Bugatti stunned the automotive world last fall when a new version of the Chiron it had developed cracked the 300-mph barrier, making it the fastest production car in the world by a significant margin.
The car's official top speed is 304.773 mph, or almost 30 mph faster than the previous record of 277.9 mph set by a Koenigsegg Agera RS in 2017.
The new Bugatti is called the Chiron Super Sport 300+, and 30 examples are destined for production. Bugatti started accepting orders following a reveal at the 2019 Frankfurt International Motor Show, and it's safe to assume all build slots are sold even though we're talking about a car costing close to $4 million.
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+
Ahead of the start of customer deliveries later this year, Bugatti is putting prototypes through some final testing. Two of them were recently spotted in Spain. We know the prototypes are for the Chiron Super Sport 300+ because of the stacked exhaust tips, the extended tail, and more aggressive front fascia design.
Power comes from the Chiron's familiar 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W-16, though the output has been dialed up to 1,577 horsepower instead of the standard 1,480-hp rating. The Chiron Super Sport 300+ also rides on a bespoke set of Michelin tires rated at 317 mph.
Customer examples of the Chiron Super Sport 300+ will differ from the record car. For example, they won't feature a roll cage and safety harness. Their ride height will also be higher, and they will have a front passenger seat which in the record car was replaced by GPS data-logging equipment and other hardware.
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+
Crucially, the car will also be speed limited for safety reasons. Bugatti hasn't said what the limit will be but it will likely be higher than the regular Chiron's 261-mph limit. There are rumors Bugatti may provide owners with an option to remove the speed limit for official visits to the Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany, though the automaker is yet to comment on this.
Could we see the Chiron Super Sport 300+ reach a faster speed? Andy Wallace, who set the record speed, has said the car was still accelerating when he finally lifted off the gas. Bugatti, too, is confident of at least another 15 mph if the car is run on the same stretch of Highway 160 just outside of Pahrump, Nevada, where Koenigsegg's Agera RS set its record, due to the lower air density compared to the Ehra-Lessien test track. However, the automaker is satisfied with being the first to crack 300 mph and in future will focus on other aspects of performance.
There are plenty of others looking to build the world's fastest car, though. Potential candidates include the Hennessey Venom F5, Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, and SSC Tuatara.
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