Photo: Bugatti
The Chiron could never top the wow-factor its predecessor had, but that's only because, by the time it came out, every kid on this planet knew what to expect: the world's fastest hypercar and not one penny less.
The Veyron was Volkswagen flexing its muscles at a time when it was still starting its steroids diet. The one million euros, one thousand and one horsepower hypercar was notorious for actually losing Volkswagen money for each unit sold, despite the eye-watering price tag.
The Chiron, despite having 50 percent more horsepower, is said to be a profitable machine, but who can trust what Volkswagen says these days? What speaks for itself, though, is that the German company decided to go through with the project in a time when, thanks to the masquerade that led to the Dieselgate scandal, it was cutting costs left and right.
The Bugatti Chiron made it through, and the world is a better place for it. Just think about it: this hyperbole of a car has an eight-liter W16 quad-turbo engine delivering 1,500 hp, and it has a top speed limited at 261 mph (420 km/h).
That's ridiculous and almost incomprehensible for the rest of us with cars that can, at best, do 155 mph (250 km/h). That's nearly double. Besides, what good is that aside from bragging rights? No matter how quickly the Chiron accelerates, it's still going to run out of road before reaching it. And don't even say "ah, but German Autobahns" - you'd have to be mad to go this fast on a public road.
But the thing is, the Chiron could go faster. How much faster? Nobody really knows at this point, and we might not find out anytime soon. According to Andy Wallace, the Bugatti test driver, the Chiron can reach its top speed with ease, meaning there are plenty of resources left to go even faster.
How much faster? Beyond 300 mph (482 km/h) fast. The problem is, there are no tires at this point that could withstand that kind of speeds. Popular Mechanics gives us an idea of the forces these wheels have to deal with: the 2.5-gram valve cap on the hypercar's wheel weighs around 16 lb when the vehicle is doing 261 mph. With the value growing exponentially, just imagine how much it would weigh at 300 mph.
Fortunately, you don't have to. The Chiron already rides on tires designed specifically for the car, but Michelin, their manufacturer, says it's impossible to go beyond the 280 mph limit with the current technology. So, there you have it: nobody really knows the full potential of the Chiron, but we do know it won't (or shouldn't) go over 280 mph (450 km/h) because its tires won't let it.
The Chiron, despite having 50 percent more horsepower, is said to be a profitable machine, but who can trust what Volkswagen says these days? What speaks for itself, though, is that the German company decided to go through with the project in a time when, thanks to the masquerade that led to the Dieselgate scandal, it was cutting costs left and right.
The Bugatti Chiron made it through, and the world is a better place for it. Just think about it: this hyperbole of a car has an eight-liter W16 quad-turbo engine delivering 1,500 hp, and it has a top speed limited at 261 mph (420 km/h).
That's ridiculous and almost incomprehensible for the rest of us with cars that can, at best, do 155 mph (250 km/h). That's nearly double. Besides, what good is that aside from bragging rights? No matter how quickly the Chiron accelerates, it's still going to run out of road before reaching it. And don't even say "ah, but German Autobahns" - you'd have to be mad to go this fast on a public road.
But the thing is, the Chiron could go faster. How much faster? Nobody really knows at this point, and we might not find out anytime soon. According to Andy Wallace, the Bugatti test driver, the Chiron can reach its top speed with ease, meaning there are plenty of resources left to go even faster.
How much faster? Beyond 300 mph (482 km/h) fast. The problem is, there are no tires at this point that could withstand that kind of speeds. Popular Mechanics gives us an idea of the forces these wheels have to deal with: the 2.5-gram valve cap on the hypercar's wheel weighs around 16 lb when the vehicle is doing 261 mph. With the value growing exponentially, just imagine how much it would weigh at 300 mph.
Fortunately, you don't have to. The Chiron already rides on tires designed specifically for the car, but Michelin, their manufacturer, says it's impossible to go beyond the 280 mph limit with the current technology. So, there you have it: nobody really knows the full potential of the Chiron, but we do know it won't (or shouldn't) go over 280 mph (450 km/h) because its tires won't let it.
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