Bugatti has achieved a motoring milestone by becoming the first manufacturer to get a car up to a speed of over 300mph.
On August 2nd2019, Andy Wallace, a British racing driver, pushed a ‘near production prototype’ version of the Bugatti Chiron to its limits on Volkswagen’s famed Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany.
Wallace hit a TÜV – Germany’s Technical Inspection Association – verified top speed of 304.773mph.
The Chiron that reached the magical number is noticeably modified compared to the standard one, with the upgrades aiding its ability to reach high speeds. For instance, to reduce drag, the rear wing and airbrake have been removed.
Inside, the car has been stripped of a passenger seat, along with a number of weight-saving measures, and given a full roll cage and safety seat for the driver.
Frank Heyl, head of exterior design at Bugatti, told Top Gear: “The biggest challenge is to the overall package right. It’s to get everything together and working in one car.”
The vehicle had been under development for the past six months, with a team of Bugatti, Michelin and Dallara working to break the 300mph barrier – and now, they’ve finally done it.
