Photo: Bugatti
Bugatti has finally done away with one of the worst kept secrets in the hypercar business, confirming the Veyron’s successor will bear the Chiron moniker, while also letting us know we’ll get to meet the machine at next year’s Geneva Motor Show.
However, not everybody has to flip the big calendar page before getting up close and personal with the Chiron. For one thing, over 100 people have already pre-ordered the upcoming model. Those of you who haven't been following the 4-digit output scene will be reminded that the car borrows its name from Louis Chiron, a man who wrote Bugatti racing history back in the 1920s and 1930s.
There’s no reason to feel left behind - at least nobody outside the company has driven the hypercar yet, as Bugatti explains. That says a lot about how vehicles rumored to carry a price of €2.2 million ($2.5 million) are sold.
In another less-than-secret part of the announcement, the automaker talks about how the Chiron is currently undergoing the final phase of testing. A small number of prototypes are being manhandled in various parts of the world, with the focus being placed on locations with extreme weather.
Bugatti has said the Chiron will be “significantly better” than the Veyron. Given the pressure from the Holy Trinity, Koenigsegg and Pagani, it’s not difficult to understand the need for a major step up.
After Veyron production ended this year, we witnessed two important blows being delivered to the aura of the hypercar. First of all, a particular example of the machine lost a few rather unorthodox races, such as one against a heavily tuned BMW E39. Secondly, British tuner Oakley Design announced it would perform surgery on a Veyron, taking its 8.0-liter W16 engine to 1,600 hp.
So yes, the world hasn’t failed to make use of the one-year production window to try and take a stab at Bugatti.
Speaking of technical matters, Bugatti hasn’t disclosed the details of the Chiron yet. Nevertheless, the VW Group’s halo car is expected to offer a melange between an evolution of the Veyron’s quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 (electric superchargers, anybody?) and electric power. The hybrid powertrain should deliver around 1,500 hp and should allow the ultra-lavish creation to hit the 62 mph (100 km/h) mark in as little as 2.3 seconds.
Oh, and if you haven’t managed to jump the Chiron bandwagon yet, there’s plenty of time. Bugatti is expected to build around 500 units and perhaps you’ll grab the rumored Targa version.
There’s no reason to feel left behind - at least nobody outside the company has driven the hypercar yet, as Bugatti explains. That says a lot about how vehicles rumored to carry a price of €2.2 million ($2.5 million) are sold.
In another less-than-secret part of the announcement, the automaker talks about how the Chiron is currently undergoing the final phase of testing. A small number of prototypes are being manhandled in various parts of the world, with the focus being placed on locations with extreme weather.
Bugatti has said the Chiron will be “significantly better” than the Veyron. Given the pressure from the Holy Trinity, Koenigsegg and Pagani, it’s not difficult to understand the need for a major step up.
After Veyron production ended this year, we witnessed two important blows being delivered to the aura of the hypercar. First of all, a particular example of the machine lost a few rather unorthodox races, such as one against a heavily tuned BMW E39. Secondly, British tuner Oakley Design announced it would perform surgery on a Veyron, taking its 8.0-liter W16 engine to 1,600 hp.
So yes, the world hasn’t failed to make use of the one-year production window to try and take a stab at Bugatti.
Speaking of technical matters, Bugatti hasn’t disclosed the details of the Chiron yet. Nevertheless, the VW Group’s halo car is expected to offer a melange between an evolution of the Veyron’s quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 (electric superchargers, anybody?) and electric power. The hybrid powertrain should deliver around 1,500 hp and should allow the ultra-lavish creation to hit the 62 mph (100 km/h) mark in as little as 2.3 seconds.
Oh, and if you haven’t managed to jump the Chiron bandwagon yet, there’s plenty of time. Bugatti is expected to build around 500 units and perhaps you’ll grab the rumored Targa version.
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