Bugatti Chiron Breaks 300 MPH Barrier

Maybe the French waited on purpose for Labor Day, a major American holiday, to post to YouTube a video showing a Chiron pushing past 300 mph. After all, Hennessey Performance has been chasing that goal, as has Swedish automaker Koenigsegg, but Bugatti got there first. While this is impressive, it’s hardly surprising.

We knew one of these three automakers would get there first. Using a pre-production Chiron derivative, Bugatti was able to push the hypercar to a certified 304.773 mph top speed. This amazing feat was performed by driver Any Wallace, who is not only a Bugatti test driver but also a former Le Mans winner. Bugatti used a test track at Ehra-Lessien in Lower Saxony, which is in northwest Germany.

While Bugatti no doubt will be bragging about this one for a while, and understandably so, critics have plenty of things to pick out. This wasn’t done with a garden-variety Chiron. Not only is it a pre-production derivative, Bugatti fully admits the hypercar was modified with additional aero parts, as well as improved safety. In other words, if you’re well-heeled enough to have a Chiron sitting in your garage and access to a track with a long straightaway, you still shouldn’t even think of attempting this record.