The Bugatti Chiron is a collection of impressive specifications, including the factory-quoted output of 1,480 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque from its quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16 engine. To verify those numbers, Cannonball Garage in Gilberts, Illinois, put a Chiron on a dyno.
The test car was provided by The Hamilton Collection, which claims this is the first time a Chiron has been dyno-tested outside the Bugatti factory. A video from The Hamilton Collection's YouTube channel shows why. To strap the Chiron to the dyno, Cannonball Garage first had to remove the under tray that helps keep the Chiron stable at speed. Once on the dyno, the car's wide tires left little room to spare, and it squirmed unnervingly during each pull.
The results were 1,369 hp and 1,163 lb-ft of torque at the wheels, produced at 6,620 rpm and 5,060 rpm, respectively. The car was running on 93 octane gasoline for the dyno pulls. Considering that driveline loss makes power output measured at the wheels lower than when measured at the crank, Bugatti's official figures seem accurate.
When unleashed on a track, the Chiron can go from a standstill to 248.548 mph (400 kph) and back to a stop in 41.96 seconds, as well as reach an electronically limited top speed of 261 mph.
That's just the standard Chiron, however. Bugatti has steadily introduced new versions, including the 1,577-hp Chiron Super Sport 300+, a production version of the prototype Chiron that broke the 300-mph barrier in 2019. The production models differ slightly from the prototype, including having their top speeds electronically limited for safety reasons.
Chiron production is winding down. As of October 2021, only 40 of the 500 total build slots remained open. The final Chirons will be Pur Sport and Super Sport models. The Pur Sport is a more handling-focused version, while the Super Sport is essentially a Super Sport 300+ with more luxuries, a more forgiving chassis, and a lower top speed.