Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - 1.618 hp on the test bench!

For constant further development and optimization, Bugatti also regularly checks its production vehicles under extreme loads. A particularly powerful all-wheel drive test bench now serves as technical support for checking the performance and top speed. Each wheel runs on a large pulley instead of between two small pulleys. Advantage: As on the road, the wheel has only one point of contact, so the rolling behavior is the same as on the road. Slip, flexing movements and loss of performance are reduced compared to a two-roller test stand. As a result, the tires heat up less, which in turn enables higher speeds. Up to 400 km/h are possible - a speed range that the Chiron Super Sport easily reaches. An extreme area: Even at 420 km/h, the tire rotates more than 50 times per second. In the process, forces occur on the running surface that correspond to around 4.000 times the acceleration due to gravity (g = 9,81 m/s2). The weight of the valve increases from 18,3 grams to around 55 kilograms at full throttle.

“All components can be tested neutrally and comprehensibly under real driving conditions on the all-wheel drive single roller dynamometer. To do this, driving resistances are simulated that are identical to those on the road,” says Michael Gericke, engine developer at Bugatti. “We can also reproduce the tests, no matter the time of year or the weather. This helps us further in our constant search for technical perfection,” he says. In addition to performance control, load simulation and acceleration, emission measurement and fuel consumption measurement cycles are also on the program.

a set of rollers weighs 3,5 tons

The dimensions of the test bench are enormous: a set of rollers weighs 3,5 tons, the rotating mass is 720 kilograms - based on a realistic vehicle weight. The roller on the rear axle can be varied hydraulically to suit the wheelbase. With a maximum braking power of 1.200 kW per roller, driving speeds of up to 480 km/h can be simulated - and the vehicle can then be braked safely. The Chiron Super Sport with its governed top speed of 440 km/h is the only production vehicle that can push the test bench close to its performance limit.

The high-performance roller dynamometer is specially designed for top-speed vehicles such as the Chiron Super Sport. This means that the hyper sports cars from Molsheim can develop their full performance potential in a synthetic environment for the first time. The four meter high fan with an impeller with a diameter of 1,93 meters conveys 300.000 cubic meters of air per hour and generates an air flow of up to 230 km/h. The system thus simulates a realistic airflow for headwind, even at very high speeds. The wind speed of the fan is controlled depending on the speed driven. Added value: The engine gets its urgently needed cooling air from the realistic headwind and the underbody cooling for the exhaust system, transmission and differential also works. An exhaust extraction system integrated in the doors behind the vehicle extracts the air flow from the underbody flow. The air is directed outside via 12,5 meter high towers with large fans.

In order to tame the immense performance and power of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, a special attachment was developed in cooperation with Bugatti. A frame with four individual adapter plates below the carbon monocoque securely fixes the hyper sports car on the test bench. 20 high-strength screws on the underbody connect the plates to the monocoque. Each panel is cross-connected to one another with a strong chain and anchored in the hall floor. The chains hold up to 24 tons of traction. To the side at the back, special belts fix the hyper sports car so that the tires run constantly on the top of the rollers.

measured 1.618 hp power

"In this way we guarantee free and, above all, safe running, even under full load and at maximum speed," explains Michael Gericke. Two engineers sit in the vehicle during the tests, accelerating the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport and adjusting the test bench to achieve the desired simulation. 1.600 Newton meters of torque, a measured output of 1.618 hp and a top speed of 440 km/h demand your full attention at all times. Also in the state.

Bugatti uncompromisingly designed the Chiron Super Sport for optimized aerodynamics for very high top speeds – without sacrificing luxury and comfort. Every inch of the body from the front splitter to the rear diffuser is designed for high speed. Compared to the Chiron, the Chiron Super Sport, as the ultimate Grand Tourisme, offers massive downforce at top speed thanks to newly developed aero efficiency and a so-called long tail. At the same time, Bugatti has fundamentally revised the 8,0-liter W16 drive and increased the output to at least 1.600 hp. Bugatti has redeveloped the chassis for more direct handling, especially at top speed: steering systems and dampers give the driving experience a solid and firmer connection to the vehicle. All in all, the changes ensure more power, more grip and more direct driving behavior even at well over 400 km/h - and which can now be checked and optimized on the roller dynamometer at any time. The Chiron Super Sport is currently being made by hand and is being delivered to customers. The base price is 3,2 million euros (net).