Juan Pablo Montoya Talking About & Driving The Bugatti Chiron World Record Run – Video
A weekend in August 2017. It is dry and sunny and the wind conditions are calm. The Chiron rolls up to the start with racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya at the wheel. He has a long straight ahead of him. Using the Top Speed Key which is typical of Bugatti, he activates the Top Speed mode, which allows a Chiron to drive faster than 380 km/h. A signal is heard. He places his left foot firmly on the brake pedal. Montoya engages first gear and then activates the Launch Control. The digital display beside the speedometer acknowledges the command received and the 1,500 horses wake up. On your marks! Full concentration for the driver and team. Bugatti invited Montoya to complete the 0-400-0 km/h manoeuvre under real-life conditions to underpin the exceptional position of the Chiron in terms of braking and acceleration. He accepted, eager to meet Bugatti and the Chiron.
Montoya presses the accelerator to the limit with his right foot. The 8 litre W16 engine runs up to 2,800 rpm. The powerful turbochargers speed up and there is no doubt that this car is straining at the leash. Get set! Montoya releases the brake pedal. Go! The four wheels of the Chiron receive equal power and grip the tarmac with full force. The car shoots forward, developing maximum torque. The traction control prevents the wheels from spinning. In combination with ESC (Electronic Stability Control), it catapults the Chiron forward, keeping it firmly on track. Full acceleration. The time is running. The world flies past.
The incredible acceleration of the Chiron, its absolutely linear power curve and the enormous torque especially in the low engine speed range are the result of the two-stage turbocharging system developed by Bugatti especially for this vehicle. This is one of the outstanding technical features of the Chiron powertrain. To ensure maximum acceleration from a standing start without any “turbo lag”, the Chiron initially moves off with two turbochargers in operation. The other two units are activated from about 3,800 rpm.
The new high-performance tyres, once again developed by Bugatti together with its strategic tyre partner Michelin, now face extreme loading. At a speed of 400 km/h, centrifugal force converts one gram of rubber into 3,600 grams. A tire valve that only weighs 18.3 grams when stationary develops a hefty force of approximately 45 kilograms at that speed.
Only 32.6 seconds and just 2,621 metres later, the Chiron reaches the 400 km/h mark. With extremely fast reactions, Juan Pablo Montoya steps firmly on the brakes. Only 0.8 seconds after operation of the brakes, the rear wing, with a width of 1.50 metres, moves up to an angle of 49 degrees, forming an air brake that decelerates the Chiron extremely effectively. In the Top Speed mode at 400 km/h, the airbrake boosts the aerodynamic downforce on the rear axle by about 900 kg. That corresponds to the kerb weight of a Golf II. During full braking with a Chiron from 400 km/h, the force on vehicle and driver is about 2 g, similar to that experienced during the launch of a space shuttle.