Automotive

0-400-0 km/h in 42 seconds: Bugatti Chiron screeches into the record books

0-400-0 km/h in 42 seconds: Bugatti Chiron screeches into the record books
The Chiron hit 400 km/h in just over 30 seconds
The Chiron hit 400 km/h in just over 30 seconds 
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A Bugatti Chiron, piloted by Juan Pablo Montoya, accelerated from 0-400-0 km/h in just 42 seconds
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A Bugatti Chiron, piloted by Juan Pablo Montoya, accelerated from 0-400-0 km/h in just 42 seconds
The Chiron has been outfitted with a 42 decal on its nose to celebrate the record
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The Chiron has been outfitted with a 42 decal on its nose to celebrate the record 
The Chiron was driven by Juan Pablo Montoya
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The Chiron was driven by Juan Pablo Montoya 
The Chiron hit 400 km/h in just over 30 seconds
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The Chiron hit 400 km/h in just over 30 seconds 
The Chiron isn't sold out yet
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The Chiron isn't sold out yet
The Chiron has massive carbon ceramic brakes
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The Chiron has massive carbon ceramic brakes 
The Chiron needed just 3.112 km to complete its record run
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The Chiron needed just 3.112 km to complete its record run 
The Chiron is powered by a W16 with four turbos
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The Chiron is powered by a W16 with four turbos 
The Chiron has launch control for fuss-free starts at full throttle
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The Chiron has launch control for fuss-free starts at full throttle
The Chiron lunges off the line
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The Chiron lunges off the line 
Juan Pablo Montoya launches the Chiron into the record books
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Juan Pablo Montoya launches the Chiron into the record books 
Perhaps more impressive than the acceleration of the Chiron is the braking
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Perhaps more impressive than the acceleration of the Chiron is the braking
Juan Pablo Montoya stands the Chiron on its nose
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Juan Pablo Montoya stands the Chiron on its nose
The airbrake on the back of the Chiron helps it stop from 400 km/h in less than 10 seconds
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The airbrake on the back of the Chiron helps it stop from 400 km/h in less than 10 seconds 
Behind the wheel of the Chiron on its record run
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Behind the wheel of the Chiron on its record run
A stationary Chiron
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A stationary Chiron
The Chiron is powered by a quad-turbo W16
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The Chiron is powered by a quad-turbo W16
The c-shaped intake on the Chiron is mirrored inside
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The c-shaped intake on the Chiron is mirrored inside 
The Chiron picks up where the incredible Veyron left off
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The Chiron picks up where the incredible Veyron left off 
The 42 on the nose of the Chiron is a reference to the amount of time it takes to hit 400 km/h and stop again
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The 42 on the nose of the Chiron is a reference to the amount of time it takes to hit 400 km/h and stop again 
The Chiron manages to hit 400 km/h in just over 30 seconds
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The Chiron manages to hit 400 km/h in just over 30 seconds
Launch control on the Chiron is activated by a button on the steering wheel
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Launch control on the Chiron is activated by a button on the steering wheel 
Juan Pablo Montoya used the Top Speed Key to complete the record run in the Chiron
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Juan Pablo Montoya used the Top Speed Key to complete the record run in the Chiron
Juan Pablo Montoya hits 400 km/h
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Juan Pablo Montoya hits 400 km/h 
The Chiron takes just over 40 seconds to hit 400 km/h and stop dead
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The Chiron takes just over 40 seconds to hit 400 km/h and stop dead 
A very relaxed Montoya piloting the Chiron
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A very relaxed Montoya piloting the Chiron
Juan Pablo Montoya hits 400 km/h in the Chiron
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Juan Pablo Montoya hits 400 km/h in the Chiron 
This is the sort of discussion we'd like to have... After hitting 400 km/h, of course
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This is the sort of discussion we'd like to have... After hitting 400 km/h, of course 
Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
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Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
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Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
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Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
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Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
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Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
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Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
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Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
View gallery - 35 images

Bugatti knows how to deliver headline-grabbing, face-melting numbers like few other car manufacturers. With power from a quad-turbo W16, the Chiron is an incredible showcase of what the Volkswagen Group can do when given the time and money. The latest crazy number to come from the Chiron is a new world record for accelerating from 0-400 km/h, and then coming to a stop again.

It takes the Bugatti Chiron just 41.96 seconds to accelerate from standstill to 400 km/h (249 mph) and then decelerate back to zero. The car, piloted by Juan Pablo Montoya in front of assessors from SGS-TÜV Saar, was unmodified from standard and the whole maneuver was completed in just 3,112 m (10,210 ft).

Having stormed to 400 km/h in just 32.6 seconds, the Chiron takes just 9.3 seconds to stop, and needs just 491 m (1,611 ft) of road to come back to a standstill. Thank the carbon ceramic brakes, measuring 420 mm up front and 400 mm at the rear (16.5 and 15.7 in, respectively), although the flip-up airbrake at the rear doesn't hurt either.

Perhaps more impressive than the acceleration of the Chiron is the braking
Perhaps more impressive than the acceleration of the Chiron is the braking

"Bugatti is the first car brand that not only calculates how fast a car can go from zero to 400 to zero on a computer," says Wolfgang Durheimer, President of Bugatti. "We actually drove it. Where others are satisfied with theory, we validate our data with real-life values. Just like we did with the Chiron."

"When you are driving the Chiron for the first time and taking it easy, you cannot imagine how powerful it is," says ex-F1 and active IndyCar driver, Juan Pablo Montoya. "But as soon as you open the throttle, you hear the turbochargers pull up and all this torque comes in, and it just does not stop. It is like a linear power curve to happiness. The Chiron is so incredibly fast it takes your breath away. And its braking is at least as impressive."

Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt
Bugatti celebrates its world record in Frankfurt

The Chiron used in the test run will be on show at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where New Atlas is on the ground covering all the action.

Source: Bugatti

View gallery - 35 images
9 comments
9 comments
JimFox
An exceedingly fast dinosaur- but still a dinosaur.
Dziks
42sec hmmm That solves all the problems and world is a better place now...
warren52nz
So there's no video of this?
Bob
A fuel dragster goes faster and stops quicker and much shorter. So just who can qualify for the record?
Michael Wilson
I'd love to see it chase down a Koenigsegg Agera R
JimFox
Bob-- apples? oranges? a bullet train kills it too, but relevance?
watersworm
And how long for take off and landing ?
THY
Agree with Michael Wilson, the http://koenigsegg.com/regera/ is way better in every way
wendorms
Listen to the whiners bad mouth a street legal supercar which just set a world record! Does excellence irritate their delicate sensitivities?