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Bugatti Chiron: Everything we know so far

The Bugatti Chiron is on the way, but what do we know about the Veyron’s successor? Just how fast will it go and how much will it cost? 

Given the fact the Bugatti Veyron is one of the world’s fastest production cars and one of the craziest-looking, it’s hardly surprising it has gained worldwide notoriety and legions of fans.

So what the hell do you replace it with? Something faster and even crazier looking, we would assume. The official launch is two months away but we decided to round-up the most likely rumours garnered from various ‘leaks’ and ‘sources’.

Has it actually been confirmed?

A Bugatti Happy New Year video called ‘Breaking New Dimensions’ ends with the word Chiron so the Veyron’s successor is definitely a thing. Shame you never actually get to see it.

How powerful is the Chiron?

A whopping 38hp! Just kidding. Various reports suggest it will be powered by an 8.0-litre W16 engine like in the Veyron, except it has been tuned to 1,500hp and torque of 1,107lb/ft. That’s nearly double what you get in the frankly bonkers Ferrari F12tdf. Four turbos will feature, two of which will be electric, which basically means they can spin up more quickly for improved performance.

Not going to be a slouch, then?

Even with Captain Slow at the wheel, probably not. Some estimates believe it will crack 290mph (467kmh), nudging it dangerously close to the 300mph barrier. The old Veyron currently holds the production car speed world record (not the Hennessey Venom GT, if you want to be all official) of 269.86mph.

Have we seen any Bugatti Chiron pictures? 

Only those who work at Bugatti or have some inside knowledge know what it looks like. Supposedly the letter ‘C’ in the Chiron text is a nod to the shape, and there are some artistic renders out there that could be on the money, but really the aesthetics are unknown. It’s probably going to be similar to the Veyron, but you probably guessed that already.

How much will the Chiron cost?

Write down a ridiculous number on a bit of paper and you probably won’t be far off. Current estimates suggest just 500 will be built, costing from at least US$2.2million (more like US$2.5million plus). So only oil barons and people with really rich parents need apply. Apparently 130 have been sold already (who needs to see the car when spending this much, eh?) and 100 will be built every year for five years.

When will the cold, hard facts become a reality?

Bugatti is expected to unveil the Chiron at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, which runs from the 3rd to the 13th of March. So really not long until all will hopefully be revealed.

Where does the Chiron get its name from?

A French chap called Louis Chiron, who became Bugatti’s number one driver in the factory team. Before that, he was an army driver during the first world war, then a chauffeur and a dance partner at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. Here Chiron is said to have earned money from wealthy females who wanted to dance, allowing him to buy a Bugatti at the age of 26. Eventually he traded up to a Type 35 Grand Prix car and won lots of races, racing to the ripe old age of 60. His last race was in 1955 at Monaco.