Photo: Bugatti
While many aficionados remember Stephan Winkelmann for his CEO position at Lamborghini, the Volkswagen Group executive didn't spend too much time helming Audi Sport (he left the Raging Bull for the four-ringed brand's go-fast arm), as he became Bugatti's CEO last August. And Winkelman is currently taking Molsheim matters into his own hands, literally.
To be more precise, Winkelmann has jumped inside a Chiron, with the top man taking the 1,500 hp all the way to 400 km/h (make that 248 mph). The automotive producer has just published a few images showcasing the stunt, without delivering any details.
However, we're expecting this to be part of the effort that will see the French brand pushing the Chiron to its actual limits this year.
You see, the hypercar's speedometer reads all the way to 500 km/h (310 mph), but the automotive producer states that no production tire currently on the market can handle speeds of 480 km/h (300 mph), with the forces delivered at such velocity levels being too great.
However, Michelin is currently working to develop new rubber for the Volkswagen Group crown jewel machine. And while Bugatti hasn't concealed the fact that the upcoming tire can go past 450 km/h (280 mph), no further details were offered.
The pressure on Bugatti doesn't just come from the numbers sitting on the speedo of the Chiron. And that's because there's more than one competitor for the Bug in the velocity arena.
For one thing, the Koenigsegg Agera RS managed to set no less than five world records last year, following a session that saw the Swedish machine hitting an average top speed (there were two runs) of 447 km/h (277.9 mph) - the top speed of the thing actualy sat at 284 mph (457 km/h).
And this year will see Hennessey's Venom F5 attempting to one-up both the Chiron and the Agera RS, while multiple hypercars that have yet to make it into the real world promise similar achievements - we'd take the last with a grain of salt, though.
However, we're expecting this to be part of the effort that will see the French brand pushing the Chiron to its actual limits this year.
You see, the hypercar's speedometer reads all the way to 500 km/h (310 mph), but the automotive producer states that no production tire currently on the market can handle speeds of 480 km/h (300 mph), with the forces delivered at such velocity levels being too great.
However, Michelin is currently working to develop new rubber for the Volkswagen Group crown jewel machine. And while Bugatti hasn't concealed the fact that the upcoming tire can go past 450 km/h (280 mph), no further details were offered.
The pressure on Bugatti doesn't just come from the numbers sitting on the speedo of the Chiron. And that's because there's more than one competitor for the Bug in the velocity arena.
For one thing, the Koenigsegg Agera RS managed to set no less than five world records last year, following a session that saw the Swedish machine hitting an average top speed (there were two runs) of 447 km/h (277.9 mph) - the top speed of the thing actualy sat at 284 mph (457 km/h).
And this year will see Hennessey's Venom F5 attempting to one-up both the Chiron and the Agera RS, while multiple hypercars that have yet to make it into the real world promise similar achievements - we'd take the last with a grain of salt, though.
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