World Record: Bugatti Prototype Smashes 300mph Limit

A near production Bugatti Chiron prototype reached 304.773 mph for the first time creating a new world record.

At the Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany, a near production prototype derivative of the hyper sports car, the Chiron, has surpassed the magic limit with a speed of 304.773 mph (490.484 km/h), a world record. This means Bugatti has now become first manufacturer to break the 300 mile an hour barrier. The speed and record was verified by the TÜV – Germany’s Technical Inspection Association.

This new Chiron derivative is 25cm longer than the current production offering and packs an 8.0-litre, quad-turbo W16 engine, nicknamed Thor, delivering 1,578bhp.

The Ehra-Lessien track is located in East Germany and was built during the Cold War as a testing facility due to the privacy its “no-fly zone” status at that time. Now owned by Volkswagen, the facility features 96 km (60 miles) of track, which includes a large variety of road surfaces and curves used to test and evaluate new and prototype vehicles. It is on the high speed circuit with a straight of approximately 8.7 km (5.4 mi) long that the modified Chiron was given the freedom to really hit its strides. The banked corners at both ends of the circuit allow for a high entry and exit speed to and from the straight, increasing the average speed during the 20 km (12 mi) lap. It is one of the few places on earth that world record breaking times can be set.

Bugatti’s goal was to be the first manufacturer to reach the 300mph mark and they can now satisfyingly tick that box with Bugatti’s President, Stephan Winkelmann exclaiming, “What a record! We’re overjoyed to be the first manufacturer ever to have achieved a speed of more than 300miles per hour. It’s a milestone for eternity. I would like to thank the whole team and driver Andy Wallace for this outstanding performance”. Andy Wallace was previously a Le Mans 24 hour winner and McLaren F1 speed record driver.