Bugatti Chiron Sport – the Chiron for the race track

ABU DHABI: This is the Bugatti Chiron Sport. An odd name for a car that’s no quicker to 60 mph, has the same top speed and makes the same amount of power.

What’s more, it is lighter than the original by only 18 kg. Even for this loos, Bugatti had to go to extreme lengths. The windshield wipers are made of carbon fibre and use 3D printed aluminium tips - all to save a measly 1.4 kg. Lighter wheels, a carbon fibre stabiliser and intercooler cover, and lighter glass in the rear window have also helped in this endeavour.

Such a small weight loss in a car like this might seem trivial. But the effects go deeper. The new dynamic handling package stiffens the suspension by 10 percent and makes the steering sportier. The rear differential now features dynamic torque vectoring. This allows the torque to be split between the two wheels separately and giving the Chiron Sport the agility to handle corners at speed exceeding 200 mph – a distinct possibility in a car like this.

And this is where the real element behind these little changes gets revealed. Underneath the sports badges and the giant '16' moniker on the front grille, the Chiron has now become a more capable and precise track car. These small changes have enabled the car to beat its previous time on the Nardo handling track by 5 seconds. That is no mean feat for any car – let alone the Chiron.

Mind you; the original Chiron was no slouch. With a 1479 hp, 8-litre quad-turbocharged engine it accelerated from 0-60 in under 2.5 seconds. Although Bugatti will not reveal the time taken by the original Chiron to go around the Nardo handling track, we can safely assume it to be low enough to beggar belief. This makes the Chiron Sport a grand achievement.

Arguably most people who would buy a Bugatti Chiron Sport would never thrash it around a track. However, they will be aware that their car has the potential to show any race car its tailpipes. That and the bragging about 3D printed Aluminum tipped carbon fibre windshield wipers.