If there’s one car that needs to be ridiculously over-engineered in this world, it has to be the Bugatti Chiron. After all, offering the richest of the rich the absolute automobile requires having something more than just a set of impressive horsepower and acceleration figures.
And those are really impressive: the quad-turbo 8.0-liter 16-cylinder engine produces 1479hp (1500PS) and 1180lb-ft (1600Nm) of peak torque that’s available from just 2,000rpm. The colossal power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Bugatti claims that the Chiron is capable of accelerating from a standstill to 62mph (100km/h) in 2.5 seconds. Keep your right foot planted and the Chiron will hit 124mph (200km/h) in 6.1 seconds, 186mph (300km/h) in 13.1 seconds and 249mph (400km/h) in 32.6 seconds. Top speed is limited to 261mph (420km/h), with Bugatti claiming to not having tested the Chiron’s outright speed.
Experienced racing driver Andy Wallace, who has won Le Mans and driven the McLaren F1 to its record top speed, shows Carfection’s Henry Catchpole some of the engineering details of the Chiron’s massive powertrain. He says that the sheer size of the engine and gearbox isn’t just because of the sixteen cylinders, but for durability as well.
Despite offering 1,500hp, this engine still has less than 100hp per cylinder. Wallace says that there are cars with over 100,000 miles that still run like new, with just the regular maintenance.
The Bugatti Chiron, though, isn’t a numbers car; it’s an engineering marvel and perhaps the most complete cruise missile on wheels in the world. And for that, it deserves all the respect it can get.