Bugatti's 3D-Printed Titanium Brake Caliper Is A World First

Bugatti is a brand that seems to revel in breaking records, and not just of the speed variety. It’s awfully keen to point out things like the Chiron having the world’s longest light conductor and the biggest ever passenger car clutch, and now it’s fitting a new part to the car that achieves multiple feats all on its own.

It’s a snazzy new titanium brake caliper, which is the first ever produced via 3D printing. It’s also the biggest brake caliper used “in the automotive industry as a whole,” and is - Bugatti says - the “world’s largest titanium functional component produced by additive manufacturing.” Good luck remembering that one for when it might come up in a pub quiz.

The new caliper will replace the aluminium versions used for the Chiron, which are the outgoing biggest automotive industry brakes. The new titanium parts are 40 per cent lighter, yet even stronger.

Each caliper is made over a 45 hour period, during which time 2213 layers of titanium powder is deposited and melted with four frickin’ laser beams. The caliper is then be exposed to temperatures of up to 700 degrees during heat treatment, and finally machined over 11 hours in a “five-axis milling machine.”

So, if you ever find yourself wondering why Bugatti charges the prices it does, just remember the above as an example of the rather demanding way the VW-owned brand likes to do things…