The Bugatti Veyron has with us for a long, long time now, but the hypercar that still holds the title for being the fastest production car is almost gone now. It’s time for the Alsatian marquee to move on, and though we have heard about it, and even seen a purported prototype being tested, the successor to Veyron is still shrouded in mystery. There are rumors that Veyron’s successor might be a hybrid to compete with the likes of LaFerrari and Porsche 918, but that’s all we know. Fortunately, Automobile magazine’s reputable journalist Georg Kacher has come up with a report that tells us what to expect from the upcoming hypercar that is likely to be named the Chiron. Bugatti has been working on the Veyron’s successor for about four years now and according to the interesting details revealed by the article, Chiron is going to be as legendary as the car it will replace.
In his article, Kacher reports that after considering many options, Bugatti decided that the Chiron should carry over the Veyron’s 8.0-liter W-16 engine. However, the engine will feature direct injection and electric assistance for at least two of its four turbos to bring output to an estimated 1500 horsepower and 1100 lb-ft of torque. It will be paired with the familiar seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive. There is no confirmation on the performance figures and top speed, although it is likely to come in at 288 mph, or 18 mph faster than the Veyron Super Sport. Zero to 62 mph should take less than 2.5 seconds. The report also suggests that VW emperor Ferdinand Piëch himself proposed swing-up doors to alleviate the problem of prohibitively wide side sills. Although the new Chiron is being derived from existing carbon-fiber architecture, 92 percent of the parts will be new or modified. Active air deflectors will help the Chiron get up to that speed, and carbon-ceramic brakes and a massive rear wing that acts as an air brake will help slow it down.
[Via – Automobile-Magazine]
