Bugatti Chiron becomes the first hypercar to cross 300mph barrier

Bugattis are all about exclusivity, be it for the way they look, what's inside them or its mammoth of an engine. They have often been featured on the top when it comes to cars that can go fast..really fast. The company's recent offering, the Chiron, has now made headlines for something that it does the best. It has become the first hypercar to have crossed the 300mph barrier, which is approximately 483kmph, meaning that the Chiron can cover the distance equivalent to the distance at which a football can fly at the blink of an eye. Bugatti's hypercar achieved this feat on Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien track, which has already witnessed the Veyron touch 253.2mph and a Veyron Sport reach a maximum of 267.856mph. The Bugatti Chiron's historic speed was recorded and verified by TÜV – Germany's Technical Inspection Association, driven by racecar driver Andy Wallace.

The Bugatti Chiron in the headlines here is not the "regular" version that is available for grabs by the millionaire Joes. This one was developed over a period of six months with combined efforts between Bugatti, Dallara for chassis reinforcement and Michelin for tyres. The resultant was a modified Chiron that is 25cm longer and has a more elegant tail section. The hypercar also sits lower for much improved aerodynamics and also to reduce drag. The twin vertically stacked shotgun styled exhaust has been borrowed from the company's one-off concept, the Centodieci. Also, as seen in the images, Bugatti has given the flamboyant rear wing a miss for a dedicated tail end spoiler, all of which combinedly formed the new tail piece. While there are no images of the cabin, the passenger seat of the Chiron has been replaced by a host of computer systems. Additionally, it comes with roll cage and a safety seat for the driver. "The biggest challenge is to get the overall package right, not only design, not only aerodynamics, not only engine, not only tyres. It's to get everything together and working in one car: mentions Frank Heyl, head of exterior design.

The Chiron that broke the 300mph barrier was powered by a 1,578bhp 8.0-litre, quad-turbo W16 that is also called Thor. There were no changes done to the transmission or the all-wheel drive system of the Chiron. In order to make this version of the Chiron scorch the track at those speeds, Michelin created special Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres which as claimed can rotate 4,100 times per minute. Before they finally make way onto the wheels of the Chiron, these tyres are made to go through X-Rays to detect any imperfections. After all we are talking of 300mph speeds. This achievement by the Chiron puts it ahead of the SSC that clocked 256.18mph, Hennessey 270.49mph and also the Koenigsegg at 278mph. Here's a video of how Bugatti did it.

Source: TopGear