The Bugatti Chiron is a mid-engine two-seater sports car designed and developed in Germany by Bugatti Engineering GmbH.[5] It was manufactured in Molsheim, France, by French automobile manufacturer Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. The successor to the Bugatti Veyron,[6] the Chiron was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show on 1 March 2016.[7][8] The car's design was initially previewed with the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo concept car unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Auto Show.[9]
The car is named after the Monégasque driver Louis Chiron.[10] The car shares the name with the 1999 Bugatti 18/3 Chiron concept car.
Specifications and performance
The main carry over component from the Veyron is the 7993 cc quad-turbocharged W16 engine, though it is heavily updated. The engine in the Chiron has a peak power output of 1103 kW at 6,700 rpm and 1600 Nm of torque starting from 2,000 to 6,000 rpm.[11] The engine in the most powerful variant of its predecessor, the Veyron Super Sport, generates 221 kW less than the new Chiron, while the engine in the original Veyron generates 367 kW less power.[12][13]
Like its predecessor, the Veyron, the Chiron utilises a carbon fibre body structure, independent suspension and a Haldex All-wheel drive system.[14]
Sales
The first 200 cars were sold before the first was delivered.[23] The base price is €2,400,000[24][23] and buyers were required to place a €200,000 deposit before their purchase.[23] The first three Chiron were delivered to their owners in Europe and the Middle East in March 2017.[25] In January 2022, every Chiron had been sold. In September 2023, Bugatti built the last base-spec (non-variant) Chiron; a Nocturne Black and Copper Chiron with a "Copper" tan interior.[26] The Chiron production run ended in May 2024 with the Chiron L'Ultime. A North-American market Super Sport model with fading blue paint and writings of the Chiron's history and achievements all over the car.[27]
Variants
Chiron Sport (2018)
At the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, Bugatti unveiled the track focused version of the Chiron, named the Chiron Sport. Mechanically the car is identical to the regular version, generating 1500 PS from a quad-turbocharged W16 engine but is 40 lb lighter due to a lighter, more unrestricted exhaust system, the extensive use of carbon fibre, and a stiffer suspension in order to increase the cornering ability of the car while maintaining its grand touring characteristics. The steering of the car has also received modifications and a torque vectoring system to control the power sent to each wheel of the car for improved handling in tight corners has been added. Aerodynamic improvements and light weight have been given special consideration in order to keep the car competitive on the race track. The Chiron Sport became available in late 2018 for an additional US$400,000 on the standard Chiron.[29][30]
In April 2022, Bugatti issued a factory recall for a 2018 Chiron, built 16 November 2017, due to a loose front frame support screw.[31][32]
Other Bugatti based on the Chiron
La Voiture Noire (2019)
The La Voiture Noire is a one-off special introduced at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. Based on the Chiron, the design of the car harkens back to the Type 57 SC Atlantic and is a celebration of the company's distinctive design history. The car has a hand-built body made from carbon fibre designed by Bugatti designer Etienne Salomé which has an elongated nose (similar to that on the Divo) and an elongated back section. Other notable features include unique wing mirrors, LED taillight strip, and wheels. Unlike the original, the car has a mid-engine layout.
A trim piece running from the front of the car to the rear spoiler recalls the dorsal fin present on the Type 57 SC. The car features a floating windscreen and has masked A-pillars. The La Voiture Noire shares many design similarities with the Bugatti Rembrandt, a cancelled front-engine grand tourer powered by the Chiron's W16 engine.[61]
The La Voiture Noire is powered by the same 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine from the Chiron having the same power output figures but the 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the all-wheel-drive system are heavily revised in order to allow for a more relaxed driving experience. Softer dampers and a revised chassis contribute to the factor. The car features six exhaust pipes recalling the innovative design of the past.
Records
Acceleration and braking record
At the 2017 IAA show in Frankfurt, Bugatti announced that the Chiron broke the record of fastest 0-400-0 km/h acceleration time, completing it in 41.96 seconds in a span of 2 mi at the Ehra-Lessien high-speed oval on a weekend in August 2017.[67] The car was driven by Colombian racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya.[68][69][70]
Bugatti also added an extra livery to the Chiron on display to confirm that it was the same car that broke the 0–400–0 km/h record.[71]
Production
Marketing
The Chiron was recreated in Lego as 2018's biennial Technic sports car. It was released on 1 June 2018 as a 1:8 scale model with 3,600 individual parts.[79]
On 30 August 2018, Lego unveiled a working full-sized model of the Chiron. It was constructed almost entirely with Lego Technic elements (339 unique types, over 1,000,000 pieces in total) with exceptions for the Bugatti badge, the wheels, a steel frame, a steel roll cage, a steel drive chain and the seat belts. The engine was created from 2,304 Lego Power Function motors found in standard models; it was estimated to produce 4 kW and 92 Nm of torque. The car was test driven by Andy Wallace, Bugatti's official test driver, at Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien test track.[80][81] Top speed is 20 km/h.[82]
See also
- Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo
- Bugatti Divo
- Bugatti Centodieci
- List of production cars by power output
External links
References
- 2016 Bugatti Chiron blueprints and dimensions on Outlines getoutlines.com, retrieved 2016-03-27^
- Angus MacKenzie. 2017 Bugatti Chiron First Look Review: Resetting the Benchmark Motor Trend, 2016-02-29, retrieved 2016-10-28^
- James Morris. Bugatti Goes Electric With Tourbillon, The Chiron Successor