veyron. And it has a top speed of 261mph which is limited because of road safety concerns. If it had wings, this car would surely fly. Just thinking about this made my jaw drop.
All that power is transferred to the road via a seven-speed dual clutch transmission with an all-wheel drive layout.
Why all the hype about the Bugatti Chiron?
To keep the Chiron from taking flight, Bugatti is using some new aerodynamic tricks. The maximum limited top speed would be 236mph with the hydraulic rear wing raise. However, if you have a second key, it will unleash the beast. The second key will activate “top speed” mode and engage the hydraulics to lower the car and also extend the rear spoilers a little more to allow the car to reach 261mph. Interested in giving it a spin? You might want to do this on a racetrack or probably some remote salt flats.
There is a host of other improvements such as the carbon fibre monocoque and rear sub-frame that improves strength. The tires are a bit wider to increase the contact patch and give the car better acceleration, braking and grip. There is a new four-wheel drive system with electronic differentials for both front and rear axles to improve handling. There are also bigger brakes to handle the horsepower.
There are a lot more things about the Bugatti Chiron to talk about and this blog is not enough to cover every one of them. It is safe to say that this is one heck of a hypercar.
Bugatti has announced that it will be making 500 units of the Chiron. 120 of these have already been reserved well before the car was announced. That means you will have to wait more than two years before you get yours; assuming you ordered one.
Since this is one awesome car, it will also come with a huge price tag. The Bugatti Chiron is listed at $2.6 million US Dollars. There is no word yet on when the first units will arrive.
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