Bugatti unveiled the $2.6 million Chiron, which is being called by the company as "the most powerful, fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive production super sports car in the world."
It is definitely hard to disagree with that statement, with the Bugatti Chiron packing an 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W16 engine capable of producing 1,478 horsepower to reach top speeds of 261 miles per hour and go from zero to 62 miles per hour in below 2.5 seconds.
"The Chiron is the result of our efforts to make the best even better," said Bugatti President Wolfgang Dürheimer in a statement, adding that the Chiron saw significant improvements across all areas compared to its predecessor, the Bugatti Veyron.
The technology placed into the Chiron is nothing short of amazing, pushing the boundaries of physics to create a unique vehicle which will only have 500 units made.
The engine of the Chiron looks similar to the one in the Veyron, but it features 25 percent more power. To achieve this, Bugatti engineers developed new turbochargers and a new intercooling system that will allow for more air and fuel to enter the engine's cylinders.
The parallel systems of the turbos in the Veyron engine were also replaced with a two-stage system, so instead of four cylinders feeding exhaust into one turbo turbine, eight cylinders will be feeding two turbo turbines in series. With such changes, more than 60,000 liters (15,850 gallons) of air pass through the Chiron's engine per minute.
Engine cooling and aerodynamics are linked, and to prevent cooling drag, the Chiron has a water pump that pumps 757 liters (200 gallons) of water a minute through the car's radiators.
The seven-speed dual clutch transmission of the Chiron also underwent changes, as it had to be redesigned to handle the 1,180 pound-feet of torque that the vehicle. In addition, for maximum speed, the body of the Chiron was built on an all carbon fiber unibody.
Another innovation made by Bugatti is a proprietary lithium iron phosphate battery which weighs only half compared to traditional car batteries. Bugatti wanted as little weight on the vehicle as possible, save for the three-dimensional sterling silver Bugatti badge on the Chiron's front, which is said to be the only thing that feels heavy in the vehicle.
Drivers of the Chiron will be able to choose between five drive modes, namely the standard EB, Lift, Autobahn, Handling and Top Speed. Changing between the modes makes adjustments to the vehicle's dampers, ride-height actuators, calibration of the electrically-assisted power steering, stability control and active aerodynamics.
To add to the luxury of the vehicle, its four speakers are each embedded with one-carat diamond membranes. The harder the material of the membrane, the better the sound, and nothing is harder and more fitting for the vehicle than diamonds.
All these, in addition to many other technological breakthroughs and luxurious components, make for a one-of-a-kind vehicle that will require buyers to wait for 18 months before they get their hands on one, after paying for it.
So far, only buyers that have previously purchased a Veyron are allowed to inspect a full-scale model of the Chiron, with the car company already pre-selling 160 Chirons out of the 500 units that it intends to make.
