Like clockwork, once every 10 years or so there’s a new top-speed champ in the automotive world. When I was a growing up in the ’90s, that car was the 230-mph McLaren F1. A decade later, it was the 253-mph Bugatti Veyron. Now there’s a new bad Bug on the block. Packing 1,500 hp behind the rear seats, the Bugatti Chiron is designed to carry the production car automotive speed records for the next decade. Here are 10 things you might not know about the new Chiron.
How’s your French?
Those who have worked in sports and news broadcast might be tempted to call the Chiron “kai-ron,” like the company named Chyron that creates television graphics, but it’s actually pronounced “shir-on,” preferably with a heavy French accent. It’s named after legendary Bugatti driver Louis Chiron.
Fashionable and functional
This may come as a surprise to those who weren’t aware of Bugatti until the Veyron burst onto the scene, but the French automaker has a long and storied history. Although you’ll notice obvious visual similarities between the Chiron and its predecessor, the Chiron effectively looks to the future while blending in styling traits from its past. Take the distinctive C-shaped satin silver line that dominates the Chiron’s profile view, for instance. That line mimics the legendary 1930s Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic while providing the engine with clean, undisturbed air.
Speaking of Satin Silver …
The Bugatti badge on the Chiron’s grille is made of hand-enameled sterling silver, and it costs parent company Volkswagen $550 a pop.
We are the 0.02 percent!
That $550 badge represents just 0.02 percent of the Chiron’s estimated $2.7 million sticker price. (Bugatti only quotes the price in euros. It goes for 2.4 million of them.) According to Bugatti, the average Chiron buyer owns 42 cars, a jet, a yacht, three helicopters, and four houses. All right, then.
It’s going to be really fast
Bugatti’s still playing coy with the Chiron’s top speed, but computer simulations suggest at least 275 mph, 7 mph faster than the Veyron Super Sport and 5 mph faster than the Hennessey Venom GT.
But not so fast …
Bugatti will limit top speed of customer cars to just 261 mph. The Chiron’s true top speed can be unlocked by factory technicians after a set of ultra-finely balanced wheels and tires and some additional sensors have been fitted for a factory-backed v-max run.
More power!
To hit that 261-mph marker, the Chiron obviously needs a serious engine. The Chiron is powered by an updated version of the Veyron’s 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W-16 engine. Under the Chiron’s hood, the big 16-cylinder engine makes 1,500 hp and 1,165 lb-ft of torque, and it drives all four wheels through a seven-speed automated manual transmission.
You’ve never seen a dyno chart like this
Most dyno charts are progressive power and torque curves that slowly gain along the y-axis as they travel along the x-axis. Not so with the Chiron; the Bugatti’s torque curve shoots damn near straight up the y-axis to 2,000 rpm and then remains flat to 6,700 rpm, and the Chiron’s power curve is more like a power line, rocketing straight up to 6,700 rpm.
The big Bug can turn, too
The Veyron got a bad rap for being unwieldy on racetracks and on canyon roads. As a result, Bugatti’s engineers paid special attention to how the Chiron handled, fitting the new hypercar with a new ZF-sourced electric power steering rack, external reservoir Sachs suspension dampers, and custom hand-built Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Oh, and yes, we’ve been assured the new Chiron can drift.
Blowing Hot Air
The Chiron uses a neat trick to expel exhaust gases while making it more slippery. Although it appears that the Chiron has just four exhaust pipes, the Bugatti actually has six 3.2-inch titanium exits. Four of the exhaust tips exit centrally, and the other two exit downward on the left and right sides of the car, which helps create a Formula 1-style blown diffuser that increases downforce at speed.
The post 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Bugatti Chiron appeared first on Motor Trend.
from Motor Trend http://ift.tt/1LPW9eL
No comments:
Post a Comment