Bugatti has officially confirmed that their follow-up to the Veyron will be the Chiron, and that it’s due to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Named after Louis Chiron, a hugely successful racing driver who drove for Bugatti in the 1920s, the manufacturer says that the new hypercar will be the world’s fastest, most powerful and most exclusive car.
Currently undergoing final road testing phases, Bugatti has already invited a select few customers to preview the Chiron before its release, and says that it’s received more than 100 orders already.
Solid details have yet to be released for the Veyron follow-up, it’s believed that the Concept Gran Turismo unveiled at the Frankfurt show this year could offer some strong hints towards its design.
It’s believed that the Chiron could use the same quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 petrol engine and carbon fibre body structure as the Veyron, along with four-wheel drive.
As it’s been ten years since the Veyron’s introduction in 2005 and the fact that current top-end hypercars like the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari are hybrids, a hybrid powertrain may also be possible.
In terms of power, given that the Gran Turismo concept had a claimed output of 1,672bhp, it’s expected that this is roughly what Bugatti’s aiming for, with a potential 0-62mph time of two seconds flat.
If the manufacturer’s aiming for the record of the fastest car, it’ll also need to have a top speed that’s north of 270mph, the time unofficially clocked by Hennessey’s Venom GT.
The Chiron’s future was thrown into question earlier this year thanks to the ongoing effects of the Volkswagen ‘dieselgate’ scandal, with Bugatti owners VW predicted to halt the project in order to save money.
However, despite this, and despite the fact that the Volkswagen group lost money on every Veyron sold, Bugatti president Wolfgang Durheimer has confirmed that it will go ahead as planned as the group’s halo model.
The new Bugatti Chiron is due to make its first public appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in March next year, and it’s expected that more details will be available in the coming months.
