Bugatti’s official test driver Andy Wallace has been with the company since 2011 and now explains how to use your Chiron including the drive modes, launch control, and speed key.
If there is anyone that knows a thing or two about the Bugatti Chiron and is qualified to explain its nuances, it’s Bugatti’s official test driver Andy Wallace. Having been with the company since 2011 he’s already covered 150,000 km’s in the Chiron over the last few years, taking the car through its paces in the testing phase as well as demonstrating to clients the full extent of its capabilities.
Before joining Bugatti, Wallace spent the last 30 years of his career racing around tracks as a professional race driver, competing in both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona a combined 21 times (taking home the winners trophy on four occasions) and driving the 12 Hours of Sebring 19 times (and winning twice).
Andy Wallace with team mates at 24 Hours Le Mans 2006
When Bugatti was looking for an official
test driver back in 2011, former race engineers remembered Andy Wallace as a
reliable and precise driver.
“Actually, when my racing career ended I
thought that would be the end of me sitting in powerful cars. But then Bugatti
came up with an offer I couldn’t refuse,” recalled Andy Wallace. “I’ve been mad about cars since I was five
years old. I watched my first race at the age of eight, and then I drove in
races myself for 33 years. And now I have the opportunity to drive such
fantastic cars, with all that incomparable acceleration incorporated into a
true luxury car. As a racing driver, it goes without saying that I love speed
and lateral forces.”
Nowadays, Wallace has by no means slowed
down the pace – in fact he was the driver of the record-breaking Bugatti Chiron
Super Sport 300+ which was the first series-production car to break the elusive
300 mph barrier – hitting a top speed of 304.773 mph (490.484 km/h).
So it seemed a no-brainer to have Andy Wallace share a few thoughts and tips around how to use the Chiron given his extensive experience in the car. Below are 5 short clips with a summarized version or reference purposes if you don’t have time to watch the videos.
Episode 1 – A Few Fast Facts About the Bugatti Chiron
The Chiron is powered by a large W16 8-liter engine capable of producing 1500hp. As it is so incredibly fast, it also needs massive brakes capable of bringing it to a halt safely
The Chiron has four large turbochargers that take a while to spool up but the Chiron’s unique two-stage system activates by closing off two of the turbochargers at low RPM and forces 8 cylinders on each side through only two of the turbocharges – thus they spin up very quickly and you reach maximum boost with only two turbocharges. As the revs rise and you need more volume the other two are engaged
The Chiron needs 1000 liters of air a second for combustion
The forces acting on the wheel when the car is at top speed (420km/h) mean that the outer edge of the wheel is subjected to 3000x gravity, making a tiny valve cap that weighs 2.5grams is equivalent to 7.5kg at maximum speed
Episode 2 – The Interior of the Bugatti Chiron
Despite the staggering performance of the car it’s still designed to be comfortable and all materials used are high quality
The Chiron does not have a center screen but all of the information you would find there is included on the dashboard.
The aircon dials can display extra information regarding driving performance but need to be activated (and viewed preferably after driving for safety reasons)
Episode 3 – How to Use the Bugatti Chiron Drive Modes
There are three normal modes in the Bugatti Chiron plus the top speed mode
Bugatti Chiron EB Mode: Is the standard automatic driving mode that you can drive in all day long from 0 – 380 km/h but when you reach 180km/h it will automatically switch to the autobahn mode without you doing anything
Bugatti Chiron Autobahn Mode: The drive will drop the ride height and rake the car 20mm at the front and 1mm at the back. Suspension will be stiffer, steering program stiffer and the wing will deploy to 10 degrees. What that does is drop the center of gravity and gives you more downforce, more stability and sharpens the reaction of the controls
Bugatti Chiron Handling Mode: Even more downforce and more stability than the autobahn mode
Episode 4 – How to Use the Bugatti Chiron Launch Control
How to launch control in the Bugatti Chiron
Have the pressure on with your left foot on the brake and push the launch control button. Done.
Episode 5 – How to Use the Bugatti Chiron Speed Key
The Bugatti Chiron Speed Key lets you override the standard 380km/h top speed to achieve a maximum speed of 420km/h.
All you need to do is slot the key into the holder and turn the key. Once the Chiron has gone through a series of checks to make sure it is safe to drive 420km/h it will show a new top speed limit of 420km/h on the dash and you’re free to go.
Bentley has announced Audi’s former Head of Design Andreas Mindt will be joining the British based luxury automaker as the new Director of Design.
Andreas Mindt during his time at Audi. Credit: Audi
British based Bentley has announced Audi’s former Head of Exterior Design Andreas Mindt will be taking on the role of Bentley’s new Director of Design as of March 2021.
Succeeding Stefan Sielaff, who is departing to pursue other opportunities outside the Volkswagen Audi Group, Mindt will be moving from Audi, where he was responsible for the exterior design and launch of models like the E-Tron and Audi’s Q8 SUV during his six-year tenure, to Bentley where his priority will be to evolve the brand’s electric future.
Bentley Motors has already clearly outlined their Bentley100 mission to achieve full electrification of all their vehicles by 2030, which they will be hoping to accomplish with Mindt leading a team of approximately 50 design experts at Bentley’s UK headquarters in Crewe.
“Bentley is a jewel within the Volkswagen Group,” shared Andreas Mindt. “Designing a car, and a future, is always a process based on the performance of many, not one, and so I look forward to working with my colleagues to help define the next phase for Bentley, into an electrified future.”
Andreas Mindt will become Bentley’s new Director of Design as of March 2021. Credit: Bentley Motors
Before his time with Audi, Mindt spent over 15 years as a crucial part of the design department at the Volkswagen Group headquarters in Wolfsburg, where he worked on leading projects for several Group brands and even had an early experience with Bentley back in 1999 designing the exterior of the iconic Bentley Hunaudières showcar.
Luxury coachbuilder ARES Design Modena has revealed their latest project – a one-off restomod based on the Porsche 911 964 Turbo.
The one-off Porsche 911 964 Turbo by ARES restomod. Credit: ARES Design Modena
Coming off the back of a big year that saw ARES Design Modena release their first-ever wholly designed supercars (the S1 Project and S1 Project Spyder), ARES has started 2021 strong with the reveal of a new one-off restomod project based on the Porsche 911 964 Turbo.
A new modified ducktail spoiler and Fuchs-inspired wheels offer a retro feel. Credit: ARES Design Modena
Launched in 1991, the Porsche 964 Turbo took some time to fans over (thanks in part to the 930 that bore the Turbo badge before it) but eventually found a place in the hearts of enthusiasts largely thanks to the unmissable whale-tail spoiler.
Based on the 1991 Porsche 911 964 Turbo. Credit: ARES Design Modena
For this one-off design project, ARES Design Modena has refined the exterior of the 911 964 Turbo by modifying the ducktail spoiler and added new Fuchs-inspired alloy wheels (made famous by the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 of the 1970s) for a retro feel. Meanwhile, under the hood, the Italian luxury coachbuilder has modified the 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer engine with a more powerful turbine and intercooler to produce an upgraded 425Hp.
Inside, the cabin has been refitted with new leather and tartan houndstooth upholstery (inspired by historic Porsche race cars) along with new gauges and a PCCM infotainment system specially designed for classic Porsches.
As a one-off project, no price has been released for the Porsche 911 964 by ARES, but interested Porsche owners are welcome to contact ARES Design Modena for their own custom restomod quote.
The first deliveries of the new US-only McLaren Sabre hypercar have begun with a papaya orange, blue and Malboro-themed model making an appearance.
MRJWW with McLaren Global Sales Manager Neil Underwood. Credit: MRJWW
The first deliveries of the new US-only McLaren Sabre hypercar have begun, with a few already having been captured on camera recently like this one revealed by MRJWW.
With a twin-turbo V8 engine producing 824bhp and 590lt ft and a top speed of 218mph, the twin-turbo V8 McLaren Sabre is the fastest and most powerful non-hybrid two-seater production car to date and has been homologated especially for US federal standards.
Developed under the code name “BC-03”, the new bespoke hypercar is a special 1 of 15 model that was created purely for a small group of West-Coast North American McLaren clients who desired a “show car made for the road” or as Neil Underwood Global Sales Manager of McLaren Special Operations describes the client’s request “ a car that has an enormous presence on the road but also wouldn’t look out of place on the concept lawn at Pebble Beach.”
Side view of the new McLaren Sabre. Credit: MRJWW
Collaborating directly with the McLaren Special Operations (MSO) team for just under two years, the owners took an active part in developing the McLaren Sabre and were even given the opportunity to drive the test mule to ensure the owners were able to fully customize every aspect of the vehicle to their liking, before final delivery.
Special cut wheel blades from a single piece of metal. Credit: MRJWW
With the McLaren Sabre explicitly designed for the US market, the designers at MSO did not have to adhere to the lengthy specifications for global registration and were afforded a few more freedoms in design. Many aspects of motorsport racing have also been incorporated into the McLaren Saber design, with features like the central dorsal fin and a prominent front splitter included and, for the first time on a McLaren, a large active rear diffuser.
The first deliveries to make an appearance have included a Malboro themed McLaren Sabre at the McLaren Beverly Hills showroom, supercar collectors @sparky18888/@VTM_theking_4 bright papaya orange Sabre and @thetriplefcollection’s carbon modica blue edition as seen below.