15 things I learned behind the wheel of a 1500-strong Bugatti Chiron

Bugatti Chiron for $ 3 million is full of surprises – that’s 15 of them

Bugatti Chiron supercar high performance at its best. It 1.479-powerful beast, which is faster than many race cars with the limiter 420 km/h. But even more impressive than these huge numbers – the art of engineering, which allowed it giperkara to handle all that power and speed that he’s capable of.

Today we will spend a few hours with a test pilot of Bugatti, and the champion of Le Mans-Andy Wallace behind the wheel of a car worth about 3 million USD and learn 15 new secrets, which is rarely who says and what makes this car is a hypercar.

1. They really are easy to manage

Bugatti Chiron is totally different. It’s not a terrible supercar, you don’t know what to expect. You can roll it around the average road surface, in which there are pits and potholes on the average flow speed and not experience any discomfort because of the soft leather seats will make sure that your spine is not scattered on the road.

And even when all the power and torque going to drive wheels, the Bugatti will be able to help you control the car better. Each system is designed to protect you from making mistakes, keep the car under control and get a portion of adrenaline.

These emotions can give the world’s only 1.500-horsepower car for each day.

2. This car is so Metal

Modern plastics came close to outwardly pretend like it’s real metal. But what could be better than the original? Only the original! Of course, the use of light and rare metal alloys-not cheap, but we are talking about Bugatti. So, if you see a material like metal, most likely it is. No fakes. This adds to the richness and authenticity of the multi-million dollar car.

For example, the bezel of the rear lights made from a single piece of metal, machined from a 200 kg block of aluminum. A cluster of rear lamps, minimalist perfection with one led strip, extends the full width of this wild machine, giving it elegance and accentuate her elegance.

3. The trigger on the floor, the pleasure and the pain

Hypercar is incredibly fast. This is their great merit, and that they enchant. But that physical impact at full throttle creates the feeling that you rarely can experience, even on other very expensive and fast cars.

Under heavy acceleration so Chiron pushes you in the seat that all the internal organs literally stick to the inside spin from the incredible torque. Dynamics giddy and invigorating, but people with a weak vestibular apparatus, it may cause sudden nausea.

Wallace explains that this feeling guilty maximum torque of 1.600 Nm, which is shown with 2,000 rpm and continues to push you, until you reach the 6,000 rpm Is unforgiving aircraft acceleration created by the vehicle effortlessly.

According to Bugatti, the car will hit 200 km/h in less than 6.5 seconds and up to 321 km/h model acceleration in just 16 seconds.

4. The heroic work of the Electronic systems

In Bugatti used 7-speed automatic transmission with double clutch and all-wheel drive system, which can digest the incredible power and load torque. However, Chiron has Enough power to disrupt in spin tires Michelin at speeds far beyond 100 km/h. Therefore, for stability of motion is constantly monitored by electronic systems like traction control, stability control systems and engine control. However, their work is completely unobtrusive and inconspicuous, it seems that everything is as it should, as if no interference electronics is not happening.

They are able to work and adjust vehicle operation at the last moment and completely seamless to the pilot. This balance is well worth it.

5. The soundtrack of the engine is the most beautiful thing you’ve heard

The most expensive version in the performance of the Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche produce a shrill sound on high rpm of the motor. They sound like racing cars. But Bugatti its way, its gigantic 8 liter engine with four turbos and sixteen cylinders creates uterine velvety sound. Reliable, expected and non-transferable.

Especially beautiful is the work of the engine at low revs, juicy Pooh-Pooh-Pooh the powerful motor will tell others.

Standing out on a little more speed as velvety sound is whistling the four turbines. Chiron is a real Symphony orchestra on four wheels.

6. Special suspension bushings Bugatti

Suspension bushings usually are pieces of rubber or polyurethane, wrapped them around the metal clips. Therefore, manufacturers often have to compromise between comfort and handling.

A new patented suspension bushings Bugatti are composed of two different rubber compounds in three layers. This design provides different levels of stiffness in the vertical, horizontal and longitudinal directions. This allows you to accurately handle the bumps and to optimize acoustic characteristics.

7. Special valve for turbochargers

Bugatti owes its massive peak power and pulse torque four turbochargers. All four turbines of the same model (left) size approximately 68 percent more than the Veyron (right), the previous hypercare Bugatti.

The algorithm steps. Below 3.800 rpm all engine exhaust is used to rotate the first pair of turbines. As soon as the engine speed increases to a certain point, a valve opens and activates another two turbines.

The automaker says that the dampers should be made of special refractory material, which can withstand extreme heat, should be free to move and create a proper seal. Ordinary steel is not capable of it, so they used a special Nickel-chromium alloy called Inconel 713, a metal with a melting point of more than 2,300 degrees.

8. Brake system Bugatti Chiron massive and very complex

To effectively slow the two-ton car with a speed of 420 km/h, the Bugatti needed brakes that could withstand such a Titanic load. The diameter of the ceramic front brakes on Chiron is 16.5 inches, and they need to dissipate huge amount of heat. That’s why engineers installed except for the main brake duct, located on the left side of the cluster of lights, another two holes for air flow, directing the hot brakes cold air flows.

The fight against excessive temperature due to the installation of Bugatti unique thermal insulation (it can be seen behind the brake disk) which takes the excess heat through the wheel arches. 8-piston caliper AP Racing themselves asymmetric. In the production of unnecessary material cut out to make them as light and stiff as possible.

9. Figure carbon fiber must be the same

Chiron is used in a chassis made of carbon fiber, designed by Italian manufacturer Dallara, the same company that builds the chassis for IIndyCar. But, like most things on Chiron, these panels are not typical.

In the production of the Bugatti uses a special fabric, pressed between layers of carbon, thereby providing rigidity and reducing weight.

As Bugatti is to preserve the sporty aesthetics of the car does not paint the surface of the carbon fiber look it has to be perfect.

That’s why when the body is mounted on the vehicle, drawing the carbon fiber one panel needs to be combined with the adjacent panel. It’s like matching wood panels in the production of particularly expensive versions of furniture, so the texture of the different panels mirror one another.

10. Unlock key maximum speed

Bugatti Chiron initially accelerates only up to 381 km/h. in order to unlock extra km/h, you must use a special key to activate “Top Speed” using special key that is inserted into the keyhole located on the door.

But before Chiron will allow you to accelerate to maximum speed, there will be a comprehensive review of all security systems. Not an extra part, if we are talking about speeds of over 400 km/h.

The system will check the engine fault codes and if no error is found, the vehicle will fall – is recorded more than any other movement modes.

Then Chiron timberwest angle of the rear wing, and will reverse the angle of attack of the diffuser flaps in the front of the car. At this point, you will find the inscription: “the Maximum speed” on the instrument cluster.

If you exceed a quarter turn of the steering wheel, or activate the ABS, or stability control when driving at top speed, a Bugatti electronics will return to normal mode speed.

Only when Chiron will be completely shut down, you will be able to try again to achieve maximum speed, after all the ritual actions described above. Wallace says that even at speeds over 400 km/h the car is stable as a rock. But even a champion of professional racing, very careful at those speeds, we should not forget that the vehicle for every 10 seconds, flying a distance equal to 1.6 km.

11. The digital display on the toolbar

Bugatti here, can easily boast of the uniqueness of the approach. Along the “spine” of carbon fiber (which is part of the carbon chassis of the car) that separates the driver and passenger, Bugatti installed four digital high-resolution instrument in a large, but very stylish piece of aluminium. Sensors provide information about the pressure of the turbine, oil temperature, coolant and how much fuel is left.

However, the data from them can be reset and reconfigured, withdrawing maximum power, speed, rpm and load weight.

During the best check-in we were able to achieve power over 1.300 HP Maximum speed? Well, let’s say, we did not remove the speed limiter.

12. High-resolution display

Volkswagen Group, which includes Bugatti, most cars, for example the VW Passat, today, use displays with about 125 dpi. TFT displays high-resolution Chiron can boast a density of 300 dpi, resolution is about at the level of the iPhone 6—and these screens can display a variety of information (about 1,500 pages, according to Bugatti). However, the engineers have correctly configured the screens so that the faster rides Chiron, the less information will be available to keep the driver’s concentration on the road.

I especially liked the screen with information about the tires. It not only shows pressure and tire temperature, and even the “expected” pressure in the tire based on the current driving style. At a temperature of 75 degrees on dry pavement, the tires provide the necessary grip and will cope with a fully open throttle.

13. Led headlights are not as simple as they seem

When manufacturers test their prototypes, the majority of tests, especially high speed, are held during the day. But the test session on the Bugatti also took place at night. On Chiron in each headlamp is fitted with four compact led 90 mm projector, this is the flat lighting system ever installed in production cars.

Lenses are mounted in thin polished aluminum brackets with a dedicated controller for each of the parties. These spotlights are so bright that hypercar test pilots were able to disperse the Bugatti up to 400 km/h in pitch darkness. Impressive and scary.

14. Adjustable rear wing with five provisions

Chiron uses active aerodynamic elements to create the desired amount of downforce or lack thereof, for any speed or under any condition. The new rear wing 39 percent more than that used in the Veyron and can change its angle of attack with the help of hydraulic jacks.

When the wing is fully retracted, it is located at an angle of -10 degrees. In Top Speed mode, the wing is set at an angle of 3 degrees. In the mode “motorway” the angle exceeds 10 degrees, and in the “control” reaches 14. In the latter mode, called “air brake” big wing beyond the maximum angle of 49 degrees.

Wallace says that Chiron Brake system, including rear wing mode, air brakes, it creates a maximum brake force of 2g or twice the force which you experience in extreme braking on a conventional car.

15. Can Bugatti Chiron to reach a top speed of 480 km/h?

According to Bugatti, the attempt to establish a record command will not take until 2018.

Wallace suggests that Chiron reaches its current speed, limited at 261 mil/hour (420 km/h) with relative ease. However, to the question: “Can the vehicle overcome the remaining 39 mph (63 km/h)?” The pilot said that this speed is unlikely to be subject to the car, because the forces at this level have been devastating and overwhelming.

Even on a 420 km/h wheels and tires must withstand extreme loads. Cap the nipple on each wheel weighs only 2.5 grams, but at a speed of 420 km/h it already weight is 7.26 kg! Because the planned maximum speed will be even higher load on the elements of the car will increase exponentially. Wallace claims that at the moment, there are no tires (we are not talking about tires for a dragster that can withstand higher loads), capable of withstanding an overload that occurs at speeds over 300 miles per hour. However, test pilot, predicts that Michelin’s engineers are likely to be able to create tyres with a maximum index of just over 280 mph.