With the Bugatti Veyron->ke1112 off into the history books after a production cycle that lasted a decade and 450 units built, the Guinness World Record for the fastest production car is now owned by a supercar->ke177 that can no longer be purchased. Whether other manufacturers will step up to best the Veyron's benchmark remains to be seen, but we know for a fact that Bugatti->ke16 wants to improve its own record with a new hypercar. Dubbed the Chiron, the Veyron's successor is rumored to arrive in 2017, and although that's still a couple of years away, Bugatti is already testing it. First spotted lapping the Nurburgring->ke999 disguised as a Veyron in April 2014, the Chiron mule returned to the "Green Hell" recently.

Although it ditched the weird setup atop its engine and regained its conventional hood, the mule is still a Veyron on the outside, and likely on the inside too. That's not to say Bugatti hasn't made a decision on the Chiron's design, it's just that it isn't yet willing to let us in on the new styling. Not to mention it makes more sense for Bugatti to be more concerned about the drivetrain than the looks at this point, as the French are gunning for a stunning 1,500-horsepower and 1,100-pound-feet output. Word has it Bugatti wants the Chiron to hit a top speed of 288 mph, a 20-mph improvement over the Veyron.

The mule is rather slow in the 'Ring in this video,->ke278 but I'm sure things will change soon.

2018 Bugatti Chiron

Find our more about the upcoming Bugatti Chiron in our speculative review here.