2018 Bugatti Chiron Fully Exposed Carbon on 2040-cars

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Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse sets world record for fastest open-top car

Bugatti has come back from losing its "World's Fastest Production Car" title with a new superlative to add to the Veyron's trophy case: World's Fastest Open-Top Production Car. That's right, if you can't beat 'em, take the roof off and join them.
The record of 408.84 kilometers per hour, or 254.04 miles per hour, was set by a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse driven by Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu at Volkswagen Group's proving grounds in Ehra-Lessian, Germany. The speed was measured and verified by the German Technical Inspection and Certification Association, or TÜV.
That last point is important to note, as the kerfuffle over the closed-roof Veyron's record involved the Guinness World Records organization, which both sanctioned the car's world record run back in 2010 and then stripped Bugatti of the title after it was learned the car used to set the record had its speed-limited removed. Also, whereas Guinness calculates a car's speed based on the average of two runs in opposite directions, Bugatti doesn't say what criteria TÜV used to verify and calculate the convertible's speed.

Bugatti Bolide weighs less than a Subaru BRZ and has over nine times the power

Since rising from its ashes for the second time in 1998, Bugatti has specialized in creating cars that are as fast and powerful as they are luxurious. And yet, competition — where luxury is superfluous — is a big part of its DNA. It renewed ties with its racing heritage by building a track-only two-seater around its mighty 16-cylinder engine. Bugatti proudly calls the Bolide — which means "a very fast car" in French — the fastest and lightest concept it has ever built. Concept is the key term here; the Bolide is a one-off, and it has not been approved for production yet. It's proof of concept that illustrates what a modern-day successor to the victorious Type 35 could look like. Stephan Winkelmann, the head of Bugatti, said driving the Bolide is "like riding a cannonball." Do you remember the 0.67 figure the company mysterious floated? That's the car's power-to-weight ratio, which was achieved using the kilogram-per-Pferdestrke formula used in Europe. It tips the scale at 2,734 pounds dry, and it has 1,824 horsepower. Put another way, it weighs slightly less than a Subaru BRZ, but it has over nine times the power. Unlocking the full cavalry requires feeding the quad-turbocharged, 8.0-liter W16 engine 110-octane race fuel. Its output checks in at 1,600 horsepower (a figure that's on par with the limited-edition Centodieci's) when it burns 98-octane gasoline, which is dispensed at virtually every pump across Europe. Computer simulations suggest that the Bolide's top speed lies somewhere north of 310 mph, and that it can lap the Nurburgring track in 5:23.1. Although the W16 is closely related to the unit that powers the Chiron, it received a number of modifications that reflect the fact that the Bolide was not designed for street use. It develops 1,364 pound-feet of torque thanks in part to four newly-developed turbochargers. Its intake and exhaust systems are derestricted to let more air travel through, and the oil system has been revised to cope with the high centrifugal forces experienced on the track. Created in eight months, the Bolide benefits from an array of weight-saving techniques, including some not found in production cars. All of the screws and fasteners used to build it are made with titanium, for example. The auxiliary drive shafts are manufactured using a blend of carbon fiber and 3D-printed titanium. Aerodynamic innovations are part of the package, too.

A pink and white Bugatti Chiron Sport is one of the most outrageous Valentine's Day gifts we've ever seen

Valentine's Day is coming up, and while you may have something special planned for your significant other, it's probably not as wild as what one Bugatti customer has done (though, depending on your significant other, that might be a good thing). The supercar builder revealed the pink Bugatti Chiron Sport above, which is a gift from the buyer to his wife. The car features a one-off paint scheme combining a matte white front half with a Silk Rose metallic rear half. The shimmering pink paint finish is carried to parts of the wheels as well as the engine covers. The interior is wrapped in leather and Alcantara all in a very light gray hue. The upholstery features pink contrast stitching, and the "Comfort"-style seats have the name Alice embroidered into the headrests. Presumably, that's the name of the customer's beloved wife. If not, there could be some explaining to do. Besides the flashy color combo, this Chiron Sport seems to be just like any other Chiron Sport. That's not a bad thing, though, since it still packs 1,479 horsepower from its quad-turbocharged W16 engine. It also weighs 40 pounds less than the regular Chiron and gains stiffer suspension and torque vectoring. An exact price tag for this pink beast wasn't given. The base price for a Chiron Sport is a little over $3.2 million, and the customizing probably added a not-insignificant chunk of change to that figure. We don't know about you all, but we'll probably stick to more modest Valentine's Day gifts and events. Related Video: