Bugatti's much-anticipated follow up to the groundbreaking, million-dollar Veyron hypercar was unveiled on Monday ahead of the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.
The new $2.6-million Chiron will succeed the venerable Veyron as the flagship model for the legendary VW Group-owned supercar maker.
"It is part of human nature to cross boundaries and set new records – to run 100 meters faster than ever before, to fly even further into space and to enter new realms. This striving is also our driving force at Bugatti," said Bugatti Automobiles president Wolfgang Dürheimer at the car's introduction.
"The Chiron is the result of our efforts to make the best even better."
The Chiron will be powered by a newly developed 1,500-horsepower W16 engine running a quartet of two-stage turbochargers. According to Bugatti, the new engine is 25% more powerful than the the single-stage, quad-turbo W16 unit that powered the Veyron for the past decade.
The manufacturer claims the new hypercar will be able to achieve a top speed of 261 mph. The Veyron's top speed was 253 mph.
The Bugatti is built around a carbon-fiber monocoque with the aerodynamics optimized for high-speed travel.
The Chiron's styling is an evolution of the design the company debuted last September at the Frankfurt Motor Show with the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo concept car. According to Bugatti, many of the design cues on the Chiron were inspired by the company's legendary Type 53sC Atlantic of the 1930s.
Inside, the Bugatti looks as luxurious and stylish as one would expect from a car of its stature. The Chiron's audio system feature one-carat diamond membranes in its speakers and is tuned for each specific car, even taking into consideration the way different types of leather may distort sound quality.
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