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Written by Jason Barlow
Amid the welter of extreme detail that makes up the Bugatti Chiron almost 1500bhp, 1180 torques, a powertrain so immense it alone weighs 600kg you could be forgiven for missing some of the finer points. TopGear.com had unfettered access to 2016"s new hypercar king during its appearance at Pebble Beach, so we thought it might be a good time to get properly up to speed. It"s amazing how much more impact a car like this has away from the superficial glare of the motor show stand.Let"s start inside. As Team GB reflects on its Olympic glory, the Chiron"s cabin weirdly puts me in mind of British cycling coach Sir Dave Brailsford and his aggregation of marginal gains" as the way to deliver resounding success. The Veyron"s interior very much played second fiddle to the car"s vast performance and monumental engine; this time round, there"s entertainment to be had even at standstill, and the deeper you get into it, it"s clear the marginal gains add up to something spectacular.Etienne Salom , Bugatti"s ridiculously cool Parisian designer, talks us through it. The carbon fibre that"s visible inside isn"t just for show, it"s actually part of the dashboard"s structure. Bugatti has also figured out how to deploy the airbags through the carbon fibre, without firing shards into the faces of no-doubt already startled passengers. (It"s something to do with how it"s layered.) There are no parts-bin raids here; the indicator stalks are fabulous slim-line milled aluminium items, as are the buttons on the steering wheel. Even the graphics on those volume control, arrows and so on are fully milled, and filled with a special coating. Salom says he didn"t want any sort of frame around the air vents, so the leather that covers the cabin extends inside the aperture. You"ve created a nightmare for your suppliers, and the guys in Molsheim who"ll build the car, I say. "I know," he smiles. "I was so obsessed with getting it absolutely right I even enquired about removing the airbag logo on the steering wheel"They had to keep it. But the speaker grilles if you can call them that for the Accuton sub-woofers are almost invisible. The exterior"s spine line, a direct homage to the exquisite Type 57 Atlantic, continues and is resolved inside; it"s also illuminated. Even the switch at the top of it, for the interior reading light, is trimmed in leather so it feels as lovely as the cabin"s major touchpoints. The rear-view mirror, that stock and mostly unloved interior accoutrement, is also milled aluminium, with a unique finish. The Speed Key, which allows you to access Top Speed mode for those little moments when you fancy going faster than 236mph, is a lovely little ally sliver that sits in its own dedicated recess in the sill.
Date written: 25 Aug 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 4786
Amid the welter of extreme detail that makes up the Bugatti Chiron almost 1500bhp, 1180 torques, a powertrain so immense it alone weighs 600kg you could be forgiven for missing some of the finer points. TopGear.com had unfettered access to 2016"s new hypercar king during its appearance at Pebble Beach, so we thought it might be a good time to get properly up to speed. It"s amazing how much more impact a car like this has away from the superficial glare of the motor show stand.Let"s start inside. As Team GB reflects on its Olympic glory, the Chiron"s cabin weirdly puts me in mind of British cycling coach Sir Dave Brailsford and his aggregation of marginal gains" as the way to deliver resounding success. The Veyron"s interior very much played second fiddle to the car"s vast performance and monumental engine; this time round, there"s entertainment to be had even at standstill, and the deeper you get into it, it"s clear the marginal gains add up to something spectacular.Etienne Salom , Bugatti"s ridiculously cool Parisian designer, talks us through it. The carbon fibre that"s visible inside isn"t just for show, it"s actually part of the dashboard"s structure. Bugatti has also figured out how to deploy the airbags through the carbon fibre, without firing shards into the faces of no-doubt already startled passengers. (It"s something to do with how it"s layered.) There are no parts-bin raids here; the indicator stalks are fabulous slim-line milled aluminium items, as are the buttons on the steering wheel. Even the graphics on those volume control, arrows and so on are fully milled, and filled with a special coating. Salom says he didn"t want any sort of frame around the air vents, so the leather that covers the cabin extends inside the aperture. You"ve created a nightmare for your suppliers, and the guys in Molsheim who"ll build the car, I say. "I know," he smiles. "I was so obsessed with getting it absolutely right I even enquired about removing the airbag logo on the steering wheel"They had to keep it. But the speaker grilles if you can call them that for the Accuton sub-woofers are almost invisible. The exterior"s spine line, a direct homage to the exquisite Type 57 Atlantic, continues and is resolved inside; it"s also illuminated. Even the switch at the top of it, for the interior reading light, is trimmed in leather so it feels as lovely as the cabin"s major touchpoints. The rear-view mirror, that stock and mostly unloved interior accoutrement, is also milled aluminium, with a unique finish. The Speed Key, which allows you to access Top Speed mode for those little moments when you fancy going faster than 236mph, is a lovely little ally sliver that sits in its own dedicated recess in the sill.
Date written: 25 Aug 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 4786
