Bugatti is setting its sights on a new speed milestone. After the Mistral’s 282-mph run, CEO Mate Rimac announces plans for a top speed of 310 mph (500 km/h).
Top Gear was at the Papenburg testing facility when Bugatti set the Mistral’s open-roof record. They spotted Rimac talking with a Michelin engineer, and their guess about a tire designed to break the 500 km/h barrier was right.
Rimac shared, “That’s what we talked about. I realized the team here is behind the high-performance racing tires. So, I asked them, ‘Can you do this? What about that? Where’s the limit?'”
Rimac expressed his ambition, asking if they could push the top speed record to five digits.
Bugatti hasn’t shared performance details for its new V-16 hybrid-powered Tourbillon yet, but it’s expected to have the power and aerodynamics to hit the 500-km/h milestone. However, it remains to be seen if the company can make that a reality.
Since Bugatti was bought by a new owner, it no longer has access to the high-speed track at Ehra-Lessien, where it set its speed records with the Veyron and Chiron Super Sports. Now, Bugatti may have to use a location like Papenburg or a runway, such as at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where other car makers conduct their tests. Alternatively, Bugatti could follow Koenigsegg’s example and close a public road for its record attempts.
Source: Top Gear