Bugatti unveils $3.5M Chiron Pur Sport hypercar—with a six-foot wing

The announcement didn’t have quite the pomp and circumstance that it would have had at the Geneva Motor Show, which was canceled due to health concerns over the coronavirus, but, as they say, the show must go on. So it did, 230 miles away in Molsheim, France, where Bugatti unveiled its new thoroughbred, the Chiron Pur Sport, on March 3.

“We spoke to customers and realized they wanted a vehicle that is geared even more towards agility and dynamic cornering,” said Stephan Winkelmann, president of Bugatti. “A hypersports car that yearns for country roads with as many bends as possible. An unadulterated, uncompromising driving machine. Consequently, the vehicle is called Chiron Pur Sport. By cutting the weight by 50 kilograms while simultaneously boosting the downforce and configuring an uncompromising, sporty chassis, as well as suspension setup, the Chiron Pur Sport boasts incredible grip, sensational acceleration, and extraordinarily accurate handling. It’s the most uncompromising yet agile Bugatti of recent times.”

If Bugatti didn’t already have you at hello, that statement likely reeled you in.

For more than 110 years, Bugatti has been producing sports cars that have been homologated for public roads. Vehicles such as the Type 13 and Type 35 have claimed countless victories at international hill climbs and road races, and the Chiron Pur Sport looks to maintain the tradition. (What we wouldn’t give to see a Pur Sport take on Pikes Peak or Le Mans. Sadly, there’s no suggestion a Chiron factory team is in the works.)

The hypersports car features a new aerodynamic configuration that generates more downforce, while lower weight increases agility. It also has a close-ratio transmission, high-performance tires with what Bugatti says is “a new material mix geared towards extreme grip,” and a nimble chassis and suspension setup. According to Winkelmann, the Pur Sport “focuses on extraordinary, tangible performance throughout the entire range of speeds.”

Aesthetically pleasing with a flat front end, vibrant aerodynamic design, and impressive rear spoiler, Bugatti compares the Pur Sport’s primary lines, which run across the air outlets on the front wing, to “tendons on a muscle, radiating the design image of a well-honed athlete.”

The bottom third of the vehicle is exposed carbon fiber, intended to make the vehicle seem even lower. The rear spoiler spans more than six feet and creates a generous amount of downforce, and the car’s lightweight and temperature-resistant exhaust tailpipe is made of 3D-printed titanium, thus saving weight.

“We focused particularly on the agility of the Chiron Pur Sport,” explained Frank Heyl, Bugatti’s head of exterior design and deputy head designer. “The vehicle generates more downforce at the rear axle, while the large front splitter, air inlets, wheel-arch vents featuring optimized air outlets, and reduced vehicle height strike a clean balance at the front.”

The minimalist interior includes large surfaces upholstered with Alcantara, including the steering wheel and side seat supports, to create grip and again reduce weight. The car weighs 110 pounds less than other Chiron models.

The Pur Sport has a new chassis setup featuring 65 percent firmer springs up front and 33 percent firmer springs in the rear, an adaptive damping control strategy geared towards performance, and modified camber values (minus 2.5 degrees) to add agility in the corners.

The car’s 8.0-liter W-16 engine generates 1500 horsepower and 1180 lb-ft of torque. The revised transmission includes four shafts and seven forward gears. Top speed is 217.48 mph, but it could have been higher. “We were forced to reduce the speed as a result of the vastly increased downforce, generated by the new rear spoiler,” Jachin Schwalbe, Bugatti’s head of chassis development, said.

The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport carries a price tag of $3.5 million and only 60 will be built. Delivery is planned to begin later this year.