Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Auto

Watch This Bugatti Chiron Shatter a World Speed Record at More Than 300 MPH

Mike Richard
By

Humankind is still struggling to unlock faster-than-light travel. Despite Einstein’s silly “scientific” assertions that it’s impossible, the world’s best car manufacturers seem determined to get us there. From the Veyron in 2005 to the Chiron in 2016, Bugatti has been leading the charge, breaking world record after world record. Last month, the company did the unthinkable.

On August 2, 2019, Bugatti became the first-ever car company to break the extraordinary 300-mile-per-hour mark in a pre-production vehicle. The certified speed topped out at 304.773 miles per hour on Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track in Lower Saxony, Germany. Bugatti test driver (side note: where do we sign up for that job?) and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace shattered the record in a modified Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ Coupe. From 300 kilometers per hour, the world-class driver reached the car’s max speed in 50-kph increments to ensure it was equipped to safely handle the mind-boggling velocity. In the final 5.4-mile straightaway leading up to the record, Wallace covered nearly 450 feet in just one second.

BUGATTI Chiron breaks through magic 300mph barrier

In addition to the Batman-worthy, jet-black paint scheme, the already legendary hypercar was specially tuned with an extra 100 horsepower from its stock, quad-turbo, eight-liter W16 engine. Power at the wheels was rated at a staggering 1,600 horsepower. Surprisingly, the all-wheel-drive system and Ricardo seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission were both unmodified. Bugatti worked closely with Michelin and Italian race specialists Dallara to maximize the car’s aerodynamics. The Chiron was fitted with special Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires capable of handling more than 4,000 rotations per minute. For added downforce and reduced drag, the company ditched the fixed rear wing and extended the body by ten inches. The laser-controlled suspension automatically adjusts the Chiron’s ride-height to reduce drag even more.

Related
1 of 4
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ Coupe
Bugatti
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ Coupe Andy Wallace
Bugatti
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ Coupe
Bugatti
Chiron Super Sport 300+ Coupe
Bugatti

In an epic mic-drop press statement following the victory, Bugatti president Stephan Winkelmann proudly thumbed his nose at the entire supercar industry:

“Bugatti has once again shown what it’s capable of. With this new record of the Chiron we enter again uncharted territory … Our goal was to be the first manufacturer ever to reach the magic 300-mile-per-hour mark. We have now achieved this … We have shown several times that we build the fastest cars in the world. In [the] future we will focus on other areas.”

The statement confirmed Bugatti is withdrawing from the top-speed arms race that’s been raging in the hypercar industry to produce ever-faster and absurdly powerful vehicles.

If this legendary supercar arrives in 2021 as Bugatti has hinted, only 30 will be produced. Despite the four-million-dollar price tag, we expect them to sell out immediately. If you miss your shot, but still need something to blow your lottery winnings on, Lotus’ all-electric, 2,000-horsepower Evija will soon be available for half that price.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
The 8 best sports cars under $100k you can get
Six figures may not get you as much as it used to, but you can get one of these sports cars with that budget
2022 Jaguar F-Type front end angle from passenger's side parked on the side of a street with a glass building in the background.

Blame inflation, supply chain issues, or the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that won’t go away, but cars are way, way, way more expensive than they used to be. It’s a new trend that doesn’t seem like it will be slowing down anytime soon. Still, if you’re lucky enough to have $100,000 to spend on a high-performance sports car, you have some great options to explore. 
While one wouldn't normally consider $100,000 sports cars affordable, shoppers that have some money to blow can find homegrown American muscle cars like the Dodge Challenger or exotics like the Lotus Emira on budget. From mega-powered muscle cars to mid-engine sports cars, here are the eight best sports cars you can purchase for under $100,000. 

Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 – $91,750
Unbelievably, $100,000 isn’t enough to get into a base Porsche 911 anymore, but Porsche’s loss is your gain, because you can get a 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 for that money. The GTS 4.0 comes with the same flat-six engine that’s found in the track-ready GT4. In this sports car, the 4.0-liter six-cylinder makes 394 horsepower and revs all the way to 7,800 rpm. The motor is an ode to natural aspiration with rapid response time and a pure sound. 
Like other Porsches, what makes the GTS 4.0 so special is the way it handles and feels like a complete package. Shifts are excellent, handling is sublime, and the car feels like it can take beating after beating without an issue. Whether you spend your time on the track or on the road, the GTS 4.0 feels special in either environment.  

Read more
BMW M3 CS: a beefier, scarier version of the M3
Thought the M3 Competition was hardcore? You’ll want to avoid the lighter, more powerful M3 CS
2024 BMW M3 CS front end angle from passenger side parked on a racetrack.

Usually, BMW only introduces hardcore variants of its two-door models. Its sedans, even the M-branded ones, have usually been seen as the more accessible models for everyone to enjoy. That’s changed recently with vehicles like the M5 CS and now with the new M3 CS. Forget about the M3’s friendly demeanor and approachability, the M3 CS is out for blood and makes the already bonkers M3 Competition look like chum in the water.
The main difference between the limited-edition BMW M3 CS and other M3s in the lineup is some extra power. The CS-badged option gets a retuned version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine that’s rated at 543 horsepower compared to 503 horsepower in the M3 Competition xDrive. The extra boost in performance comes from, you guessed it, extra boost pressure. The M3 CS’s engine is running at 30.5 psi, while the M3 Competition operates at 24.7 psi. Torque goes unchanged at 479 pound-feet of torque.

Previous

Read more
10 incredible cars that best define their automakers
These cars help set the tone for an automaker's lineup
Lamborghini countach

For an automaker, every car plays a crucial role in a lineup. Every car, not matter how small or how affordable, has a spot in a lineup. However, some vehicles are more important than others when it comes to the roles they play in a brand’s lineup. Cars that define a brand are those that embody everything an automaker stands for.

Related Guides

Read more