A man in a new Bugatti automobile.

Posted on January 02, 2022
Supercars
A man in a new Bugatti automobile.

Steve Jenny has an enviable job. As a Bugatti test driver, he inspects all new cars before they are delivered to customers. Bugatti recently described how Jenny got this great job and what his typical day entails.

Since joining Bugatti in 2004, Jenny has driven 90% of the Bugatti cars sold and has logged over 217,000 miles in Veyrons, Chirons, and Divos, according to Bugatti.

Jenny grew up in Alsace, France, and began her career as a rally driver and co-driver before becoming a mechanic and quality inspector, working for automotive suppliers MAHLE and BBS. While near Bugatti's Molsheim headquarters, he saw the facility and a Veyron prototype undergoing testing several times and decided to apply.

Today, Jenny is the first person to drive a newly completed Bugatti in anger. During the five-hour test drive before delivery, the car will be driven on public roads, as well as slalomed and accelerated at airports and racetracks to make sure everything is in order.

Each car is a little different, so Jenny must first identify in which region a given car is homologated and what options the customer has chosen. Each test drive is approximately 186 miles long and begins with an on-road portion where Jenny listens for pedal weight and responsiveness, steering feel, and unusual noises. The test also includes driving on cobblestone roads to evaluate the suspension.

Bugatti uses a closed runway at an airport for high-speed testing, which, according to the automaker, can reach speeds in excess of 186 mph. Jenny will test launch control, air brakes, and stability control, as well as rapid lane change maneuvers and complete stops from 124 mph.

The car then returns to Molsheim, where mechanics change the transmission oil and wheels and install the car's original underbody. The car is then sent out again for a one-hour test drive and is cleared for shipment to the customer.

Production of the Chiron will end, but Bugatti will keep Jenny busy testing the Chiron-derived St. Dieci, a limited edition homage to the 1990s Bugatti EB 110 supercar, and the Boride track car. Bugatti has remained silent on what's next, but with the car recently transferred to the Porsche-Rimac joint venture, it may be electrified in the future.

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