Hats off to this Bugatti Chiron owner. Given the opportunity to use the 2.3 mile runway at the Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds in Merritt Island, Florida, he managed to hit top speed!
We can’t imagine that too many Bugatti customers actually get to experience the top end of their supercar’s performance. There are so few places that can safely accommodate that kind of top speed. Of course, the Chiron can hit these speeds effortlessly. It uses an 8.0-liter quad turbocharged W16 engine, producing 1,500 hp and 1,180 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels.
While Bugatti haven’t officially tested the Chiron’s top speed, it is thought that speeds in excess of 280 mph are possible. Customer cars are electronically limited to 261 mph which is why the owner was not able to exceed this in the above video. The Chiron’s predecessor, the Veyron, held the world record at 267 mph during its time, although its limiter, set at 259 mph, caused an issue with the official verification.
It’s not clear whether Bugatti plans to run the Chiron into the record books. The current record holder is the Koenigsegg Agera RS, which hit 277.9 mph in 2017. Cars like the Hennessey Venom F5, which boasts a claimed 1,600 hp from a 7.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8, and the SSC Tuatara, which will use a 5.9-liter supercharged V8 to produce a claimed 1,750 hp, are under development and will likely vie for the record.
