Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, the fastest car in the world tested

In its recent history, Bugatti’s fame was based on successive speed records† Even today it is a car of the Alsace brand that is the fastest in the world, reaching a speed of 490,484 km / h in the summer of 2019 at the Ehra-Lessien circuit, in Germany. SSC has since made an attempt with its Tuatara, announcing that it was exceeding 500 km/h, but it turned out that the operation was rigged. Pending a new attempt by the American manufacturer, or overtaking by Hennessey or Koenigsegg, Bugatti thus remains at the top.

It wasn’t just any Chiron that Bugatti broke his record; a specific version has been developed for the needs of the cause. Especially the aerodynamics have been reworked, with an extended rear section of 23 cm to reduce air resistance. Aesthetically it balances the silhouette of this hypercar, while at the same time giving a nod to the fastest cars to have raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which used the same device to achieve top speed on the Mulsanne Straight. The diffuser has also been enlarged, while the shovels on the front fenders make it possible to evacuate the air that could accumulate in the wheel arches, risking disrupting the trajectory.

A Bugatti limited to 440 km/h

After a first Super Sport 300+ edition, limited to thirty units and with the black-orange livery of the record car, this ultra-modern version was then available in Super Sport “just short”. Officially, no production figure has been set, but the Chiron from which it is derived is limited to 500 units and should be manufactured in fewer than fifty. The only difference with the car that exceeded 490 km/h is a electronic limiter that limits the speed to 440 km/h, to ensure the safety of customers, who have nothing to do with professional pilots† No superfluous luxury according to Andy Wallace, the official Bugatti driver who achieved the feat. “The slew angle of the front axle has been chosen to ensure stability at high speeds. But above 460 km/h, the gyroscopic effect of the wheels is so great that the trajectory has to be constantly corrected.”

During our visit to Molsheim, in the Alsace where it is produced, the British driver, winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1988, started driving the Chiron Super Sport and indulging in his favorite game. He zeroes the power meters and then hits the accelerator hard. Barely a few fractions of a second, just long enough to hit 3000 rpm. The time is immediately projected forward. “Look at the counter: the W16 developed 800 hp. What other engine can deliver so much power at such a low speed? There you see the difference with the 1,500 hp Chiron. This new 1,600 hp version is even easier and more elastic”. Then he accelerates longer. This time, it’s as if Chewbacca (compared to the W16’s roar) accidentally activated the Millennium Falcon’s hyperdrive throttle. The thrust is huge, formidable: this Bugatti goes from 0 to 200 km/h in 5.5 seconds and reaches 300 km/h in 12.1 seconds† Above all, it never ends. “Seventh gear is longer on this Chiron Super Sport than on the Chiron Sport. The engine can still deliver a lot of power.”

It’s my turn to take the wheel… 100 horsepower more than a Chiron is both little and a lot. Andy Wallace may say, you really have to be used to the W16 and have traveled the roads with different Bugatti models to notice the difference. My more humble experience means I cannot distinguish between the two versions of this engine, the most powerful in the world in a production car and whose power is beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. All things considered, the extra cavalry is quite similar to that of a city car that would increase from 90 hp to 96 hp. As this thought crosses my mind, the conversation with Andy Wallace drifts right on the modest-powered cars. He told me at the time that I should be curious about everything that rolls around, from cranking up small cars with small engines. Here we are, aboard a 1,600 hp car for more than three million euros, evoking moments of madness in undersized city cars or even in cars without a license. He tells me how, during a sportswoman of the year election for the highly regarded magazine EVOhe was impressed by the Renault Clio 2 RS Trophy, which could not follow a Porsche 911 GT2 on the road.

A car with 1,600 hp to drive silently

Is this conversation degenerating? Is it the refinement of the Chiron Super Sport’s interior, upholstered in tasteful brown leather? Or is it the realization that I would absolutely not be able to get the most out of this Bugatti on the roads around Molsheim? Still, after fully depressing the accelerator three times and applying the brakes as many times as a ride, I don’t feel the ultimate need to roll at breakneck speed. This is not to offend the engineers of the brand, on the contrary! While a Lamborghini Huracan cannot help but drive at full speed, this Bugatti is a queen of subtlety. Recall that Ferdinand Piëch, in the specifications given to his engineers, had demanded that he go to the opera in a Veyron. Twenty years later, Bugattis should still be as efficient as they are docile† I have the evidence in the fast lane, when I get behind a truck in the right lane I have to sneak between an SUV and a van to overtake it. A light touch on the right pedal allows me to slide between the two vehicles with precision. Without breaking a sweat, without hitting the transmission jerkily. For a car with 1,600 horsepower, that’s an even more impressive feat than driving over 400 km/h without throwing the driver into the background.

Through chain testing with Bugatti customers, Andy Wallace probably knows the roads of Alsace better than those of Derbyshire where he has taken up residence. He leads me to a twisty part, badly paved, which doesn’t seem to be the ideal playground for such a rocket. The few roundabouts and village crossings dotted with speed bumps showed me once again how compliant the suspension is. It’s sturdy for sure (the rear springs are harder than the Chiron, to ensure high-speed stability), but damping does its job with amazing accuracy: the fastest car in the world turns out to be much more comfortable than a “beast” Porsche 911, which, however, one could imagine more for everyday driving.

Disturbing Driving Ease

So the turns are coming. The steering, very tight around the center (more than on a Chiron Pur Sport), stands out as always with Bugatti with an exceptional feel. The specific electronic components (so expensive that they are inaccessible to most brands, including Porsche) allow for precision mapping of the assistance that is prohibited for most sports cars. As you turn the wheel, the effort naturally increases: you feel exactly what is happening in the front axle, from steering angle to tire sidewall deformation. That gives you confidence to pick up the pace. The Chiron Super Sport takes turns with agility. And there is always the perfect calibration of the accelerator pedal, which allows the power of the engine to be dosed with finesse. Unbelievable but true: once the car leans into a bend, the precision is such that we can trigger a very slight drift of the rear axle at the accelerator pedal, without activating the electronic protections. This reveals an extraordinary focus. We drive this car of 1,954 kg and 1,600 hp as we would drive a simple Volkswagen Golf R. At the end of our test, consumption is around 25 l/100 km. We expected worse…

One criticism often leveled at Bugattis is that they are sanitized. We certainly don’t have the vocalizations and brutality of a Lamborghini’s transmission, the support changes with the lightning-quick liveliness of a McLaren or the sometimes mangy responses of an Aston Martin. The Chiron Super Sport gives the feeling of always being in control, and this control can be experienced by some as a stinginess of sensations. However, there is happiness. A small road reveals the Chiron’s amazing agility and how seamlessly it communicates with its rider. A great straight line sends the brain to the bottom of the skull box at the slightest pressure from the right foot, to the point where we lose the sense of what surrounds us. And short daily trips are going to be exceptional, as each model is custom configured by the owner, and there will only be a few dozen in the world.

In short, the Chiron Super Sport is an all-round athlete, lightning fast and exciting to ride. She also has the good taste to prove that a sports car doesn’t have to be uncomfortable to be effective. Unfortunately, it is even impossible to pay the 3.2 million euros claimed for a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport (excluding taxes and options): all copies have already been sold† All that remains for future owners who have reserved one of the last chassis of the Chiron is to choose between this Super Sport or the Pur Sport, optimized for use on the track. At least in Europe where the approval is no longer valid for the Chiron and Chiron Sport, which are still available in the United States or the Middle East.