New 261mph Bugatti Chiron 01 | 03 | 2016
THIS IS THE new Bugatti Chiron, the successor to the original Veyron, and now the world's fastest production car. The newcomer delivers a mighty 1479bhp, can reach 62mph in less than 2.5sec despite weighing 1995kg, and has a maximum top speed of 261mph (see more photographs of the Bugatti Chiron).
And already, customers have placed 180 deposits of €200,000 or $250,000, prior to being given the spec of the car or driving it in any form: only 500 will be built, with the first scheduled for delivery in October.
The Chiron is powered by a heavily revised version of the quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 configured petrol engine used in the Veyron. Delivering 1479bhp developed at 6750rpm, the mid-mounted unit delivers 492bhp more than the engine used by the Veyron. Torque has also risen by a substantial 257lb/ft, peaking at 1179lb/ft on a band of revs between 2000 and 6000rpm.
The Chiron also uses new turbochargers which are operated in a two-stage process; during step-off just tw,o turbochargers function initially, with the remaining two joining in to boost performance when the engine speed rises above 3800rpm.
The power is channeled through a reworked version of the Veyron’s seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and multi-plate clutch four-wheel drive system. And the Chiron has what Bugatti has labelled an “easy to drift” function, thanks to an electronically controlled differential that provides a torque-vectoring function to vary the amount of drive apportioned to each of the rear wheels.
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As for performance figures, Bugatti has yet to realise official numbers because the Chiron has yet to complete final certification testing. But its preliminary figures claim it's faster than Veyron with 0-to-62mph in under 2.5sec, 0-to-124mph in less than 6.5sec and 0-to-186mph below 13.6sec. Officially, the Veyron's times were 2.5sec, 7.3sec and 16.7sec respectively.
Top speed? As previously, it comes in two stages. The Chiron's so-called handling mode gives you 236mph before the electrics step in, and the top-speed mode provides a maximum of 261mph, eclipsing the Veyron by 7mph.
Size-wise, the Chiron is 82mm longer, 40mm wider and 53mm higher than the Veyron, the new model measuring 4544mm long, 2038mm wide and 1212mm tall. The Chiron also has a 1mm longer wheelbase, at 2711mm.
Inside the cabin — which now boasts 12mm extra headroom compared with the Veyron — the surroundings are trimmed in a combination of leather, carbonfibre and brushed aluminium.
"Interest in the Chiron has been exceptional," Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Durheimer said. "We have set out a clear policy of communicating with existing customers first, and the reaction has been amazing. One-third of the allocation has a deposit on before we have even told them the remarkable performance figures or even let them behind the wheel.
"The biggest order so far is for six cars, but we expect some busy days after the reveal. We will see what the demand is, but it is a problem if we sell out too quickly. The quality of this car demands each one takes a week to be built. Our peak output will be 65 cars a week. Patience is required."
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Jim McGill