Bugatti Chiron Super Sport

The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ is a limited-edition car that was built to celebrate Bugatti achieving 300 mph. However, not only is the special edition not capable of achieving 300 mph its production run of nine units now means almost nothing after Bugatti revealed the Chiron Super Sport, a car with the same power, the same top speed, and similar styling to the 300+.

Still, if you're a regular customer, you probably knew this would happen, as Bugatti loves creating Super Sport versions of its hypercars. The first was the Type 55 Super Sport in 1931. Then came the EB 110 SS in the nineties, followed by the Veyron Super Sport and now the Chiron SS.

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Let's get the pointless stuff out of the way: this is not a hyper GT meant to be more comfortable than anything else on the planet. This is a car that is meant to be more comfortable at high speed, and by more comfortable, what Bugatti really means is more stable. The entire focus of this car is on its aerodynamics and power delivery, rather than on enhancing luxury beyond its already impressive levels in the regular Chiron.

In fact, the only mention of the cabin that Bugatti makes tells us the obvious - there's carbon fiber, polished aluminum, and fancy leather in there. Of course, customers will likely have access to an almost limitless array of customization options, but we are yet to learn if any of these will be SS-specific. In any case, to truly appreciate this car, you need to be standing outside.

As is fairly obvious, the Chiron SS features some distinctive changes to the bodywork. Bugatti's design mantra is that "form follows performance", and as Bugatti Director of Design Achim Anscheidt explains, the result is a vehicle dripping with "proportional elegance".

At the front, air curtains have been integrated into the front bumper to stabilize airflow down the sides of the car, while the fenders feature nine air exhaust holes as both a nod to the EB110 SS and as a way to release air pressure from the wheel wells. They're subtle touches, but they truly make the front end of the car look special.

Working your way around the car, the next thing you see is the new design of the wheels. These are ultralight aluminum units built just for the Chiron SS and can be had with a diamond-cut finish as an option. Alternatively, the Chiron Pur Sport's magnesium wheels are also on offer. The rubber fitted to the Chiron SS is from Michelin, in the form of Pilot Sport Cup 2 pieces that are the only tires that can consistently drive at up to 500 kph (310 mph).

The biggest changes happen at the back of the vehicle though, where the rear of the car has been extended by around 250 millimeters to keep the laminar airflow attached to the body for as long as possible. This improves the drag coefficient and enhances stability, but just look at it! Every hypercar should come in a longtail specification.

Other changes to the rear include a larger diffuser that sees the exhaust arranged in a pair of vertical stacks, just like on the SS 300+. With more downforce from the diffuser, Bugatti didn't need to add a bigger wing nor a fixed one. The fact that Bugatti's release video focuses on the car being displayed with the rear wing fully retracted indicates just how much Bugatti wants you to see this as its most aerodynamically-advanced series production vehicle yet. The option of a two-tone color split is meant to achieve the same effect, and it really works. So what about the numbers?

The Chiron Super Sport 300+ lends its output to this model, with the new SS producing the same 1,577 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. That torque is now available all the way to 7,000 rpm with the rev limiter arriving 300 rpm later than before at 7,100 rpm. The car also weighs around 50 pounds less than the regular Chiron. All of this translates to a 0-62 mph time of just 2.4 seconds. 0-124 comes in 5.8 seconds, while 0-186 takes just 12.1 seconds. Bugatti also says that the Chiron Super Sport gets to 400 kph (248.58 mph) seven percent quicker than before.

Overall, this is the most impressive hyper sports car in the world, just as Bugatti intended, and as the "ultimate Grand Turisme", it's also the most comfortable at high speeds. The purpose of this car is supposedly to make high-speed handling more approachable than ever before, and you can bet that nothing else on the planet is as stable as this at triple-figure speeds. Sadly, not everyone will get a chance to experience the Chiron Super Sport. With a pricing structure that starts at $3.9 million before options, not everyone can afford a ticket to ride. For those that can, deliveries begin early next year.