After becoming the first manufacturer to break the 300-mph barrier and selling almost all 30 examples of its $3.9 million Chiron Super Sport 300+ limited edition, Bugatti is now ready to add a second model to its lineup.
Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann admitted in an interview with Bloomberg that there’s a new model coming, one that could be a four-seater and be capable of “some off-road driving”, essentially describing an SUV.
The company is currently in search of funding for its new project, with Winkelmann saying that they are looking at “sexy” financing for its development. Stable-mate Porsche used a German promissory note called a Schuldschein to partially fund the development of the electric Taycan, and Bugatti is looking at similar ways of funding.
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Demand for ultra high-end hypercars remains as strong as ever, a fact that was clearly proven during a dinner held at Bugatti’s headquarters in Molsheim, France, where nearly all of the Chiron Super Sport 300+ models scheduled for production were sold, as Winkelmann revealed.
The exec believes that a battery electric powetrain for a hypercar like Chiron would not work yet, as these vehicles still need internal combustion firepower. A hybrid-electric setup makes more sense to him in a less-expensive, $1 million daily driver and thinks that “there is still a lot of time for internal combustion engines”.
The Chiron Super Sport 300+ features an extended and aerodynamically optimised body and a more powerful 8.0-liter W16 engine with 1578 HP (1600 PS). The longer rear end reduces aerodynamic stall by over 40 percent compared to the standard Chiron, and when combined with the rest of the aero upgrades, makes the Super Sport 300+ capable of travelling at speeds beyond 261 mph (420 km/h).
A prototype of the Chiron Super Sport 300+ achieved a top speed of 304.773 mph (490.484 km/h) at VW’s Ehra-Lessien track. Production cars will, however, come with a top speed limiter, but the company hasn’t decided yet at which speed it should be set. Customers will be reportedly given the chance of removing that limiter, as well as add a roll cage to their hypercar.