For years, the Bugatti Veyron has sat atop the production supercar mountain as a vehicle that most can only dream of owning. The Veyron's staying power, both as a high-end production car and an icon in modern pop culture, is quite impressive considering it launched more than a decade ago.
Father Time is constant and despite multiple variations, the Veyron's time in the spotlight is nearly up. That's just fine with Bugatti as its successor somehow manages to up the ante in virtually every key category.
The Bugatti Chiron is the pinnacle of performance, luxury and exclusivity. It's powered by a redesigned version of the Veyron's 8-liter W16 engine that's mated to four sequentially-configured turbos. The combination is good for a staggering 1,500 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque that propel the car from 0-60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds en route to a governed top speed of 261 mph.
I've taken a ride in a twin turbo Dodge Viper putting down over 1,000 horsepower, an experience I can only describe as absolutely terrifying. I can only imagine how scary / awesome something with 1,500 ponies on tap would be.
Inside, you'll find leather-everything and even a storage compartment large enough to hold a decent-sized piece of luggage. The driver is in perfect view of three high-resolution displays and has total control over an audio system that Bugatti says could be considered "the world's fastest concert hall." With a one-carat diamond membrane in each of the system's four tweeters, it's as over-the-top as you'd expect from the Veyron's successor.
Bugatti is only planning to produce 500 Chiron, a third of which have already been spoken for. Even if you could afford the $2.62 million price tag, this level of exclusivity means most people will never even come across one in person.
