Bugatti Chiron

With a name honoring Louis Chiron, Bugatti’s grand prix driver in the 20s and 30s who cleaned up at virtually all the major races he contested behind the wheel of their cars, the stakes were raised even higher. Operating beyond the known best standard in any field is incredibly tough; new battle lines had to be drawn. Alongside the pre-marketing activity, which led to those 100s of names on the pre-order list, Bugatti tested the Chiron extensively across several continents, ensuring whatever the conditions it was head and shoulders above the competition.

Design was another priority the engineers had to work around. While the design looked to all intents and purposes like it could be an actual car, albeit an extremely high-end one, less consideration was needed for elements like airbags, packaging of the engine, drivetrain and even the interior when the concept was just a shell with numbers for a physics model typed in to the game code – building and developing the real thing represented an entirely different challenge.

Overview

The Bugatti Chiron is a testament to the pinnacle of automotive engineering and design, representing one of the most powerful, fast, and luxurious hypercars ever produced. Unveiled in 2016 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Chiron succeeds the legendary Bugatti Veyron, pushing the boundaries of performance, technology, and exclusivity even further. Named after Louis Chiron, a Monaco-born racer who successfully drove for Bugatti in the early 20th century, the Chiron aims to honor its heritage while showcasing the brand’s future.

The Chiron’s design is a blend of elegance and aerodynamic efficiency, maintaining Bugatti’s iconic design cues such as the horseshoe grille and the distinctive C-shaped line that defines its profile. Every element of the Chiron’s exterior has been meticulously crafted for aerodynamic performance, cooling, and aesthetics, from the adaptive rear spoiler to the intricately designed LED headlights.

Inside, the Chiron offers a luxurious cabin that matches its exterior prowess. It features the finest materials, including leather, carbon fiber, and brushed aluminum, along with highly customizable options for buyers to personalize their vehicles. Despite its focus on performance, the Chiron does not compromise on comfort and luxury, offering a sophisticated infotainment system and sound system, ensuring a grand touring experience unlike any other.

At the heart of the Bugatti Chiron is its monumental quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine, capable of producing 1,479 horsepower (1,500 PS) and 1,600 Nm (1,180 lb-ft) of torque. This powerhouse enables the Chiron to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in less than 2.5 seconds, 0 to 200 km/h (0-124 mph) in about 6.5 seconds, and 0 to 300 km/h (0-186 mph) in around 13.6 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 420 km/h (261 mph) for safety reasons, though it’s capable of achieving even higher speeds under the right conditions, as demonstrated in various record-setting runs.

The engineering behind the Chiron is as impressive as its performance. Bugatti developed a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system to handle the immense power and torque, ensuring optimal traction and stability. The car’s carbon fiber monocoque structure not only provides rigidity and safety but also contributes to its relatively light weight, considering its size and capabilities. Advanced cooling systems manage the heat generated by the engine and turbos, with 10 radiators in total ensuring everything operates within optimal temperatures.

Bugatti has released several variants and special editions of the Chiron, each with unique features, enhancements, or commemorations. These include the Chiron Sport, offering improved handling and reduced weight; the Chiron Pur Sport, focused on agility and dynamic driving; the Chiron Super Sport 300+, built for straight-line speed and breaking the 300 mph barrier; and the Bugatti Divo, a more track-focused hypercar based on the Chiron’s platform. Each variant has contributed to the Chiron’s legacy, showcasing Bugatti’s relentless pursuit of perfection.

With production limited to 500 units, it remains an exclusive masterpiece, sought after by collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. The Chiron continues Bugatti’s legacy of creating some of the most extraordinary cars in history, setting benchmarks for performance, luxury, and engineering prowess in the automotive world.

Bugatti Chiron Variants & Derivatives

As expected, Bugatti created a number of updates and limited edition Chiron variants. In 2018 Bugatti unveiled the track focused version named the Chiron Sport, which was mechanically identical to the regular version but 40 lb lighter and with a stiffer suspension and other tweaks. Next (in 2019) was the 110 Ans Bugatti, built to celebrate 110 years of Bugatti. That same year, they gave us the ultimate Chiron Super Sport 300+ and the Chiron Noire, built to celebrate the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Coupé Aero No.

57453. In early 2020, Bugatti introduced the Chiron Pur Sport, a handling-focused model limited to 60 units, that was 110 lb lighter than the standard Chiron. Later that year, the “Les Légendes du Ciel” was developed to celebrate Bugatti’s racing drivers that flew in the French Air Force. In 2021, Bugatti introduced the standard version of the 300+ world record car. Unlike the 300+, it did not come with interior stiffening and had more leather in the interior, while the visual differences included special redesigned wheels and a paint finish instead of the bare carbon fibre seen in the 300+. The Chiron Pur Sport Grand Prix was announced in December 2021.

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It was the first project of Bugatti’s new ‘Sur Mesure’ (meaning tailored in French) customization program, so it is a one-off car. The Chiron Profilée was also a one-off special introduced in December 2022, based on the Chiron Pur Sport, but features a new aerodynamic profile. There were also variants like the La Voiture Noire, Centodieci, Divo and Bolide that were built on the Chiron but were far enough away from the main Chiron they were considered their own models.