The wait is over. After years in the making, Bugatti has made its first delivery of the Bugatti Chiron. Taken to the Geneva Motor Show by Bugatti in 2016 and published by press the world over it is likely you have seen this Chiron before. Here it is though, in the flesh, in the wild. All to ourselves.
Cars247, Official Photographer Hosam Al-Ghamdi, and the owner of the first ever Bugatti Chiron Prince Badr Bin Saud find a quiet spot in Saudi Arabia to bring you the exclusive shots of the most special car on the planet.
Credits
Photography – Hosam Al-Ghamdi
Owner – Prince Badr Bin Saud
Car – 2017 Bugatti Chiron 8.0l W16 #1 of 500 in French Racing Blue & Deep Blue
“We have made the best even better” Wolfgang Dürheimer, President – Bugatti.
It is hard to argue otherwise. We run through the facts which demonstrate the sheer magnitude of the new Bugatti Chiron. Jump in..
Where the King of Speed Bugatti Veyron Super Sport produced 1183HP, the new Chiron develops 1479HP. Just think about that for a second. One Thousand, Four hundred and Seventy-Nine Horses. The beauty and elegance of the Chiron can lead us to forget it packs one of the biggest punches in automotive history.
Then there is the matter of top speed, which Bugatti has limited to 261mph. The specially-developed, wider Michelins can take more, Bugatti says, and will be used for a Chiron’s record-setting attempt following further testing, which is expected to surpass 270mph with 300mph a distinct possibility.
That ferocious power and speed come from a modified version of the 8.0l W16 motor found in the Veyron. Amazingly, the Chiron will accelerate from 0-186mph in 13.6 seconds. In comparison that is 2.9 seconds faster than a McLaren P1 and a second quicker than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. Running at its top speed the Chiron will drain its fuel tank in just nine minutes.
At top speed, 60,000 litres of air per minute are pumped through the engine, while the coolant pump can circulate 800-litres at the same time. The 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels are built to withstand space travel like forces as each gram of rubber are exposed to a centrifugal force of 3,800G.
Despite the phenomenal price tag Bugatti has kept the Chiron refined. You are not overwhelmed by switches and dials but it maintains the luxury feel. You will find not find plastic in the Chiron and 16 leather hides go into making each interior. One carat diamonds support the speaker diaphragms in four tweeters.
A new titanium exhaust system developed on advances in F1 technology mean there are six exit pipes in total – four out the back and two pointing downwards to create a blown diffuser – a downforce-boosting technology so effective F1 banned its use.
The Bugatti Chiron hails from The Altelier at Molsheim in France under the Volkswagen Group supervision, which built an average of 28,176 cars every day of last year. So, it starts in the 40-degree Saudi weather. Reliability should not be a factor, even at 1500HP and 261mph.
Bugatti uses a new carbon-fibre monocoque – again following in F1 footsteps – with each one taking four weeks to make. A carbon-fibre rear-subframe is attached to save 8kg versus the Veyron and boost rigidity. The entire car is then wrapped in a carbon-fibre skin with transparent paint options exposing the carbon fiber weave of the body panels.
Five different driving modes are available- Lift, Auto, Autobahn, Handling and Top Speed to choose from. Top Speed mode requires a second key to initiate. Do so and the car hunkers down, the four-stage rear spoiler flicks into its new position and you’re free to head for the horizon and get to the 261mph limit.
Whilst a beautiful thing to behold all aspects of the car were designed for performance. Each part of the car serves a performance purpose and nothing is added for aesthetic benefit. It is beauty seemingly an after effect on the quest for speed.
Those quad LED headlights, double as intakes, funneling air towards the front brakes. The rear is shaped to reduce drag and create a suction effect, drawing hot air off the engine. The 1.6m wide light strip featuring 82 LEDs that act as a brake light, reversing light and indicators the only addition. The sweeping curve constructed from a single piece of carbon-fibre that defines the profile of the car – the “Bugatti Line” – is also an air intake to feed and cool the 4 massive turbos and 16-cylinder engine.
120 of the strict 500 unit run are already accounted for and at $3 MILLION it is an exclusive club to join. Almost certainly the last of its kind as supercars give way to super-hybrids and super-electrics perhaps the Bugatti Chiron is the last of the ‘traditional’ supercars – and if it is – my what a send-off.
