Bugatti cut creature comforts and unnecessary weight when building this agile supercar.
Designed, engineered and built for the few fortunate enough to be able to afford a supercar, the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport appeals to those drivers who want raw power and performance, but without all the niceties and comforts that true enthusiasts might find superfluous.
Powered by a 8.0L W16 engine that puts out an incredible 1,500 horsepower and 1,180 lb.-ft. of torque, production of the Chiron Pur Sport is limited to 60 units, each priced at a mere three million euros (roughly CDN $4.6 million)
“With the Chiron Pur Sport we are showcasing an outstanding vehicle that makes your heart race shortly after having started the engine to push the limits of driving physics even further to the limit than any vehicle ever has done before. This means we have come full circle, back to the good, old Bugatti tradition,” said Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti.
The base price of the Chiron Pur Sport in Canada is in USD: $3,599,000. “The Canadian market is important to Bugatti, as it represents over 10% of the North American sales,” Cedric Davy, Chief Operating Officer, Bugatti of the Americas told AutoJournal. “Our two Canadian dealers, located in Toronto and Vancouver, are very active and engaged, providing excellent coverage for the entire country.”
With a limited production run of only 60 cars worldwide, there is no allocation predefined for the Canadian market. This means the Chiron Pur Sport is available on a first come, first served basis. Bugatti estimates three or four Chiron Pur Sport will be sold here in Canada.
The Bugatti buyer
With less than a handful of buyers likely here in Canada, the owner’s club is certainly very exclusive. Bugatti says their customer base is very diverse, but the common thread is a successful, self-made individual. With the Chiron Pur Sport, the company has seen a lot of racing enthusiasts showing a very strong interest in the car.
Here in Canada, as in the rest of the world, potential Bugatti buyers are treated with the utmost discretion. The Chiron is always presented individually to customers and prospects, and this will continue to be the case, although extra measure will be taken in between appointments to keep Bugatti customers, partners and staff safe during the pandemic.
Built for the curves
According to Bugatti, the Pur Sport was engineered to appeal to drivers who enjoy spirited driving and performance. Built to tackle winding roads, a new aerodynamic configuration generates more downforce while the lower weight increases agility.
“We spoke to customers and realized they wanted a vehicle that is geared even more towards agility and dynamic cornering. A hypersports car that yearns for country roads with as many bends as possible. An unadulterated, uncompromising driving machine. Consequently, the vehicle is called Chiron Pur Sport,” explained Winkelmann. “By cutting the weight by 50 kg while simultaneously boosting the downforce and configuring an uncompromising, sporty chassis as well as suspension setup, the Chiron Pur Sport boasts incredible grip, sensational acceleration and extraordinarily accurate handling. It’s the most uncompromising yet agile Bugatti of recent times.”
Weight cutting strategies
To make this supercar as light and as agile as possible, Bugatti eliminated a lot of the little creature comforts that one might expect in a vehicle in this price range. The company says the interior is “deliberately sporty and raw, and has been reduced to the absolute minimum. Large surfaces have been upholstered with Alcantara to save weight.”
Alcantara, according to Bugatti, also “guarantees an ideal grip on the steering wheel and improves the side support on seats – even at extreme lateral acceleration levels.”
To boost aerodynamics, the rear of the Pur Sport features a massive 1.90 metre spoiler, which generates serious amounts of downforce. To limit weight, Bugatti opted for a fixed spoiler (rather than an automatically-extending version) in order to eliminate the need for the hydraulic components, which would have added 10 kg to the weight of the vehicle.
“We focused particularly on the agility of the Chiron Pur Sport. The vehicle generates more downforce at the rear axle while the large, front splitter, air inlets, wheel-arch vents featuring optimized air outlets and a reduced vehicle height strike a clean balance at the front,” explained Frank Heyl, Head of Exterior Design and Deputy Head Designer at Bugatti.
Weight-cutting measures were also top of mind when designing the wheels for the Pur Sport, which are made of ultra lightweight magnesium. The wheels were also engineerd with ventilation and aerodynamics in mind. Bugatti says that when the Pur Sport is moving, the rings fitted to the rim extract air outwards from the wheel where it is immediately drawn towards the rear. “This invention prevents adverse turbulence in the wheel area and also improves the flow across the side of the vehicle,” the company explained in a release.
Even the wheel nuts themselves were not taken for granted – each one boasts a special cover that minimizes turbulence. “All of the modifications make the Pur Sport’s handling more accurate, direct and predictable. Lower unsprung masses result in improved grip because the wheel maintains contact with the road surface more easily. Anyone behind the wheel will immediately feel its lightweight character through bends,” explained Jachin Schwalbe, Head of Bugatti Chassis Development.
In addition to the wheels’ weight reduction (totalling 16 kg), titanium brake pad base panels cut the vehicle’s weight by a further 2 kg, while brake discs take another 1kg off the total weight. “These 19 kilograms fully contribute towards the performance. Less weight results in more grip and tangibly more comfort, as adaptive dampers are forced to deal with lower masses to thus be able to maintain the wheels’ contact with the road surface more easily,” Schwalbe added.
For the few who will own one in Canada, the Pur Sport is sure to offer a memorable ride, and a thoroughly satisfying driving experience.
