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Andy Wallace reveals the Bugatti Chiron was still accelerating at 304 mph

Bugatti retired from chasing speed records after it became the first automaker to break the 300-mph barrier with a production car. Andy Wallace, the British pilot who was behind the wheel during the record-setting run, told Autoblog the Chiron's W16 engine wasn't out of breath at 304.77 mph. "I don't think that's the v-max of the car, because it was still accelerating. At that speed, you cover a kilometer about every seven seconds. Then, of course, at the other end you need some distance — not necessarily time, but quite a lot of distance — to get the car down to the right speed for the banking," Wallace remembered. He added that, in hindsight, he might have been able to keep his foot on the throttle for about one more second before hitting the brakes. That wouldn't have been enough to cross the symbolic 500-kilometers-per-hour (310-mph) threshold, but it would have added about another mile per hour to his record. "We need less drag or a longer road to go faster," he explained.   "The track is being resurfaced, and there's a joint in the road that's not quite as flat as it should be. The team was joking with me — people said, 'I can't feel it in a normal car.' Hit it at [277 mph], and it becomes a big jump." Reaching speeds planes normally take off at, while keeping a car securely planted on its four wheels, is more difficult than sitting behind the wheel, buckling up, and flooring it. It requires a considerable amount of preparation. Wallace worked closely with Bugatti's engineering team, Michelin, and Dallara, among other partners, before attempting to set a speed record. Wind tunnel testing and computer simulations played a significant role in making the run possible and successful, but there are some factors the team didn't find out about until the car went around the Ehra-Lessien test track for the first time. Wind was one; another was what Wallace called a jump. "The track is being resurfaced, and there's a joint in the road that's not quite as flat as it should be. The team was joking with me — people said, 'I can't feel it in a normal car.' Hit it at [277 mph], and it becomes a big jump. It's a ramp. The car goes completely up on its suspension, and you land with a wobble. Once you've done that and you're not in too much trouble, it gives you great encouragement to stay flat for the rest of it," he told Autoblog. When asked how long it will take for someone to break his record, Wallace pointed out that nothing stands still these days.

Bugatti to build composite, carbon fiber, and aluminum versions of Baby II

At the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, Bugatti announced the revival of one of the most unique cars in the company's storied history: the Baby. At the time of the announcement, the project was still in its infant stages, and the only available example was a 3D-printed model. Still, that didn't stop buyers from reserving all 500 examples of the Baby II within three weeks. Months later at its 110th anniversary celebration in Molsheim, France, Bugatti showed the first functioning prototype, which special VIPs were allowed to test drive. Dubbed "XP1", this prototype is the result of a collaboration between Bugatti and The Little Car Company. Bugatti wanted to make a modern and more accessible version of the Baby, which itself is modeled after a different legend, the 1924 Type 35 Lyon Grand Prix car. Although the original Baby was half scale, Bugatti set out to build a three-quarter-size model that could fit not only kids but certain adults, as well.  In building the Baby II, Bugatti tried to replicate as much as it possibly could to bring the Type 35's essence back to life. Some of the coolest features include a hollow front axle, eight-spoke wheels (which now have Michelin tires), the four-spoke steering wheel, a turned aluminum dashboard with a clock "used for measuring race performance," and a digital recreation of the fuel pressure gauge. Although French Racing Blue was used for the prototype, Bugatti says the Baby II can be painted in modern colors from the Chiron range or from vintage colors that are tied to specific racers or events from the company's history. The Baby II, which is rear-wheel drive and has a limited-slip differential, can be ordered with either a 1.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack or a 2.8-kWh pack, which is expected to have a range close to 20 miles. Those packs will feed an electric powertrain that can be set to 1-kW Child Mode that can reach about 12 mph or or 4-kW Adult Mode, which can reach up to 28 mph.  Possibly the most interesting news at the launch is detailing about three different available versions of the Baby II. The base Baby II will be crafted with a composite body, the Baby II Vitesse will have a carbon fiber body, and the Baby II Pur Sang will wear a hand-built aluminum body.

Bugatti is planning several additional variants of the Chiron

Bugatti confirmed it's done trying to build the fastest car in the world, but that doesn't mean it will shift its focus away from performance. The company's chief executive confirmed additional high-performance variants of the Chiron are on the way, and they'll each explore different ways to go fast. Speaking with Roadshow, Bugatti CEO Stephan Winkelmann admitted putting such a big emphasis on top speed was a mistake. "If you look back at the 1920s and the 1930s, Ettore Bugatti has never done only top speed," he pointed out. "Performance is not just going straight and going very fast." Bugatti started moving way from jaw-dropping top speed figures when it introduced the Divo, a Chiron-based model developed with handling in mind, in 2018. Looking ahead, the company will continue to release different variants of the Chiron developed to excel in other performance realms. That seemingly means the 304-mph Chiron Super Sport 300+ will remain the company's fastest car. While he stopped short of laying out the company's product plan, Winkelmann outlined a variant with an impressive power-to-weight ratio, and one that puts an unprecedented priority on handling. There will be others, too; he predicted the Chiron's basic platform can soldier on until about 2025, though production is strictly limited to 500 examples, and a good chunk of the run has already been claimed. Bugatti has time to figure out which direction the Chiron's successor should go in. In the meantime, its research and development department has already started thinking about a second model that will, in Winkelmann's words, be a different type of car. While rumors point to an SUV, he hinted the model could arrive as a "two-plus-two for daily use, with more room and more luggage compartment," and it might receive some form of electrification to keep fuel economy and emissions in check.

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.