A modified Bugatti Chiron rewrote the history of supercar speeds by becoming the first hypercar to cross the 300 mph mark. In August 2019, the Bugatti tweaked for higher speed under the stewardship of driver Andy Wallace recorded 304.77 mph at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany.
It is an achievement that led Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann to declare that “Bugatti has once again shown what it’s capable of,” adding that its the beginning of a new chapter for the company. “With this new record of the Chiron, we enter again uncharted territory. Never before has a series manufacturer reached this high speed.”
But it is important to note that this particular record-breaker isn’t exactly the typical production model you can simply buy for $3 million. It’s actually referred by the company as “pre-production vehicle of a Chiron derivative.”
A major characteristic of this specially crafted car is a longer and more aerodynamic body as well as reinforced tires sourced from Michelin. Give that the tires were set to rotate up to 4,100 times in every minute, they underwent extensive trials and tests, that included X-rays to optimize every aspect of their performance before the actual task.
The vehicle was also fitted with extra safety features for the driver. Will this end they hyper buzz over who has the fastest ride?
Bugatti president thinks so. He said, “Our hypercars are capable of so much more. They offer absolute exclusivity, luxury, unmatched beauty and a high level of automotive craftsmanship. The Bugatti is the only hyper sports car that combined all of these characteristics in one vehicle. We will concentrate even more on this in the future in the context of further exciting projects.”
Image Source: Unsplash
