Bugatti only builds 60.
We have written extensively on the impact of the coronavirus upon the automotive industry. While factories were closed, engineers and designers were able to work remotely from their homes. The world began to reopen slowly last month. However, engineers at Bugatti were quick to get back to work. The Chiron pur Sport was taken to the track by the French automaker to fine-tune the chassis. Production will begin later in the year.
We covered the car’s track day, when Bugatti published photos from the event. The company released a video of the hypercar racing around the Bilster Berg circuit. Bugatti’s chassis engineer Sven Bohnhorst drove the track-oriented Chiron around the track’s 19 turns, 44 crests, and dips. He said about the experience that “I never want the opportunity to get out of here again.”
The Chiron Pur Sport is much more than a limited-edition, fancy model. It’s also designed to bring in a substantial premium for the automaker. It features a modified suspension, an engine that has been tweaked, and a shorter ratio gearbox. Engineers were able to reduce the car’s weight by 110 pounds (50 kg). Although the 8.0-liter W16 engine produces 1,500 horsepower (1.103 kilowatts), and 1,180 poundfeet (1600 Newton meters) of torque, its revs are 200 rpm more than the regular Chiron, which is 6,900 rpm.
Bohnhorst, his team, often ran the car for four laps: an initial warm up, two fast laps and a cool down lap. Bohnhorst was able to observe how the car handled on the track during the fast laps. He would note how it behaved, how the suspension responded, and what the tires were communicating information to the driver. Bugatti will limit production to 60 examples. Production will start in the second half this year.