RE: Bugatti Chiron goes 304 mph!
Discussion
Bonkers. I don't care how irrelevant it is to the real world. The Campbells, Segrave et al would approve, I'm quite sure - as would Jessi Combs (R.I.P.)
I hope that this run took place a couple of weeks ago and that Piech knew. What a glorious expression of his legacy... but I can't help feel that the pure ICE land-speed-record hypercar has probably died with him. Future Koenigseggs will be hybrids, Bugatti will probably go EV...
I hope that this run took place a couple of weeks ago and that Piech knew. What a glorious expression of his legacy... but I can't help feel that the pure ICE land-speed-record hypercar has probably died with him. Future Koenigseggs will be hybrids, Bugatti will probably go EV...
aliasdred said:
If anything gets them disqualified I would bet it'd be the changed final gear. But seriously who cares? People-Customers-Other Manufacturers would know it can go 300+ and thats what matters now. Its more like making a statement rather than taking the record now.
Plus, if they want to make 50 special edition Chiron-300(s) then they'd be looking at 200willing customers ready to shell upwards of 4mil for each. Not that the production one would do 300(still limited to 261, but could do 300 just bypassing the limiter)
Presumably if you owned one of these, you could just pay for the same efforts (the mods, the engineering support, the track rental, etc) and do it yourself. If you squint a bit - it's production, as you can buy it! Plus, if they want to make 50 special edition Chiron-300(s) then they'd be looking at 200willing customers ready to shell upwards of 4mil for each. Not that the production one would do 300(still limited to 261, but could do 300 just bypassing the limiter)
Edited by aliasdred on Monday 2nd September 10:14
Amazing numbers - as a child of the 80s, i remember when top speed was everything in a car. The true measure of how quick something was. I remember blinking several times as a 10 year old at the Ferrari F40 stats - 201.3mph, was mind blowing at the time.
And then it seemed from the Jag XJ220 onwards, with the brief exception of the McLaren F1, top speed seemed to fade away as the yard stick of choice. We looked more at 0-60, increasingly now 0-124, and now presumably the kids still interested in super cars look for 'ring times as the big sexy number....
Article states (correctly) that Andy Wallace set the McLaren F1 speed record, but it also says he set a record in the XJ220? I thought that one was Martin Brundle?
I think somebody else also said about how both the F1 and Veyron SS cars weren't exactly full production spec either, but their records were allowed to stand. If I could set the definition of a 'production car' for records purposes, it would basically be the same as something I could potentially buy as a road legal vehicle. But if I had an F1 and asked nicely, would McLaren raise the rev limiter for me? Or would Bugatti remove the speed restrictor on my Veyron? (By the sounds of it, Bugatti would politely decline and instead suggest that I purchase their latest special edition instead!)
I think somebody else also said about how both the F1 and Veyron SS cars weren't exactly full production spec either, but their records were allowed to stand. If I could set the definition of a 'production car' for records purposes, it would basically be the same as something I could potentially buy as a road legal vehicle. But if I had an F1 and asked nicely, would McLaren raise the rev limiter for me? Or would Bugatti remove the speed restrictor on my Veyron? (By the sounds of it, Bugatti would politely decline and instead suggest that I purchase their latest special edition instead!)
"near production" spec, with safety modifications and some slightly aerodynamic changes plus a taller seventh gear."
Needs to be corrected as clearly not the fastest production car in the world due to the above.
This puts it into the fastest *modified* production car category. But is it?
Needs to be corrected as clearly not the fastest production car in the world due to the above.
This puts it into the fastest *modified* production car category. But is it?
The Hypno-Toad said:
Amazing engineering, fantastical brave driving, incredible achievement.
Utterly pointless.
1.) Where apart from on that track can you do it?
2.) I know a lot of billionaire car collectors have done a lot of driver training and might even have done some racing but how many of them could hang onto that going that quickly?
3.) How much preparation would it need to do that speed? Presumably you need to borrow bods from the factory to make sure the car is safe to do that speed, the weather to be right and everything to be organised in your private life to have the one day when the stars align and you can give it a go.
Don't get me wrong, I love cars and always have done but this car is just designed for that select group of billionaire buyers who rock up in London once a year and to get brag about the fact "they have the worlds fastest car," even though it will probably never see the wrong side of 150mph. It also fuels the fire of the like of the climate change and speed campaigners bellowing about dangerous cars are and how much fuel this car gulps. This then in turn will make life more difficult for the rest of us to enjoy driving in our MX-5s, BMWs, Audis, Astons or even Mclarens, which have might have worked bloody hard for as it will help trigger more ill-feeling against people who love driving.
(and no this isn't jealously because even if I win the £107million tomorrow, I wouldn't be buying a Bugatti anyway. I know my limits and the interior as always been too chintzy for me. I am sure VAG group will be devastated they won't get my potential custom.
)
As I said at the top, what a brilliant achievement but in this day and age it is utterly pointless & will only speed up the decline of opportunities for drivers who like to put their foot down every now and then. If you don't believe me wait until you see the headlines when a Bugatti has even the mildest fender-bender in central London.
I’d imagine there are one or two spots on the Autobahn where you could get close. Getting everything checked by the factory would reduce the risk, but it would still be possible to get close.Utterly pointless.
1.) Where apart from on that track can you do it?
2.) I know a lot of billionaire car collectors have done a lot of driver training and might even have done some racing but how many of them could hang onto that going that quickly?
3.) How much preparation would it need to do that speed? Presumably you need to borrow bods from the factory to make sure the car is safe to do that speed, the weather to be right and everything to be organised in your private life to have the one day when the stars align and you can give it a go.
Don't get me wrong, I love cars and always have done but this car is just designed for that select group of billionaire buyers who rock up in London once a year and to get brag about the fact "they have the worlds fastest car," even though it will probably never see the wrong side of 150mph. It also fuels the fire of the like of the climate change and speed campaigners bellowing about dangerous cars are and how much fuel this car gulps. This then in turn will make life more difficult for the rest of us to enjoy driving in our MX-5s, BMWs, Audis, Astons or even Mclarens, which have might have worked bloody hard for as it will help trigger more ill-feeling against people who love driving.
(and no this isn't jealously because even if I win the £107million tomorrow, I wouldn't be buying a Bugatti anyway. I know my limits and the interior as always been too chintzy for me. I am sure VAG group will be devastated they won't get my potential custom.
) As I said at the top, what a brilliant achievement but in this day and age it is utterly pointless & will only speed up the decline of opportunities for drivers who like to put their foot down every now and then. If you don't believe me wait until you see the headlines when a Bugatti has even the mildest fender-bender in central London.
Edited by The Hypno-Toad on Monday 2nd September 09:33
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