The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Is Built With Corners In Mind

If you’re losing track of all Bugatti’s special editions, we don’t blame you. The Chiron has already spawned the Sport, Super Sport, 110 Ans Bugatti and La Voiture Noire, while also forming the basis of the Divo and Centodieci. And just to compound this convolution, there’s now a new one.

It’s the Chiron Pur Sport, a more focused version of Bugatti’s core hypercar. A confusing addition to the range, you might think, given the existence of the track-biased Divo. But at €3 million (plus taxes), the Pur Sport is some €2 million cheaper. So, it’s something of a bargain. In relative terms, of course…

The 8.0-litre, quad-turbo W16’s output is unchanged at 1479bhp, but the redline has been bumped up by 200rpm to 6900. The bulk of the alterations are aimed at the chassis, with 65 per cent firmer at the springs at the front and 33 per cent at the rear. The adaptive dampers have been tweaked, and there are new carbon fibre anti-roll bars front and rear.

Overall weight is down by 50kg, with 16kg of the reduction courtesy of some new magnesium wheels. What we’re particularly interested in is the rubber wrapping them - a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs specifically developed for the car. They measure 285mm across at the front and a superly fat 355mm at the rear.

These tyres have an even softer compound than Cup 2s, and as such, wear rather quickly when propping up a heavy hypercar on a race circuit. The cost of replacing them will be hilarious, but then again, your average Pur Sport buyer’s track day budget is going to be rather generous.

The footwear gives a 10 per cent improvement in lateral acceleration, Bugatti says, but the rubber and the suspension mods aren’t the only tricks up the Pur Sport’s carbon fibre sleeve. It also gets a giant fixed rear wing measuring 1.9 metres across, a bigger front splitter and a new rear diffuser. Have a good look at the final element, and you might notice the new exhaust system, which is made from 3D-printed titanium.

80 per cent of the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox has been altered, giving closer ratios. This has chopped damn near two seconds from the time it takes to go from 60 - 120kmh (37 - 74mph). At the same time though, the revisions - along for the increase in drag from the new aero - have decreased the top speed. You’ll need to make do with a mere 217mph in this, I’m afraid.

Production will start in the second half of 2020. Bugatti will only be making 60.