Bugatti Refuses to Move On From the Chiron But That Might Be Okay

Bugatti seems to love the idea that it produces just one car in multiple variations and, to some extent, that’s okay in terms of exclusivity. But, isn’t it time that Bugatti actually comes up with something new as opposed to some slightly revised version of a car it started producing in 2016, based on a concept from 1999? Bet you forgot that, didn’t you? The Chiron is actually based on the 1999 Bugatti 18/3 Chiron Concept from nearly two decades ago. Back to the point at hand, Bugatti has, since the Chiron’s debut back in 2016, produced a handful of different variations, including the Chiron Sport, 110 Ans Bugatti, Chiron Super Sport 300+, Centodieci, and the La Voiture Noire one-off.

One would think that Bugatti had about done enough with the Chiron which was, by the way, limited to just 500 units when it was introduced a few years ago. But, Bugatti has different plans before it moves on to something totally new despite the realization that the Chiron can’t live on forever. The point is that if you were hoping to see an all-new Bugatti next year, or even in the next five years, you might want to let go and accept the fact that it isn’t going to happen. Here’s why…

Bugatti Says It Can Do More With the Chiron; More Variations Are Coming

Now, before I get into the meat of this article, let me point something out. While I think it’s time for the Chiron to go away to make room for something else or for Bugatti to, at the very least, start working on a second model, it’s nowhere near as bad as what FCA is doing with cars like the Dodge Challenger and Charger.

Bugatti is stoked that it can lay claim to being the first brand to hit 300 mph – all despite the fact that it wasn’t an officially recorded record and it was done with a highly modified car – but it’s ready to move on to bigger and better things…. Kind of. See, Bugatti has had enough of this whole top speed nonsense and sees more value in other aspects of performance:

“Performance is not just going straight and going very fast, but when you are building a car like the Chiron you are at the peak, at the pinnacle of what you can achieve, so you cannot just do in one car everything,” said Bugatti CEO, Stephan Winkelmann. “You have to do different cars to highlight different peaks. It's so complex and so over the edge that you cannot cover it with one car. The all-rounder is the base Chiron, then we have a bit more extreme one that is the Sport, and then with the Super Sport we have one that is focused on the longitudinal acceleration and the top speed," he continued.

What Chiron-Based Cars Will Bugatti Make Next?

In the same interview, Winkelmann went on to say that the company wants to focus on at least two other aspects. Its next car will likely be focused on maximizing power-to-weight ratio. That means that the next Chiron-based car could, in fact, be quicker in sprints than any of the other cars that Bugatti has ever produced. As for its name or when it will actually come to market, your guess is as good as ours. Once Bugatti has completed something that pushes the concept of power-to-weight ratio to the limit, Winkelmann says he wants to build a car focused entirely on handling. I was under the impression that the Bugatti Divo was designed for that exact purpose; hence it’s lower-than-expected top speed of just 236 mph (match with the newer Bugatti Centodieci), but maybe we should give Bugatti the benefit of the doubt. It could very well come up with something that potentially corners better or can break some other kind of ridiculous and pointless record on the Nurburgring.

So, over the next few years, you can expect at least two more different Chiron-based cars, but there’s still a little more to discuss here.

How Long Will the Chiron Last, When Will There Be An All-New Bugatti?

Winkelmann has also said that he understands that the Chiron can’t last forever, but a the same time, it’s still far from the end of its lifespan. When asked how long it will last, he had only this to say: “Roughly until the middle of the next decade. We limited the entire production slot of the Chiron to 500 units, so there is a limit of what we can do. Sooner or later, we have to concentrate on the follow-up.”

So, with that in mind, the Chiron will probably live on until at least 2025, so you better get used to hearing about it because it’s not going away. Winkelman has indicated that there is consideration being placed into creating a second car. Remember the news about a potential Bugatti daily driver? Well, Winkelman told CNet RoadShow that the company is, indeed pondering a “different type of car” and even, reportedly, indicated that it could be a “two-plus-two for daily use with more room and more luggage compartment.” He even went on to suggest the potential for electrification as that would, ultimately, make sense for a model like this and could even open the door for a new set of performance benchmarks.

Final Thoughts

I, for one, think Bugatti is milking the Chiron a little too much. I understand the brand is focused on exclusivity and limited production and all of that, but despite its short life thus far, it’s starting to get kind of old. I am happy to hear that Bugatti at least has some kind of plan for the upcoming Chiron-based models, though, and won’t just produce some rebodied model as it did with the Centodeici (outside of the bodywork it was basically a Divo). I’m even more interested to see the brand pop out a second model as that would, at the very least, make keeping the Chiron around until 2025 a little more tolerable. I’m curious to see what Bugatti does over the next few years. Maybe it will surprise us. Here’s to hoping.