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Bugatti Chiron tops 300mph as company looks to leave the speed record game

Bugatti has sent a modified Chiron where no near-production car has gone before, topping 300mph (482.8km/h) at the recently-resurfaced Ehra-Lessien test track.


The company says its 300mph run spells the end of its obsession with top speed, having "shown several times that we build the fastest cars in the world".

Updates to the standard Chiron were minor; and included a taller top gear, a stronger passenger safety cell, and aerodynamic tweaks to make sure the car stayed stable as it pushed through the previously-unbroken 300mph mark. There was also more power, of course.

Tyres have previously been what's held Bugatti back, but Michelin was able to further develop its rubber for the latest record run.

The Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres on the record-breaking Chiron were tested up to 511km/h on a test bench and reinforced with steel belts capable of handling 5300G.

"An incredible speed. It’s inconceivable that a car would be capable of this. But the Chiron was well prepared and I felt very safe – even in these high speed ranges," said driver Andy Wallace. He's no stranger to high speeds, having also piloted the McLaren F1 on its original record run.

The changes will be put into production as part of a limited-run sports model, although when we'll see it isn't yet clear.

According to Bugatti, its remote telemetry couldn't keep up with the Chiron's record run. Where the in-car readout in front of Andy Wallace showed 490km/h, the data back at the pits was reading a 'piddling' 479km/h.

"Bugatti has once again shown what it’s capable of. With this new record of the Chiron we enter again uncharted territory. Never before has a series manufacturer reached this high speed," said Stephan Winkelmann, Bugatti president.

"Our goal was to be the first manufacturer ever to reach the magic 300-mile-per-hour mark. We have now achieved this – making ourselves, the entire team and myself, incredibly proud."

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