Bugatti Chiron hits the road
Veyron? Yesterday's news as the first production Chirons leave the factory
Lest we forget, the production Chiron was formally unveiled a year ago at the same show and Bugatti is promising "a further customer vehicle" for its stand this year. The first of a range of increasingly ostentatious one-off special editions in the mould of the Veyron? We'll see.
For now the first cars off the line are Chiron1series models with the entry level spec of a 1,500hp quad-turbo 8.0-litre W16 motor. Two-stage turbocharging means its 1,180lb ft of torque is there from 2,000rpm to 6,000rpm and there's the 261mph top speed present and correct to triumph in any key fob measuring contests you might be having with your hypercar owning mates.
From the moment you lay down your 2.4m euros (before options) and pull the trigger on the preferred spec construction of your Chiron takes six months of painstaking assembly by Molsheim's specialist technicians. A taste of that is shown in the video, including the 'mating' of the 628kg powertrain and the the carbon monocoque. With the rear body built around the engine and gearbox the two sections are joined by 14 titanium bolts, each weighing just 34g. Each stage requires suitably time-consuming quality control, mainly involving being fondled by a white-gloved Frenchmanm if the video is anything to go by.
Bugatti expects to build Chirons at the rate of 70 per year, these first three cars featured in the video now on their way to owners in Europe and the Middle East.
https://drivetribe.com/p/KaDWIcrjRN6nQ9Ga64ImFA?ii...
They veyron was revolutionary for breaking the 1000hp and 400 kmh barrier, this just goes a tiny bit faster (and oddly, 300hp more, but slower then a veyron SS?)
And the design is very "cheap generic futuristic RC car toy" to me.
I like the nerdy factory details - like the little stainless flaps that cover the track for the posts to run along etc.
Wiki tells me that the Chiron is limited to 420 (and should do ~460 unleashed), but after the Veyron being such a big deal for hitting over the magic 400, the Chiron being limited to under the Veyron SS...
I think I successfully put it in the back of the net there.
Dan
When I say excited, I mean really excited - like that feeling that you had when you were in your teens and you were getting your first car/bike, and you couldn't sleep, and you couldn't wait, because... Woohoo! - you were going to be driving soon!
What I guess I'm trying to say is ... is the more expensive/advanced the car, does it translate in to a more exciting ownership experience (at this level)?
Not that I'll ever be in a position to find out..
Or maybe I'm just rambling.
I think I successfully put it in the back of the net there.
Dan
But if they bring out the all singing all dancing one now, how are they going to justify jacking the price up again for 'limited editions' in a few months?
In all seriousness, they couldve limited the Chiron to 440, and jack the turbos up some extra in the inevitable SS model and shoot for 470
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