Ten things you need to know about Bugatti’s new £3.3m Chiron Super Sport

Bugatti is the hypercar maker that doesn’t do things by halves – and its new Chiron Super Sport is one of its most outrageous road-legal models yet.

Officially unveiled this morning, the stunning limited-edition road car is based on the £2.5million ‘standard’ Chiron but offers increased performance, improved aerodynamics and a few nods to former Super Sport models from the brand’s illustrious history.

According to the boss at the Molsheim motor maker, the new Chiron Super Sport is ‘the ultimate grand tourer’ – as well as being the most powerful combustion-engined road car money can buy.

Here are 10 things you need to know about the latest bonkers Bugatti…  

Bugatti’s latest Chiron hypercar: Say hello to the limited edition Chiron Super Sport – a £3.3million grand tourer you can take on holiday

The new road-legal Chiron Super Sport was unveiled by the French brand – owned by the VW Group – on Tuesday morning

1. It will cost £3.3million if you wanted to buy one in the UK

It is not cheap. 

The French brand says it will be priced at €3.2million, and that’s before taxes.

For a UK buyer, that’s £2.75million before you’ve even considered adding VAT. Bolt that onto the figure and the total fee is a whopping £3.3million.

That’s some way short of Bugatti’s most expensive car ever – the one-of-a-kind La Voiture Noire, launched in 2019. Also based on the Chiron, the ultra-exclusive hypercar had an asking price of £11.3million.

The Super Sport is unquestionably super pricey, but a recent bout of exclusive car inflation means that it doesn’t get within a sniff of making it into the top 10 new vehicles with the most extortionate price tags – you can see the full list in our feature on the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, which was unveiled just last month. 

UK buyers will hard to fork out around £2.75million before taking into consideration VAT. Bolt the tax onto the figure and the total fee is a whopping £3.3million

The new Super Sport (left) might be expensive but it’s nowhere near the top of the list of priciest Bugattis from new. That crown goes to the La Voiture Noire (right) – a one-off super-stealth hypercar unveiled in 2019 with a price tag of £11.4million with VAT

At £3.3million, the Chiron Super Sport is just a fraction of the price of the most expensive car in the world – the Roll-Royce Boat Tail that was revealed in May

2. It’s based on the Chiron Super Sport 300+, the world’s ‘unofficial’ fastest road car

If this car’s shape looks familiar, that’s because it shares its extended bodywork with the £4.2million Chiron Super Sport 300+, which unofficially claims to be the fastest road car cash can buy.

It clocked a top speed of 304.77mph on 2 August 2019, though its outright record claim remains in question as it was only measured driving in one direction (Guinness World Records stipulates the top speed has to be an average of two runs in opposite directions on the same piece of tarmac set within an hour of each other).

For a top speed record to be recognised by Guinness World Records it needs to be an average of the highest speeds set in both directions of the same track. Bugatti confirmed that the Chiron Super Sport 300+ was only driven in one direction

Bugatti said in 2017 that it couldn’t complete the two runs at the VW test track in Germany because driving the car at such excessive speeds in the opposite direction would go against the grain of the surface, which could cause the tyres to overheat and explode

It means the Koenigsegg Agera RS’s 277.8mph , confirmed in 2017, is still recognised by Guinness World Records as the official fastest top speed for a road car.

This new Chiron Super Sport is tuned as much for comfort as it is for blistering speed, says the French car firm that’s owned by the VW Group – as long as you’re happy to take your £3.3million car out on the road from Monday to Sunday. 

With a more relaxed drive in mind, Bugatti has electronically limited the top speed to 273mph. That’s almost four times the speed limit on a UK motorway. Hardly pedestrian, is it?

This is the Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+. It’s a £4.2million version of the standard hypercar with the extended carbon bodywork and upgraded exhaust system from the record-smashing example

Just 30 examples of this black and orange Chiron Super Sport 300+ will be produced – around twice as many Super Sport versions will come off the Molsheim assembly line in France

3. Not many Chiron Super Sport 300s are being made

You won’t see one a Chiron Super Sport 300 on the road before next year – and are unlikely to ever, actually.

First deliveries are scheduled to start in early 2022 but only 60 are going to be built.

Only 30 examples of the £4.2million Super Sport 300+ were made, making this more user-friendly model less exclusive. 

Add it to the list of Bugatti unicorn hypercars you may only see cruising the streets of Monaco and Dubai. 

Just 60 examples of the new Bugatti will be produced, meaning this will likely be another unicorn car from the French brand

The extended bodywork is to make the car more aerodynamically efficient so it can cut through the air like a missile

Powering the Super Sport is the same 8.0-litre W16 engine for the Chiron, though upgraded to produce an extra 99bhp – meaning it now puts out a massive 1,578bhp

4. It’s only the fifth Bugatti model to carry the Super Sport name

The first Super Sport name was given to a Bugatti in 1931. That was the legendary Type 55 Super Sport, originally shown to the public at the Paris Motor Show that year. Only 38 examples were made over a four-year period.

Bugatti didn’t construct the next version of the Super Sport until 1993 to 1995 with 39 examples of the stunning EB 110 Super Sport. 

The V12 turbocharged engine in the souped-up EB 110 delivered more than 602bhp and set multiple records in the 1990s, including a record speed of 218mph. 

The next Super Sport came two decades later with Bugatti’s best-selling model of all time, the Veyron.

The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport’s 1,183bhp was a crazy figure to fathom when it arrived in 2010, as was the top speed of 268mph – a record that remained unbeaten until four years later when the Hennessey Venom GT came along (270.4mph measured).

The fourth Super Sport was the Chiron Super Sport 300+ top-speed record holder. 

Only four other Bugatti’s have displayed the Super Sport name until now. The legendary 1931 Type 55 Super Sport (right), 1993 EB 100 Super Sport (second right), 2010 Veyron Super Sport (second left) and the Chiron Super Sport 300+ (not pictured). Far left is the latest model

This 1994 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport is one of just 30 made. It sold at an RM Sotheby’s classic car auction in 2019 for €2,030,000 – around £1.75m

This is the 2010 Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, which boasted 1,183bhp and a top speed of 268mph. It was the fastest road car in the world for four years

5. It has design elements that hark back to the iconic ’90s EB 110 Super Sport

Bugatti has made sure to include a few features for the new Chiron that are a nod back to previous Super Sport cars from its automotive archive.

For instance, the nine exhaust air holes on each fender replicate those that featured on the EB 110 Super Sport.

They’re functional too – they release the air pressure from the front wheel wells, thereby generating streamlined downforce at the front axle. Additional outlets behind the front wheel arches likewise help to balance out the aerodynamic loads, says the exotic car firm. 

Bugatti second ever Super Sport was the EB 110, with 39 examples built between 1993 to 1995. One of its most iconic features was the exhaust air holes flanking the engine bay

Bugatti has replicated the air holes by putting nine on each of the fenders of the new car – a faithful nod back to one of the most iconic models the brand has ever produced

The EB 100 Super Sport featured a V12 turbocharged engine that delivered more than 602bhp and set multiple records in the 1990s, including a record speed of 218mph

You can see all 18 of the air holes in the fenders in the overhead shot. They are functional too: they release the air pressure from the front wheel wells, thereby generating streamlined downforce at the front axle

6. It ‘s the joint most-powerful road car on the planet – and sheds a bulldog in weight compared to the standard Chiron 

The engine in the Chiron is a piece of art – and one that’s had a few touch-ups for this latest example.

Bugatti says it has ‘thoroughly overhauled’ the 8.0-litre W16 engine for the Chiron Super Sport, boosting its performance by 99bhp – meaning it now puts out a massive 1,578bhp.

Only the electric Lotus Evija (1,973bhp) and Rimac Nevera (1,888bhp) are more potent models on sale (or due to go on sale) with registration plates and indicators. 

The outrageously fast Koenigsegg Jesko matches the 1,578bhp output of both the Chiron Super Sport and Super Sport 300+ to make them the joint most powerful combustion engine hypercars on the market.

Bugatti has shaved some 23kg of weight from the standard Chiron – which is the average bulk of an adult male bulldog

Only the electric Lotus Evija (1,973bhp), Rimac Nevera (1,888bhp) are more potent road-legal models on sale (or due to go on sale)

The outrageously fast Koenigsegg Jesko matches the 1,578bhp output of both the Chiron Super Sport and Super Sport 300+

At the same time the grunt has been upped, the weight has been slashed.

A substantial 23 kilograms has been trimmed from a standard Chiron – around the same bulk as a fully-grown male bulldog. 

Modifications have been made to the turbochargers, oil pump, and cylinder head with 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 now red-lines at 7,100rpm – 300rpm higher than before – and peak torque of 1,600 newton meters is accessible from between 2,000 and 7,000rpm, rather than up to 6,000rpm, to make it more usable.

This incredible powerplant is mated to a seven-gear dual-clutch transmission. 

As is the case with all Bugatti models, the cabin is the most supreme luxury you’re ever going to see in a car

The monumental powerplant is linked to a rapid-shifting seven-gear dual-clutch transmission

7. It hits 186mph in the same time a Vauxhall Corsa goes from 0-to-62mph

Bugatti hasn’t confirmed the 0-to-62mph time of the Chiron Super Sport – probably because it can’t quite match the Rimac Nevera electric hypercar released last week.

The Croatian-made zero-emission hypercar hits the 62mph mark in a staggering 1.97 seconds – which is almost half a second faster than the Chiron Super Sport 300+ can do. 

This Chiron Super Sport accelerates from 0-to-124mph (200km/h) in 5.8 seconds and to 186mph (300km/h) in 12.1 seconds. To put that into perspective,the Bugatti can accelerate to over 186mph before a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 (75PS) makes it to 62mph.  

The Chiron Super Sport also catapults from 0-to-249mph (400km/h) seven per cent quicker than a normal Chiron, says Bugatti. Essentially, not much on the road is going to beat you in a sprint from the lights.  

In the time it takes a 1.2 petrol Vauxhall Corsa (left) to hit 62mph the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport will be doing over 186mph

Rimac Nevera VS Bugatti Chiron SuperSport 300+

Rimac Nevera (fastest accelerating road car)

Price: £2million  

Number built: 150 

Seats: 2

Length: 4750mm 

Width: 1986mm 

Height: 1208mm

0-62mph: 1.97 seconds  

0-124mph: 4.7 seconds

0-186mph: 9.3 seconds

Quarter-mile: 8.6 seconds (official)

Top speed: 258mph

Powertrain: 4 independent electric motors and lithium-manganese-nickel batteries  

Power: 1,888bhp

CO2 emissions: 0g/km (tailpipe) 

Bugatti Chiron SuperSport 300+ (road car with highest top speed)

Price: circa £4.2million 

Number built: 30 

Seats: 2

Length: 4420mm

Width: 1990mm

Height: 1212mm

0-62mph: 2.4 seconds

0-124mph: 6.5 seconds

0-186mph: 13.6 seconds

Quarter-mile: 9.4 seconds (measured by Car & Driver)

Top speed: 304.77mph

Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbochaged W16 petrol

Power: 1,578bhp

CO2 Emissions: 516g/Km  

The Chiron Super Sport accelerates from 0-to-124mph (200km/h) in 5.8 seconds and to 186mph (300km/h) in 12.1 seconds

No slouch: The new Bugatti Chiron Super S port accelerates from 0-to-249mph (400km/h) seven per cent quicker than a conventional £2.5m Chiron

8. ‘Long tail’ body add 25cm to the Chiron’s overall length 

To make sure the Chiron is as slippery as possible there is a long-tail bodywork. This is a quarter of a metre longer than the standard Chiron’s dimensions.

Almost all the aggressive aero package bolted onto the Super Sport 300+ has gone, leaving a clean missile-like silhouette that looks super chic. 

This extended body boosts slipstream and dramatically reduces any wind resistance generated – factors which otherwise decelerate the vehicle. 

The shift to a longer shell – and the addition of a larger diffuser – means the exhaust tips have had to be repositioned. 

Bugatti has shifted the otherwise central exhaust system to the side, with the pipes aligned vertically. The exhaust system also sounds ‘deeper and richer’. As if a Bugatti Chiron wasn’t loud enough already.

The long tail bodywork bathing this beautiful hypercar adds a quarter of a metre to the standard Chiron model

The shift to a longer shell – and to make way for a larger diffuser – means the exhaust tips have had to be repositioned to the side

9. It’s wheely exclusive

There are a number of exclusive features you will only find on this limited edition Bugatti – and that includes the wheels.

These stunning aluminum, five-Y-spoke design rims are available only for the Chiron Super Sport and are also available in a diamond-cut option.  

Five-spoke wheels are exclusive to the Chiron Super Sport and are available in a standard aluminium finish or diamond cut

10. It features an electronically-controlled chassis that can firm the suspension in six milliseconds 

As well as a redesigned bodywork, Bugatti has also developed a new chassis specifically for the Chiron Super Sport’s high speeds and uprated aerodynamics.

It has harder springs than the standard Chiron to stabilise the vehicle when it’s travelling at 250mph and above. 

And the chassis can react to the situation quicker than you can blink: engineers additionally retuned the electronically controlled chassis so that it can regulate the settings in real-time in a matter of just six milliseconds. 

‘With the Chiron Super Sport, we are following our long-standing tradition of combining top speed with absolute luxury,’ explained Stephan Winkelmann, president of Bugatti, during the car’s unveiling on Tuesday. 

‘The Chiron Super Sport stands for increased comfort and elegance coupled with even greater performance and higher speeds. 

‘With this new creation, we established another distinct personality within the Chiron family. It is the essence of what we learned and developed in recent years – the ultimate grand tourer.’ 

Want one? The chances are the limited numbers means most would have already been promised to customers – who will start receiving them in the new year

Longer bodywork boosts its slipstream potential and dramatically reduces wind resistance generated – factors which otherwise decelerate the vehicle

Bugatti developed a new chassis specifically for the Chiron Super Sport’s high speeds and new aerodynamics

The electronically controlled chassis has been returned so that it can regulate the settings in real-time in a matter of just six milliseconds