​Blast-Off In Bugatti's 261Mph Chiron

World’s “most powerful, fastest and most luxurious” production sports car thoroughly lives up to its billing.

- Richard Meaden

​WHERE to begin with Bugatti’s Chiron? Billed as “the world’s most powerful, fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive production sports car”, it’s perhaps best to start with the Top Trumps facts.

Price? Just over £2million. Maximum speed? Limited to 261mph. The engine? A highly evolved version of the Veyron’s 8.0- litre, quad-turbo W16 with 1,479bhp and 1,600Nm of torque. Only 500 will be built.

Perhaps the most remarkable fact is that Bugatti has taken firm deposits for 250 of those – all from customers yet to drive the car. That says as much for the buying habits of the super-rich as it does the power of the brand. Still, there’s no doubting the Chiron’s appeal as a statement of wealth and a dazzling technological achievement.

It certainly looks the part. Those lights create a sinister frown, while the bold graphic along each flank is an unmistakable signature. The abrupt tail is dominated by a one-piece light beam and an active wing that keeps the Chiron stable at speed and under braking. It’s a spectacular machine.