The 2017 Bugatti Chiron: 0-100 km/h in 2 seconds

We still don’t’ know when, but somehow, some way, someday there will be a replacement for the Bugatti Veyron 16/4. The good news? Testing of the new car has already started, and some tasty nuggets have been revealed.

Production of the Veyron ended at the last Geneva Auto Show with the 2015 “La Finale” edition, so now we can turn our attention to the next step. We don’t yet know its name—let’s call it “Chiron”—but we do know it will have the same 8.0-Litre W16 engine, mounted amidships. For now, Bugatti has said that it will have 1,500 horsepower, and no more (because, you know, it’s FIFTEEN-HUNDRED HP ALREADY). Obviously, with that kind of power on-tap, we’ll likely see a 2.0-second 0-100 km/h time, on to a top speed in the neighbourhood of 463 km/h. Until now, the Veyron was one of the fastest production cars in the world, with the SuperSport version taking 2.5 seconds for the 0-100 sprint, on to a top speed of 434 km/.h.

Bugatti hasn’t ignored what other hypercar manufacturers like Ferrari and Porsce are doing, so expect a hybrid system of some sort for the new French rocket. For now, Bugatti is remaining pretty hush hush as to what system, exactly, will be used. What we do know is that with the hybrid system, the car will be easier and more efficient (because owners of a car like this care SO MUCH about efficiency…) around town. The manufacturer is going the extra mile, claiming performance that will shame that of an F1 car.

For the new car, we’re sure to see heavy use of new, lighter and more durable high-tech materials. Yes, the old Veyron was a tour de force, but expect the new car to be built using 92 per cent new composite materials, or at least some that have been optimized over what’s commonly used today.

Be patient, folks; Bugatti has some big shoes to fill and will be loathe to bring forth a product that doesn’t venture past our collective wildest imagination.