With a low-slung front, special aerodynamic shape at the sides, and an extended rear for peak performance, it is clear at first sight that the new Bugatti Chiron Super Sport has been designed without compromise for optimal aerodynamic performance. Bugatti engineers developed the new hyper sports car for top speed while fully embracing both luxury and comfort.
At speeds over 420 km/h, a vehicle must offer sufficient downforce alongside minimal drag. “Our aim was to give the vehicle a neutral setup at its top speed while also giving it as streamlined a shape as possible,” explains Frank Heyl, Deputy Design Director at Bugatti. The uplift forces exerted on the bodywork at 440 km/h are immense. The body of the Chiron Super Sport generates massive downforce to counter this uplift and perfectly balance the forces. “The design process was therefore in particular about achieving aerodynamic efficiency,” Heyl continues. The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport’s extended rear, which is known as a long tail, gives it new proportions and very distinctive aesthetics. An optional, new, horizontal color split visually extends the proportions of the Chiron Super Sport even further, making the hyper sports car appear even lower.
Bugatti thoroughly overhauled the 8.0-liter W16 engine for the Chiron Super Sport, boosting its performance by 100 PS to 1,176 kW/1,600 PS. At the same time, the vehicle weight was reduced by a further 23 kilograms. The engineers made modifications to the turbochargers, oil pump, and cylinder head with a valve train, as well as to the transmission and clutch. “We increased the revolutions per minute (RPM) for even greater longitudinal acceleration and an even more emotive driving experience,” says Michael Kodra, Head of Drive Development at Bugatti. The engine’s rpm was increased by 300 to up to 7,100 rpm, for noticeably increased agility. 1,600-newton meters of torque is now accessible from between 2,000 and 7,000 rpm, rather than up to 6,000 rpm.
With the improved performance created by larger turbochargers with more efficient compressor wheels, the seven-gear dual-clutch transmission at full load and full speed transitions from sixth to seventh gear at 403 km/h. The Chiron Super Sport accelerates from 0 to 200 km/h in 5.8 seconds and to 300 km/h in 12.1 seconds. The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport accelerates from 0 to 400 km/h seven percent quicker than a Chiron. Seventh gear boasts 3.6 percent longer transmission.
In order to achieve seamless acceleration at full throttle, boost pressure must remain close to the maximum while the hyper sports car rapidly builds momentum and reaches its optimal speed. When changing gear, the pressure dips only very briefly for a mere 0.3 seconds, to then return to full boost pressure of 2.8 bar to fill the Chiron Super Sport’s W16 engine. “In spite of the immense power and the enormous longitudinal acceleration, the Chiron Super Sport offers a comfortable, quiet, and balanced drive,” explains Michael Kodra. Even above 6,000 rpm, acceleration doesn’t diminish, giving the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport a mighty thrust up to 7,100 rpm. “The attributes of this engine are a perfect fit for the fastest Chiron,” says Michael Kodra.