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Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ limited to 30 units worldwide

Bugatti announced plans to end its record-chasing career on a high note by turning the 304-mph, long-tail Chiron into a limited-edition model. Named Chiron Super Sports 300+, it's an evolution of the standard car that promises to let buyers who find a long enough stretch of tarmac channel their inner Andy Wallace. The 300+ is all but identical to the Chiron that Wallace bravely piloted to 304 mph on Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany in August 2019. Keeping it planted on its four wheels as it approaches speeds airplanes normally take off at required redesigning its aerodynamic profile. The 9.8 inches of carbon fiber added to the rear end immediately reveal it's not a standard Chiron, but the 300+ also receives tweaks to its front end (including vents chiseled above the wheels), and a reshaped rear diffuser for added downforce. The rear wing is notably fixed to reduce drag. While Wallace hit 304-mph in a stripped-out cabin loaded to the gills with electronic equipment, the version buyers will be able to add to their collection will come with a variant of the Chiron's interior made with model-specific materials. As always, customization will be the name of the game. Collectors will have the chance to work directly with Bugatti to create a one-of-a-kind car. The 300+ uses a 1,600-horsepower evolution of the Chiron's 1,500-horsepower, quad-turbocharged W16. This mammoth of an engine channels its power to all four wheels via a seven-speed, dual-clutch all-wheel drive system. The sprint from zero to 60 mph takes under 2.4 seconds, while its true official top speed hasn't been explored yet. Its Michelin tires were bench-tested at up to 317 mph. Bugatti will make 30 examples of the Chiron Super Sports 300+, and pricing starts at $3.5 million before taxes and options elbow their way into the equation. All things considered, that's a surprisingly reasonable sum; the standard Chiron carries a $3 million price tag. Bugatti began taking orders for the model after displaying Wallace's record-breaking car during a reveal event attended by clients all over the world, and several units were spoken for before dessert arrived. "They will be gone in the blink of an eye," company boss Stephan Winkelmann told Autoblog.

Bugatti will stop chasing speed records to focus on 'other areas'

Bugatti made international headlines when it became the first automaker to break the 300-mph barrier. The French firm won't return to the Ehra-Lessien track in Germany to try beating its 304-mph record, because it's done chasing speed records for good. "This was the last time for us," affirmed company boss Stephan Winkelmann during a short speech filmed in the company's factory. "From now on, our minds and our focus will stay on different projects," he added. He stopped short of delivering details about the projects he has in mind. Bugatti's retirement doesn't come as a surprise; the company had started to shy away from setting speed records after it released the Chiron. At the time, its lost interest came as a surprise, because it had made history on several occasions by reaching jaw-dropping speeds with the Veyron. The 267-mph Super Sport variant of the car held the coveted title of the world's fastest car for years. The company spent much of 2019 celebrating its 110th birthday with special cars like the one-off La Voiture Noire unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, and the limited-edition Centodieci first shown at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering in California. While it won't continue releasing two special projects annually in the foreseeable future, Bugatti will keep the momentum going in the coming years. "One thing is for sure: we will have a great future," Winkelmann concluded. Time will tell whether it involves a long-tail Chiron variant inspired by the record-breaking car, a long-rumored SUV, or something else entirely.

Bugatti breaks the 300-mph barrier in a longtail Chiron prototype

In one fell swoop, Bugatti reclaimed the top speed crown from Koenigsegg, and became the first hypercar manufacturer to break the 300-mph barrier. Andy Wallace, the French firm's official test pilot, recently set a speed record in a purpose-built, Chiron-based prototype on the Ehra-Lessien track in Germany. With 16 cylinders screaming in unison a foot away from his eardrums, Wallace reached 304.773 mph on Ehra-Lessien's 5.4-mile straight. To add context, the Veyron Super Sport topped out at 267.856 mph, and the Koenigsegg Agera RS stopped accelerating at 284.550 mph. Japan's Shinkansen bullet train normally runs at about 200 mph. The record-setting Chiron is faster than many small, Cessna-like aircrafts, and it can outrun a majority of the helicopters in the skies. Bugatti calls the record-setting car a pre-production version of a Chiron derivative. While technical details remain under wraps, we can tell its rear end has been extended in order to add downforce without creating drag. Round vents drilled into the top part of the front end reduce turbulence in the wheel wells, while peeking inside reveals a roll cage and a Sparco bucket seat for the driver. The prototype looks a little bit lower than a regular Chiron, too, but we'll have to wait until Bugatti publishes more information to find out what lies beneath the carbon fiber bodywork, and whether any of it will reach production. Italy's Dallara helped develop the special Chiron. Michelin contributed a great deal of expertise to the project, too. It provided Pilot Cup Sport 2 tires reinforced to handle 5,300 Gs while remaining street-legal. The company went as far as sending the four tires through an X-ray machine to scan for even the smallest imperfections. The run comes as a surprise, because the company's interest in setting speed records seemingly waned after it released the Chiron. Getting to 304 mph required a tremendous amount of effort, but Bugatti now has two additional bullet points on its resume. It's the first automaker to break the 300-mph barrier, and the Chiron stands out as the fastest car in the world.  We expect to learn more about Bugatti's record-setting run — including what's next for the record-breaking car — in the coming weeks as the firm continues celebrating its 110th birthday. In addition to the speed record, the celebrations have so far spawned the one-off La Voiture Noire and the limited-edition Centodieci.

Ferdinand Piech (1937-2019): The man who made VW global

Towering among his peers, a giant of the auto industry died Sunday night in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria, Germany. Ferdinand Piech, a grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who conceived the original Volkswagen in the 1930s, was the most polarizing automotive executive of our times. And one who brought automotive technology further than anyone else. Ferdinand Porsche had a son, Ferdinand (called "Ferry"), and a daughter, Louise, who married the Viennese lawyer Anton Piech. They gave birth to Ferdinand Piech, and his proximity to two Alfa Romeo sports cars — Porsche had done some work for the Italians — and the "Berlin-Rome-Berlin" race car, developed by Porsche himself, gave birth to Piech's interest in cars. After his teachers in Salzburg told his mother he was "too stupid" to attend school there, Piech, who was open about his dyslexia, was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. He subsequently moved on to Porsche, where he fixed issues with the 904 race car and did major work on the 911. But his greatest project was the Le Mans-winning 917 race car, developed at breathtaking financial cost. It annihilated the competition, but the family had had enough: Amid growing tension among the four cousins working at Porsche and Piech's uncle Ferry, the family decided to pull every family member, except for Ferry, out of their management positions. Piech started his own consultancy business, where he designed the famous five-cylinder diesel for Mercedes-Benz, but quickly moved on to Audi, first as an engineer and then as CEO, where he set out to transform the dull brand into a technology leader. Piech killed the Wankel engine and hammered out a number of ambitious and sophisticated technologies. Among them: The five-cylinder gasoline engine; Quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's fantastic rally successes; and turbocharging, developed with Fritz Indra, whom Piech recruited from Alpina. The Audi 100/200/5000 became the world's fastest production sedan, thanks to their superior aerodynamics. Piech also launched zinc-coated bodies for longevity — and gave diesel technology a decisive boost with the advent of the fast and ultra-efficient TDI engines. Less known: Piech also decided to put larger gas tanks into cars. Customers loved it. Piech's first-generation Audi V8 was met with derision by competitors; it was too obviously based on the 200/5000.

2019 Quail Motorsports Gathering Mega Photo Gallery | Automotive Excellence

For the past 17 years, enthusiasts have flocked to The Quail Motorsports Gathering to see some of the hottest vehicles that automakers the world over have to offer. As you'll see below, 2019 is no different. We've collected image galleries of some of the best and most interesting vehicles that were on display at the event this year, and we've organized them in no particular order below. You'll see older vehicles rubbing fenders with brand-new models, from classic McLaren F1s to the very latest from Bugatti. Enjoy! McLaren F1s at the Quail 01-mclaren-f1-quail View 25 Photos 2020 Rezvani Beast at the Quail 01-2020-rezvani-tank-quail View 11 Photos 2020 Lexus LC Inspiration at the Quail 01-2020-lexus-lc-inspiration-quail View 9 Photos 2020 Acura NSX at the Quail 01-2020-acura-nsx-quail View 8 Photos De Tomaso P72 at the Quail 01-de-tomaso-p72-quail View 13 Photos Ferrari P80/C at the Quail 01-ferrari-p80-c-quail View 12 Photos SSC Tuatara at the Quail 01-ssc-tuatara-quail View 13 Photos Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus Baja Boot at the Quail 01-scg-baja-boot-quail View 12 Photos 2020 Drako GTE at the Quail 01-2020-drako-gte-quail View 9 Photos Acura Type S Concept at the Quail 01-acura-type-s-concept-quail View 12 Photos Pagani Huayra BC Roadster at the Quail 01-pagani-huayra-bc-roadster-quail View 15 Photos Lotus Evija at the Quail 01-lotus-evija-quail View 14 Photos Lamborghini Huracan Evo GT Celebration at the Quail 01-lamborghini-huracan-evo-gt-celebration-quail View 11 Photos Lamborghini Aventador SVJ 63 Roadster at the Quail 01-lamborghini-aventador-svj-63-roadster-quail View 16 Photos Aston Martin Valhalla at the Quail 01-aston-martin-valhalla-quail View 16 Photos Bugatti Centodieci Unveiling 01-bugatti-centodieci-quail View 17 Photos Featured Gallery Quail, A Motorsports Gathering 2019 View 38 Photos Misc. Auto Shows Acura Aston Martin Bugatti Ferrari Lamborghini Lexus Lotus Convertible Coupe Special and Limited Editions Performance Classics Sedan The Quail

Sold-out Bugatti Centodieci honors the under-appreciated EB110

Bugatti traveled to Pebble Beach, California, to introduce a sold-out hypercar named Centodieci. The limited-edition model celebrates the company's 110th birthday (centodieci means one hundred and ten in Italian), while shedding light on a chapter of its history that's often left unexplored. The EB110 was unusually designed and manufactured in Italy, inconveniently far from Bugatti's historic home in Molsheim, but purposely close to Ferrari's Modena headquarters. It comes from the same era as the original Game Boy and R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series, so interpreting its key design cues on a Bugatti penned with an eye on the 2020s was easier said than done. It's shaped like a door stop, its headlights are mounted relatively close together, and its grille is almost comically small. "Those are the ingredients I had to cook something modern with," Achim Anscheidt, the company's head of design, told Autoblog. Blatantly copying the EB110 was out of the question, so his team put a modern spin on its defining features. The Centodieci doesn't need to be shown next to the original; it stands on its own. Pill-shaped lights and a metal panel with slots that give hot air a way to escape the engine bay dominate the EB110's rear end. The Centodieci is a prima donna when it comes to cooling, however, because it packs considerably more power than its spiritual predecessor. Working closely with Bugatti's research and development department, Anscheidt chose to vent the rear end's entire width, and use 3D lighting elements to replicate the cooling slots. This solution works well and channels both the base GT and the more hardcore SS variants of the EB110. Bugatti wrapped the head-turning body around Chiron underpinnings. It's made largely with carbon fiber to keep weight in check, and it's powered by an 8.0-liter W16 engine, quad-turbocharged to 1,600 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, a 100-horsepower increase over the Chiron. Part engine and part work of art, the 16-cylinder sends its power to the four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that can be left in drive, or shifted manually using steering wheel-mounted paddles. To add context, the EB110 used a quad-turbocharged, 3.5-liter V12 rated at 560 horsepower. It featured a six-speed manual transmission, and permanent all-wheel drive. The Centodieci hits 62 mph from a stop before you reach the end of this sentence; it takes 2.4 seconds.

The Bugatti EB110 showed the way for future hypercars

For well over a decade, the Bugatti EB110 remained almost as unknown as if it had never existed. Bugatti closed its doors for the second time in 1995, so the EB110 spent the rest of the 1990s at the top of an empire found only in history books. With no direct successor to pass its torch to, the wedge-shaped coupe once celebrated by Michael Schumacher as the supercar to tame them all faded from the car world’s collective memory, even though some of the records it set remained unbroken. Its star began to rise again during the 2010s thanks to 1990s nostalgia, or because enthusiasts realized 21st-century Bugatti models owe more to the EB110 than to the pre-WWII Type 57. Either way, itÂ’s finally accepted as an influential part of the Bugatti story. Its unusualness adds to its mystique; it was manufactured in FerrariÂ’s sun-dried back yard, yet it propelled the French company into the modern era. Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli knew the automotive industry well before he purchased the rights to the Bugatti name in 1987. He had built his vantage point on decades of experience. He owned one of the first Opel dealerships in Italy, he later became the countryÂ’s official General Motors importer, and he also distributed cars for Ferrari, among other automakers. He enlisted some of the most respected engineers and designers to help him relaunch Bugatti while honoring its tradition, but he made one significant exception. BugattiÂ’s roots are in France, in a picturesque small town near the border with Germany named Molsheim. Alsace is better known for sauerkraut than supercars, so he decided to base the born-again automaker in a town called Campogalliano located on the outskirts of Modena, Italy. Setting up shop a stoneÂ’s throw from the headquarters of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, and De Tomaso allowed him to tap into the Motor ValleyÂ’s deep pool of suppliers and workers well-versed in high-end cars as he assembled the pieces needed to create the first new Bugatti since 1956. Right away, Artioli wisely decided to begin the project with a blank slate instead of borrowing a chassis, an engine, or both from another company. He felt Bugatti needed to be an automaker, not a coachbuilder or a purveyor of kit cars. Early EB110 prototypes were built on an aluminum chassis, and they wore a body designed by Marcello Gandini of Bertone fame. When Gandini spoke, everyone listened and no one dared to contradict him.

Bugatti's Monterey surprise is an homage to the EB110

Seems luxury car purveyor Girard & Co told the truth about what's Bugatti is bringing to The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering this week. As picked up by The Supercar Blog a few weeks ago, Girard wrote on Instagram, "It is rumoured that Bugatti will be presenting a new car at Pebble Beach this year that is inspired from the original EB110SS, 10 cars to be built, with a price tag of Euro 8 million." Now that we're a day away from the weekend's events, Bugatti uploaded a video hinting at the reveal, and that video is full of the EB110:           View this post on Instagram                   Named after Ettore Bugatti on his 110th birthday, the EB110 was a supercar setting new standards. Uncompromising, with a modern design and very fast, the EB110 certainly stood out among the competitors of its day. Featuring the world’s first carbon monocoque, weighing in it 125kg, Romano ArtioliÂ’s creation was capable of an incredible 213mph. Powered by a 3.5l V-12 quad turbocharged engine, it first debuted in Paris 1991. #BUGATTI #BUGATTI110ans #EB110 #BUGATTIEB110 #Campogalliano A post shared by BUGATTI (@bugatti) on Aug 15, 2019 at 5:52am PDT Evo says the new Chiron-based offering is called Centodieci, that being Italian for "110." The name not only references the EB110, which was named for what would have been Ettore Bugatti's 110th birthday year when the EB110 debuted in 1991, it happens to tie into the special edition 110 Ans released earlier this year. The special edition Chiron Sport from February used the French version of 110 years, named for the 110th anniversary of Automobiles E. Bugatti's founding in 1909 in the then-German town of Molsheim.  As Evo also points out, the EB110 established a template for the Bugatti brand Volkswagen resurrected. Twenty eight years ago — and a year before the McLaren F1 — Roman Artioli's step in the supercar chain used a carbon monococque, four turbos, all-wheel drive, and active aerodynamics. The teaser vid doesn't give much away, but there's not long to wait. Bugatti will unveil the new toy on at 11:20 a.m. PDT Friday, and livestream the event on its newsroom site. Here's an embed to the livestream:  

Bugatti has already designed and shown an SUV, awaits green light

Bugatti appears to be backing itself right into the quilted leather seats of a crossover the brand swore would never happen. In January, CEO Stephan Winkelmann announced to the world, "There will be no SUV from Bugatti." By April, reports said Bugatti was working on a "crossover-influenced sports car," which is gobbledygook meant to avoid calling an SUV an SUV. Winkelmann also admitted then that as far as what kind of vehicle to build as a second Bugatti, "It's not me to decide." At the beginning of this month, Automobile magazine's intel claimed Bugatti was considering an all-electric SUV using a Rimac platform, limited to around 600 units per year and selling for between $850,000 and $1 million. Closing the circle, when Automobile's man recently sat down with Winkelmann, the CEO said this in response to a question about a "three-door, ultra-premium crossover SUV:" "The design is done. Some potential customers have seen it, and they liked it." The Italo-German head honcho then seemed to back Automobile's previous reportage, saying that a potential crossover "would almost certainly be battery-powered," and that he envisioned sales volumes between 600 and 800 per year. When "one or two influential people" from the Volkswagen Group mother ship stopped by to check out the design, they "were complimentary about it." Since overlords haven't signed off on any such vehicle, "there is no budget and no decision." But this is like when a dog owner puts on his jacket, shorts, and gym shoes, grabs the leash, then tortures the dog with the pretense that they aren't going for a walk. So don't be surprised if [when] Bugatti reveals a crossover. One truly surprising quote from the boss was when he said, "So far, nobody is doing a high-performance, high-end luxury CUV. Because of the battery situation, it’s too early for an electric hypercar." To the former claim, that's a wheelbarrow full of dirt thrown on the Bentley Bentayga Speed, as well as the Lamborghini Urus that Winkelmann shepherded to production. As for the latter, Rimac and Pininfarina would likely, respectfully, disagree.  Another potential walk-back is an open-topped version of the Chiron. When Motor Trend asked Winkelmann last December if the carmaker planned a Chiron Grand Sport, the exec replied, "We decided in the Chiron project not to do an open-top version." And now?

Hand-made, magnesium-bodied 1934 Bugatti Aerolithe visits Jay Leno's Garage

Rare, multi-million-dollar cars regularly cruise through Jay Leno's garage, but some of the vehicles that pay him visits are more special than others. The 1934 Bugatti Aerolithe that Leno recently dedicated an episode to is the kind of machine that punctures the membrane separating cars and art. The Aerolithe was designed by Jean Bugatti, the son of company founder Ettore, and its body was crafted entirely out of a magnesium alloy named Elektron in an effort to keep weight in check. As Leno points out, Elektron is spectacularly difficult to work with because it's hard to shape, and it has an alarming tendency to catch fire. That's why more than 1,200 exposed rivets helped keep the Aerolithe in one piece as it toured Europe in search of buyers. Period records indicate potential owners admired the performance delivered by the 3.3-liter straight-eight engine - the Aerolithe could reach nearly 110 mph - but not enough to buy one. While it remained a one-off model, it inspired Bugatti to make the cheaper, heavier Type 57 Atlantic with an aluminum body. The two cars looked a lot alike. The Aerolithe mysteriously disappeared before the beginning of World War II. Some sources believe it was parted out at the Bugatti factory in Molsheim, France, while others claim it was hidden and never taken out of storage. Regardless, its whereabouts remain unknown as of 2019. The example Leno tours Los Angeles in is a reproduction painstakingly made from the ground up by the Guild of Automotive Restorers in Canada. David Grainer, the Guild's founder, remembers the members of his team spent nearly a year figuring out how to recreate the Aerolithe before they started the project. They wanted to keep it as original as possible, so they used sheets of magnesium purchased for $3,000 a piece to make the body. Building a car from scratch (and by hand) is a challenging endeavor, but the Aerolithe project was even more complicated that it sounds because Grainer's team had only nine usable photographs to work with. Blueprints were lost long ago. Watch the full episode to learn more about the Aerolithe's history, and to find out what it's like to drive. For a look at a different side of Bugatti during the 1930s, read our story documenting the electric Type 56 that Ettore made in 1931 to drive around his property. Auto News Bugatti Classics