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In a significant achievement last month, a Bugatti Chiron prototype, dubbed the Chiron Super Sport 300+, reached a remarkable speed of 304.77 miles per hour at Volkswagen’s exclusive Ehra-Lessien test track. This milestone makes it the first production car to exceed the coveted 300-mph benchmark. With several hypercar manufacturers, including Koenigsegg and SSC, vying for this record, the burning question remains: how did Bugatti secure the victory?
While substantial investment and a daring test driver, Andy Wallace, played vital roles, the critical factor was in the tire design. Bugatti’s Head of Development, Stefan Ellrott, revealed to Wheels magazine that the new Chiron’s Michelin tires have been reinforced with carbon fiber within the tire carcass—this is the rubber layer beneath the tread that is responsible for supporting weight and absorbing shocks.
Tires, the sole contact point between the vehicle and the road, can be both a significant advantage and a potential weakness for a car. Advances in tire technology have been crucial for not only achieving but also safely setting the 300-mph record. These high-performance tires must endure the extreme speeds that such powerful vehicles are capable of reaching. At high velocities, tires face intense heat and pressure, along with other forces that can lead to rapid deterioration, structural failure, or blowouts—all of which can result in disastrous accidents during high-speed runs.
Ellrott explained, “Due to that reason we had to modify slightly the series tire of the Chiron. It is still the series tire, but with an additional layer of carbon fiber in it.” Consequently, the Chiron Super Sport 300+ will utilize the Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tire, with an enhancement that features carbon fiber for added protection without significantly adding weight.
In collaboration with Michelin, Bugatti conducted extensive testing at Michelin’s aircraft tire testing center in Charlotte, North Carolina, to ensure that their tires could handle extreme forces while providing warning signs of impending failure.
Ellrott explained, “What we did, together with Michelin, to make sure that there would be no risk with the tires, was a lot of bench testing. [With the new tires] you will first have signs that the tire is going to be destroyed. There will be noise and vibrations before the tire completely explodes.”
Bugatti plans to produce only 30 units of the Chiron Super Sport 300+, priced at $5.19 million each. The Super Sport maintains the “regular” Chiron’s powerful 1,578-horsepower, quad-turbocharged W-16 engine but showcases a unique long-tail design, a new exhaust system, and a factory-limited top speed of 273.4 mph. Each model will undoubtedly include these specialized tires.
With Bugatti’s record now set and the company indicating it has moved beyond peak speeds, other manufacturers, particularly Koenigsegg, are poised to challenge this record in the upcoming year, whether with Michelin’s assistance or on their own. The race for high-performance tire technology is officially on.
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