Deep Dive How the Bugatti Chiron became the Chiron Pure Sport.
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It began with the Chiron Sport, then the Chiron-based Divo, and culminated in the Chiron Pure Sport, which Bugatti unveiled in March.
According to Stéphane Erlot, Bugatti's head of development, there have been many improvements to the Chiron, resulting in a car that handles very differently.
"The Chiron Pur Sport is more agile, firm, and precise. It's hungrier for corners, accelerates faster thanks to shorter gear ratios, and has more downforce thanks to new aerodynamics."
It starts with a chassis with carbon fiber sway bars at both ends and 2.5 degrees more negative camber. This required new suspension joints, stiffer springs, and stiffer bearings connecting the spring struts to the body. The result was a more precise steering feel.
Aerodynamics were also tweaked, with the addition of a larger fixed rear wing and a longer diffuser to increase downforce. Interestingly, another important change in this department was the wheel pattern. Engineers developed an optional blade design that draws air through the wheel arches and directs it to the wheels at high speeds, increasing downforce. The lightweight design of the wheels also contributed to a 35-pound weight reduction, which is almost one-third of the total weight reduction of 110 pounds for the Pürsport compared to the Shiron.
Tires also play an important role in the Pur Sport's track performance. Bugatti worked closely with Michelin to develop Sport Cup 2 R tires with 285/30R20 front and 255/25R21 rear. The tires feature a newly developed tire construction and a softer rubber compound optimized for the chassis, resulting in a 10% improvement in lateral acceleration.
The softer tires, increased negative camber, and increased downforce required engineers to reduce the Pur Sport's top speed to 217 mph from the Chiron's 261 mph.
Engineers also tweaked the powertrain to take advantage of the lighter and stiffer chassis. The drivetrain was the familiar 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W-16 engine with a maximum output of 1,480 hp. However, the Pürsport's engine reaches peak power between 6,700 and 6,900 rpm, 200 rpm higher than the Shiron.
The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission has also been tweaked, with engineers shortening each gear and bringing the ratios closer together by 15 percent. This allows the Pur Sport to accelerate to 62 mph in just 2.3 seconds and to 124 mph in 5.9 seconds. This change also makes the Pur Sport 2 seconds faster than the Shillong in accelerating from 37 mph to 75 mph.
Finally, engineers have developed a new Sport+ driving mode in addition to the Syron's EB, Autobahn, and Handling modes. In this new mode, electronic stability control intervenes much later than usual, resulting in greater slip and thus longer controlled drifts. According to Bugatti, the driver has enough leeway to control the Pur Sport simply by operating the throttle.
Track testing of the Pur Sport is currently underway. The development team signed off on testing at the Bilster Berg circuit in Germany in May and will head to the nearby Nürburgring for the next round. Production is expected to begin later this year, with just 60 units being built.
