The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport is a different kind of Chiron. But instead of being a Chiron built to achieve the highest top speed, the Pur Sport is more about handling, balance, and the fastest way around a corner. Based on how it looks, it goes without saying the Pur Sport is the most track-focused Chiron yet.
“We spoke to customers and realized they wanted a vehicle that is geared even more towards agility and dynamic cornering – a hyper sports car that yearns for country roads with as many bends as possible,” said Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti.
Bugatti gave the Chiron a crash diet and went from there
The normal Chiron is an all-conquering machine. But weighing in at around 4,400 lbs. there’s no hiding the fact it’s a heavy car. Bugatti engineers knew this from the onset, so they gave the Chiron a crash diet to shed some weight.
The wheels, for example, are now crafted from magnesium and are 35 pounds lighter than conventional Chiron wheels. The base panels for the brake pads are now made of titanium and are 4.4 pounds lighter than before. Also, Bugatti gave the Pur Sport a lighter set of brake discs to save 2.2 pounds.
And since the Chiron Pur Sport makes do without a complicated active wing, Bugatti was able to delete the hydraulic system to save 22 pounds. Bugatti didn’t stop there and installed a massive fixed rear wing in place of the hydraulic version.
Lastly, the exhaust tips were also given some love. It’s now crafted from 3D-printed titanium to save a bit more weight. All told, the Chiron Pur Sport is around 110 pounds lighter than a stock Chiron.
It has a new set of legs to deliver better handling
After the critical weight-saving measures were completed, Bugatti shifted its attention to the suspension. Since there’s less weight to move around, the Pur Sport can get away with stiffer suspension that delivers a nice balance between highway comfort and handling.
The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport receives a new of springs that are 63-percent and 33-percent stiffer in the front and back, respectively. Also, Bugatti tinkered with the electronic adaptive dampers and gave the vehicle minus 2.5 degrees of camber to further improve agility and dynamic handling.
There’s also a new Sport + driving mode that will allow the Pur Sport to drift cleanly around a corner, with the traction control only kicking in at a later point to allow the driver to have some proper fun. Helping the cause is a new set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires with a reformulated compound to offer 10-percent better lateral acceleration.
Designed to slice the wind
The new Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport also benefits from a host of aerodynamic improvements. The focus was to increase downforce without sacrificing aerodynamics. “We focused particularly on the agility of the Chiron Pur Sport. The vehicle generates more downforce at the rear axle while the large, front splitter, air inlets, wheel-arch vents featuring optimized air outlets and a reduced vehicle height strike a clean balance at the front,” said Frank Heyl, Head of Exterior Design and Deputy Head Designer at Bugatti.
At the front, the Chiron Pur Sport has larger and wider air intakes along with an enlarged horseshoe grille. The unique front splitter not only makes the vehicle look wider, but it’s designed to generate maximum downforce as well.
The rear wing spans a full 1.90 meters to generate serious amounts of downforce. There’s also a new rear diffuser along with angled wing mounts to push the rear of the vehicle at maximum velocity.
It still has a magnificent W16 engine
Oddly enough, Bugatti resisted the urge to fiddle with the Chiron’s standard 8.0-liter W16 quad-turbocharged motor. Producing 1,500-horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque, the Pur Sport remains as explosive as a nuclear warhead at full song.
However, Bugatti was kind enough to tinker with the standard seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. In fact, close to 80-percent of the gearbox is fitted with all-new components. This includes 15-percent closer gear ratios and allows the motor to have a higher 6,900 rpm redline.
How much is the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport?
Prepare your bank account. The new Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport has a base price of around $3.35-million with production starting in the second half of 2020. It may be expensive, but Bugatti is only making 60 units of the Pur Sport, which means it’s going to be as rare as a northern white rhino.
