The Bugatti Chiron hypercar has entered the home stretch. The French marque announced on recently that only 40 build slots remain for its current-generation hypercar. Bugatti has been adamant since the very beginning that only 500 examples of the vehicle would be produced, and thanks to a recent boom in sales, that number is coming up quicker than anyone expected.
The announcement comes five-and-a-half years after the Chiron made its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show—and what a vehicle the Veyron replacement has turned out to be. The hypercar rocks a 8.0-litre W-16 engine that pumps out a beastly 1,479 horses. It rockets from zero to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 261 mph. And that’s just the standard version, as the Chiron’s popularity has given rise to several variants—the Sport, Pur Sport and Super Sport—special editions and one-offs, like the US$18.7 million La Voiture Noire.
The Chiron has been a hit from the start despite its US$3 million starting price. After the first example rolled off the line in Molsheim in March 2017, it would take only until May of the next year for the 100th Chiron to be delivered, according to the brand. The 250th Chiron—the production half-way point—followed in February of 2020 and the 300th in March of this year. Production may have been slowed some by the Covid-19 pandemic, but it would appear that orders kept pace.
There is, of course, a wait time between when a Chiron hypercar is ordered, built and delivered, but it’s telling that six months after the 300th example was delivered only 40 spots remain.
If you’ve been on the fence, now might be the time to make up your mind. Just be aware that you won’t be able to order a meat-and-potatoes standard Chiron, as the remaining open slots are reserved only for the US$3.6 million Pur Sport and US$3.9 million Super Sport.
So, what comes after the Chiron hypercar? Bugatti hasn’t revealed those plans just yet, but earlier this summer the marque merged with EV startup Rimac, maker of the 1,900 hp Nevera. Does that mean the brand’s first electrified hypercar is on the way? You might have to ask Bugatti’s new 33-year-old CEO and hypercar wunderkind Mate Rimac. But we wouldn’t bet against it.
Previously published on Robb Report.
