Volkswagen has a whole lot of automobile manufacturers in its basket. It owns or has considerable equity holding in Audi, Skoda, Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Bentley and Seat. And of course, Bugatti.
The firm, founded by Ettore Bugatti, was snapped up by VW in 1998 after going through some really hard times. The early Bugattis were exceedingly successful in racing and were among the top racers around the 1920s and 30s.
VW, now engaged in propping up the marque, made a splash at the Frankfurt auto show last year, with a new super car - the EB 18/3 Chiron. This concept car is developed around a Lamborghini platform and is named after Bugatti's legendary racing driver, Louis Chiron. It is a further development on the EB 118, which was displayed by Volkswagen some time back. The concept car was designed by automobile design czars Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro of Italdesign along with Volkswagen design. According to VW, Giugiaro has subtly reinterpreted the lines of the classic Bugatti sports car of the early years.
The prominent design characteristics is the prominent grille and the singularly sloping front end; trademarks of almost all the Bugattis ever produced.
While this low slung super automobile may possess striking looks, its mechanical magnitude is even more attention-grabbing. The Chiron has a humungous mid-mounted 6300 CC 18 cylinder engine that develops an output of 555 bhp, with max torque at 650 Nm. The Chiron's engine is cooled via three radiators at the front which are placed behind the air inlet which extends across the entire width of the vehicle and is located in the front apron. The engine is located immediately behind the two seats and can be seen from the inside through a vertical rear window. The design theme of the body work is continued into the Bugatti's interiors. The instrument cluster is integrated into the steering column and has aluminium surrounds in exquisite `engine turn' designs. Aluminium is used on the doors and the four-spoke steering wheel and the seats are upholstered in smooth leather.
It'll take lots more time for the Chiron to hit the road. The Chiron, which will surely cost the earth, will compete against the likes of the still-under-development Mercedes-Benz Maybach as and when production starts.
