The Pur Sport has been developed to have the highest lateral dynamics performance within the already impressive Chiron range. Bugatti gives an update from test driver Andy Wallace at the Nardò track…
The engine heat rises from the ventilation grilles, making the air shimmer. The brake discs crackle, the exhaust clicks rhythmically. After the last test lap, Andy Wallace gets out of the car and grins. Today he has driven the new Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport for the first time.
“I tried to develop a vague idea of what I might expect. It is unbelievable how the Chiron Pur Sport devours the bends on the handling track,” he says. “I am really impressed by the precise balance of the running gear, the extremely high grip level, the exact steering response and the way in which the car accelerates so quickly and safely out of the corners. This car has exceeded my expectations by far.”
Shortly before the start of production of the new hyper sports car, the engineers are on the finishing straight of development at the Pista di Nardò (Nardò Technical Center) proving ground in the Italian region of Apulia. They are now changing only nuances and working on fine-tuning the engine control system, running gear, brakes and gearbox. The laps on the handling track in Nardò are the final check before development is completed.
Also there is Andy Wallace, Bugatti test driver, instructor, long-time racing driver, Le Mans winner, and multiple winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona. Wallace knows the finer points of many different race cars and hyper sports cars, and is therefore familiar with the subtleties and special characteristics of the engine and running gear at all speeds. Last year, he broke the speed record with a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, and now holds this with a speed of 304.773mph (490.484km/h).
“Even though I have already been doing this job for a few years, I am actually in Nardò for the first time. I like the proving ground very much, above all the handling track with its many varied corners,” explains Wallace. “The fast right-left-right combinations on the demanding 6.2km-long track are great fun in the Chiron Pur Sport. The shorter-ratio gearbox results in even more brutal acceleration out of the bends. The lateral acceleration potential is incredible. The Chiron Pur Sport gives the driver super-direct feedback, which makes driving easier,” adds Wallace.
The Chiron Pur Sport does need some level of compromise, as it is still a luxurious hyper sports car with road approval and not an uncompromising race car. “The Chiron Pur Sport is extremely agile for driving on public roads, but it still offers enough comfort. The engineers have set up the running gear perfectly. Firm and direct, but not too hard,” he says.
From autumn 2020, Bugatti will produce 60 Chiron Pur Sport vehicles in Molsheim, Alsace. Priced at €3 million (US$3.5m), these cars are for customers who are excited by the possibility of cornering at the limit of lateral dynamics. The first customer vehicles will be delivered before the end of the year.
