When 258 MPH Isn’t Enough: Meet The Bugatti Chiron

We all thought it was safe to go back in the water. The Veyron died, Hennessey unveiled the 260+ mph Venom, and it seemed the war to make the fastest ground-based ballistic missile was over. Turns out, we’re going to need a bigger drag strip, because Bugatti just chose the nuclear option. Introducing the 1,478 hp, 261 mph Bugatti Chiron.

Good news first: compared to the Veyron, it’s actually pretty cheap. Of course by cheap we mean massively expensive. In the ultimate case of “if you have to ask…”, this Bug will run you $2.5 million. All that cash does buy quite a title though: owner of the most powerful production car (insert Jeremy Clarkson tone) in the world. Despite a blimp-esque heft of 4,400 pounds, the Chiron rips from 0-60 in sub-2.5 seconds and keeps going to a limited top speed of 261 mph.

Even by Bugatti standards, everything about this car is obnoxious. There is zero torque curve, with the 8.0L, quad-turbo V16 moving the Earth with a constant 1,180 lb-ft. torque from 2,000 to 6,000 rpm. Turns out when you’re cranking out that much power, the cooling needs to be equally impressive. Thus, the Chiron uses 10 radiators. Not bad considering most cars use, you know, one. Or in the case of the most extreme sports cars, four or five. But double digits is well into Twilight Zone territory.

Far as looks go, it’s admittedly a bit “meh.” Not bad but not exactly the sell-my-soul looks of basically any Aston. Of course, it looks that way because it has to. Not only can the Chiron achieve space shuttle levels of performance, but it’ll carry you and one extraordinarily lucky passenger there in comfort.

We can hear the argument already: “so what, the Venom already did 270.” True, but the Venom doesn’t exactly bring Rolls-Royce levels of grand touring ability along with it. Plus, that 261 mph top speed is the limited reach of the Chiron. Best guess: remove the limiter and some pretty time-space altering numbers will result. Those tests are just a matter of time, which cannot possibly get here soon enough.

Regardless of what details are revealed in the coming days, one thing is for sure: the new speed king has arrived. If the Veyron was Concorde, than Chiron surely must be an SR-71. Stay tuned. We certainly will be.

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