Bugatti Chiron Super Sport review: what the car critics say
The Bugatti Chiron ‘hypercar’ is the ‘combustion era’s equivalent of Concorde’
“The combustion era’s equivalent of Concorde”, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport is “farcically expensive”, at £3.5m, yet it’s not “vulgar”, said Vicky Parrott in The Daily Telegraph. The two-door coupé has a top speed of 273mph (restricted), with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, but what makes it “brilliant isn’t just its performance”: it is also the way that performance is delivered. “An assault of mechanical revelry” and “engineering witchcraft and wizardry”, the car is absurdly easy to drive and “weirdly entertaining at normal road speeds”.
“A hypercar like no other,” said Sean Carson in Auto Express, it is capable of 0-62mph in 2.4 seconds, 0-186mph in just 12.1 seconds, and 0-273mph in 28.6 seconds. The 1,578bhp 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine emits “a menacing burble from its vertically stacked exhausts” as you put your foot down. The steering is “perfectly judged”; and for a car that weighs two tonnes it “handles impeccably”. Despite its vast dimensions and its low-slung deep bucket seats, visibility is good. The interior is plush yet understated, with tan leather and titanium finishes, and it is refreshingly free of touchscreens.
At any speed “the Chiron rides firmly, with tremendous body control and precious little roll”, said Matt Prior in Autocar. Traction is “phenomenal”; braking “exceptional”. The Chiron is “absurdly fast”, and yet its greatest achievement isn’t anything to do with the “ludicrous numbers”, it’s the fact that they are achievable in a vehicle that is no more difficult to drive than a regular hatchback. Price: from about £3.5m.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In pictures: Bugatti Chiron Super Sport
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Italian senate passes law allowing anti-abortion activists into clinics
Under The Radar Giorgia Meloni scores a political 'victory' but will it make much difference in practice?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Magazine interactive crossword - May 3, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - May 3, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine solutions - May 3, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - May 3, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Sarah Langan recommends 6 women-centric horror books
Feature The horror novelist recommends works by Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 spacious homes for car lovers
Feature Featuring a 14-car showroom in Oregon and a Bentley-style apartment in Florida
By The Week Staff Published
-
6 serene homes in Vermont
Features Featuring a four-level Shaker barn in Hartland and a Scandinavian-inspired home in Stowe
By The Week US Published
-
Amanda Montell's 6 favorite books that will expand your knowledge
Feature The linguist recommends works by Mary Roach, Alice Carrière, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Rowan Beaird recommends 6 compelling books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 spacious homes with great rec rooms
Feature Featuring a suspended fireplace in Arizona and a marine-themed home in Maine
By The Week Published
-
Recipe: gnocchi di spinaci (spinach gnocchi)
The Week Recommends Forget the potatoes for this gnocchi made of the 'classic combination' of spinach and ricotta
By The Week UK Published
-
Stephen Graham Jones' 6 scary books with deeper meanings
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Sara Gran, and more
By The Week US Published