In the world of performance cars, there are fast cars that we all know and love. Cars like the Mustang GT and Hyundai Elantra N-Line are fast. But then there is another level of performance where cars like the Chevy Corvette and Dodge Charger Hellcat reside. But then there is the top level of cars that most of us only dream about, and are happy enough just to see in person, never mind drive. That realm is home to cars made by McLaren, Pagani and of course, Bugatti, and their halo car – Chiron Super Sport.
The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport takes everything about the “base” level Chiron and ratchets it up a couple notches. Power comes from the same monster 8.0-liter, 64-valve, quad-turbocharged DOHC W16 that produces a stupefying 1,578-horsepower at 7,100 rpm and organ-flattening 1,180 pound-feet of torque from 2,250 – 7,000 rpm. Normally, that flat of a torque curve is only seen in electric cars, which is yet another testament to just how dedicated Bugatti was to making the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport the fastest car in recorded history.
From the engine, that crazy power is routed through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and then on to all four corners for maximum traction, where steam-roller sized Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires await, measuring 285/30ZR-20 up front and 355/25ZR-21 out back. Those lightweight rims house huge 16.5-inch front and 15.7-inch rear carbon ceramic brakes, which do their best to scrub off that prodigious amount of speed.
Speaking of fast, even using the test numbers from Bugatti’s own website (manufacturers’ numbers always tend to err on the conservative side), the Super Sport is frighteningly fast. Converting from the metric system, the Bugatti Chiron SS can run from 0-60 mph in a scalding 2.3 seconds, 0-100 mph in just 4.5 seconds, 0-150 mph in 9.5 seconds, and 0-250 mph in 28.8 seconds. Top speed is limited to only 273 mph.
In order keep the car from actually taking flight at such insane speeds, the Super Sport differs from the base model in a few subtle, yet very important ways. The rear end was reshaped, and the rear diffuser tweaked to help air plant the rear end of the car firmly on the tarmac at high speeds. The SS can also be identified by its unique exhaust setup, with two sets of two exhaust pipes stacked on top of each other, whereas the base model has two center mounted exhaust pipes that resemble first generation USB power outlets.
But the Chiron, and Bugatti as a whole are more than just a bunch of psychotically fast cars. Bugatti is a lifestyle as much as it is a carmaker, and the Chiron is designed to be the pinnacle of both speed and luxury. Inside, the Chiron, two hand-stitched, leather-wrapped seats that would look at home in a private jet await for whoever is lucky enough to have access to them. The center console is milled from a single piece of aluminum, while the tweeters for the stereo are made of diamonds. The color scheme and many of the design elements are customized to each owners particular style, and rightly so considering the cost of one of these machines.
When it comes to price with the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, if you have to ask then you probably can’t afford one. But just for the sake of curiosity, if you happen to be Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk reading this, and you don’t already have one, the Super Sport has a base price of $3.3 million. Depending on options, that price can rise significantly, but then what’s another few hundred thousand dollars between billionaire friends?
The Chiron took up the mantle that the Veyron left behind, and raised the bar for supercars everywhere. That bar was raised so high that cars in that upper stratosphere of performance are now called ‘hypercars’, and although the Chiron is at the tail end of its production run, it still reigns supreme as king of the automotive world.
