2012 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Bugatti confirms new Chiron to debut in Geneva

Few followup acts have ever been as highly anticipated as the successor to the Bugatti Veyron, but the wait will be over in a few months. Bugatti confirmed Monday that the new supercar will be called the Chiron, and it will debut next year at the Geneva Motor Show. Bugatti did not announce specifications, though the Chiron is sure to be a technical tour-de-force and a world-beating supercar. It is widely expected to further evolve the package developed for the Veyron. That will center around the 8.0-liter W16 engine, this time expected to use electric turbochargers for a mild hybrid setup, little to no turbo lag, and an output anticipated to approach 1,500 horsepower. Combined with lower weight (thanks in part to the more widespread use of carbon fiber), all that muscle is tipped to rocket the Chiron to 62 in less than 2.5 seconds and on to a top speed of around 288 miles per hour. All the automaker will confirm at the moment, however, is that the "Bugatti Chiron will be the world's most powerful, fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive production super sports car." Expect the design to closely mirror that of the company's Vision Gran Turismo concept, albeit in a more elegant and less racy form. The lines are anticipated to be dominated by the semi-circular curve encompassing the main rear vent and the trailing edge of the greenhouse. The front end will be more angular with sharper headlights, but still dominated by the signature horseshoe-shaped front grille. As for the name, Bugatti has – as expected – drawn once again from its illustrious pre-war racing history to name the supercar after one of its most legendary gentleman drivers. Louis Chiron remains the only Monegasque driver ever to win the Monaco Grand Prix, counting it among his numerous career victories. Those included more grands prix before and after World War II, as well as the Spa 24 Hours and the Monte Carlo Rally. Bugatti previously applied his name to the 18/3 Chiron concept that previewed the Veyron with an even larger 18-cylinder engine at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1999. It only strikes us as fitting, then, that the name now be resurrected for the Veyron's successor. Read more about Louis Chiron's life and career – including an interview with his descendant and biographer Lydie Barre-Chiron – in the press release below, accompanied by the images in the gallery above.

Bugatti put three generations of legendary supercars into one photo

The modern era of Bugatti has seen dozens of special-editions, limited-editions, and bespoke one-offs, but the core of the company is defined by three models that have spanned the past three decades. The EB110 marked the '90s, the Veyron ruled the '00s and early '10s, and the Chiron dominated the end of the '10s into the present. Bugatti calls the trio the "Holy Trinity" and recently brought all three supercars together for a photoshoot in Dubai.  Against a backdrop of sweeping sands and a spiky skyline tipped by the Burj Khalifa tower, Bugatti placed a black EB110 next to black examples of a Veyron and a Chiron. It's an awe-inspiring sight, even in photos, though it is a bit strange to see the models dressed like they're going to a funeral rather than sporting any of the numerous iconic color schemes they've worn throughout the years.  Despite the 30 years between the EB110, and the Chiron, all three vehicles are built with the same three key components: a carbon-fiber monocoque, four turbochargers, and all-wheel drive. The technologies within these three pillars have drastically changed, but the idea of what makes a true super sports car has remained the same.  The EB110, which denotes Ettore Bugatti and his 110th birthday, debuted on his birthday, September 15, 1991, in Paris. It packs a mid-engined quad-turbo 3.5-liter V12 that has a 8,250-rpm redline. The lowest-powered EB110 had 560 horsepower, while the most powerful model made 611 horsepower. The EB110 claimed a zero-to-62-mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 218 mph.  The Veyron entered the scene for the 2005 model year. This time around, Bugatti slapped the four turbochargers on an 8.0-liter W16, and that engine makes a whopping 987 horsepower (1,001 PS). With the added power, the zero-to-62-mph time dropped to 2.5 seconds, and the top speed increased to 253 mph, and that was before more powerful variants were released. The Chiron, Bugatti's current model, debuted in 2016 and continued to build on the power and speed records its relatives had set before it. The Chiron carries on with a quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16, but it now makes 1,479 horsepower. It can sprint from a stop to 62 mph in 2.4 seconds, and in 2019, Bugatti used a Chiron to reach 304.773 mph, the fastest speed for a production car ever achieved.  To truly appreciate the greatness of these vehicles requires an in-person visit, but for now, photos will have to do. Check out the family photoshoot in the gallery above.

Bugatti Dynamic Driving Experience

Let's say you're rich. Filthy rich - you've got cars in garages of homes you can't remember you own, rich.
As the gap between automotive haves and have-nots continues to grow, ultraluxury automakers are exploiting fresh ways to lure the sorts of well-heeled car aficionados who would rather spend their spare time shipping exotic sleds to private tracks than sitting on a beach in the Maldives.
This rarified air presents a daunting challenge to boutique carmakers attempting to distinguish themselves, especially when they're vying for attention amidst voluptuous Paganis, Koenigseggs, and Brabus G63 AMG 6x6s. When the stakes are this high and the competition this fierce, you need a novel approach to peddle your four-wheeled wares - even if you're Bugatti.