Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport – final handling tests on the Nordschle

The Nordschleife is considered the most demanding circuit in the world, which is why it is nicknamed the “Green Hell”. 33 left-hand bends and 40 right-hand bends, 17 per cent uphill and downhill slopes and a difference in altitude of 300 metres over a length of 20.832 kilometres: any vehicle that can cope with this difficult track quickly and without problems is perfectly fine-tuned. So it’s the ideal place to test the final set-up for the suspension and handling of the new Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport.  

After weeks of test runs on various circuits and public roads, the new hyper sports car is undergoing its final handling tests at the Nürburgring before the chassis control software responsible for steering, dampers and ESC is locked in. From this point until the start of production, all systems are checked whether they work together correctly in the stress test. The engineers pay attention to the overall impression: “It’s extremely important to us for the Chiron Pur Sport customer to instantly sense the much more radical approach we’re taking with this car in terms of driving dynamics. With its unusual topography, numerous bends and the high-speed section from Döttinger Höhe onwards, the Nordschleife is very demanding for both driver and vehicle so it’s ideal for our new car, which is streamlined for agility and speed,” says Stefan Ellrott, Head of Development at Bugatti. “This is why we’re running the final tests for fine-tuning the suspension and safety systems here in the Eifel. In addition to driving on the track, we also go out on the motorways and public roads around the Nürburgring, since there are lots of roads with curves and hills here. We are really satisfied with the results of our work.”

In the course of the test drives, the engineers make sure the Chiron Pur Sport runs perfectly, not just in extreme situations but on a day-to-day basis too. “The customer’s impression of the car in everyday use is just as much a focus for us as running on the track – in this way we ensure that the proven versatility of this member of the Chiron family is equally tangible. The vehicle has to be extremely precise and predictable, but also easy to drive in the usual Bugatti manner – whether on tracks or public roads,” says Jachin Schwalbe, Head of Chassis Development.

With its optimized aerodynamics, shorter gear ratio and completely new tires, the Chiron Pur Sport is considered the most agile member of the Chiron family. It costs 3 million euros net and is limited to 60 units. Production at the company’s headquarters in Molsheim, France, will begin in the second half of 2020.