Chiron Pure Sport becomes a reality. It was in Alsace in Molsheim, where it was developed, that people were invited to drive it. Yet another...
Chiron Pure Sport becomes a reality. It was in Alsace in Molsheim, where it was developed, that people were invited to drive it. Yet another new version, some would say! Yes, but this Pure Sport pushes the performance of the most phantasmagorical of hypercars to the extreme limits of the laws of physics. We can tell you that! The Chiron Pure Sport becomes a Bugatti masterpiece in motion.
Bugatti has always been more than just a car manufacturer - it has always been about creating a world that is as inaccessible as it is wonderful. The Alsatian manufacturer is not content to make performance cars for performance's sake. Bugatti, with his Veyron, is referring to the tale of the Thousand and One Nights, the tale of 1001 horses. Since 2016, Bugatti is a new chapter in a surrealist story that goes beyond established references. A "surreality" that saw the birth of the Chiron and from it the Sport, Super Sport 300+, Divo, The Black Car and finally Centodieci versions.
But there was still one link missing in this phenomenal chain. As with Bugatti, there are no limits to dreams, and here we are in front of the Chiron Pure Sport in its "Bleu Agile" livery, superb! How do you make the craziest sports car in history even more exclusive and desirable? After a year and a half of work and development and more than 50,000 km of testing on circuits and open roads, the Chiron Pure Sport is simply the culmination of the quest for absolute agility, initiated by Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann. We sat in the cockpit of the newest Bugatti car in the Molsheim workshop on one of the many test roads in Alsace, where the "Pure Sport" has been wearing out its rubber.
Lighter than 50 kg
We can never repeat it enough... weight is the public enemy number 1 of the performance. It is therefore quite natural that this aspect of the development of Pure Sport has been studied. There was no other solution than to do without the hydraulic systems affecting the Bugatti's aerodynamics.
The mobile aerofoiled, which adapts to the speed of the car or which can be used as a brake during extreme deceleration phases, was no longer necessary. It is now a beautiful and imposing fixed carbon part, 1.90m wide, which stands at the rear. The aerodynamic flaps located under the front bumper are also gone, allowing the Chiron to sit more or less depending on the speed. If the weight saving for these two elements is announced at more than 10 kg, we know much more about the wheels: 19 kg less displayed on the scale thanks to the use of Magnesium and Carbon. Remarkable because by gaining 19 kg in unsprang masses, we optimize agility.
You didn't know it, but on board there is a secret button.
With two or three exceptions, the world of the other Chiron can be found on board the Pur Sport. However, the presence of Alcantara and "Chiron Pur Sport" embroideries is more important. Another small detail, almost invisible since it is located under the dashboard. It is a small electric control. This hidden control will add even more sportiness to the Pure Sport. An additional driving mode that adds to the EB, Motorway and Handling program.
How does it work? Once you choose the EB Sport mode, simply disconnect the ESC and then activate the hidden control for one second to unlock a new program like in a video game. The "ESC-Sport+" program will push the limits of intervention of the electronics to allow more skidding and consequently a controlled drift with a greater angle.
Pure Sport for singing in the rain
When the time finally comes to move on to the practical work, the sky decides to make its own. The beautiful Alsatian roads, usually favorable for the attack and the development of Bugatti productions, are now regularly watered by persistent rain. You have understood it, when you are at the wheel of a hyper car which claims a 1500 horsepower herd and moreover, displays a value of 3 million euros before tax without the options, as much as to say to you that I am not leading the way... and Pierre-Henri Raphanel my instructor of the day, neither.
No choice, you have to go for it.
With its W16 Bugatti has succeeded in reproducing the Big-Bang
But driving a Bugatti can't be a bad day. Impossible! So when you set off on a stretch of dry asphalt and a generous stretch of straight ahead, the hesitation is only short-lived. You take action and crush the accelerator pedal. What an experience! At that very moment the 8-litre W16 speaks out loud. By way of comparison it is as if the famous and monstrously gigantic wave of Nazaré in Portugal (the world's surfing mecca) was breaking behind you with a deafening noise.
The 16 cylinders in motion, powered by the 4 huge turbochargers, are unleashed in a burst of power. A mechanical Big-Bang with 1500 horsepower. You then enter a space-time corridor where the field of vision narrows to the point of forcing you to maintain a level of concentration never before attained. This level of performance is due to new engine and DSG 7 (dual-clutch transmission) settings. The engine speed now peaks at 6,900 rpm, 200 rpm higher than the Chiron's.
The 7-speed DSG gearbox has been shortened by 15% to offer more sportiness and above all to allow the Chiron Pur Sport to always be within easy reach of power and torque curves (1600 Nm). This makes it the most efficient Bugatti possible in the 0 to 100 (2.3 seconds) and 0 to 200 (5.5 seconds) range. The V-Max, on the other hand, has been deliberately electronically limited to 350 km/h.
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