The Bugatti Chiron is a high point for combustion engines. It can reach speeds of over 300 miles per hour in the correct configuration, and all that power comes at a hefty price tag. But a new drag racing video demonstrates that not even the Chiron is safe from the aftermarket scene, competing against a tuned BMW M5 and a tuned BMW M4.
Powering the Chiron Super Sport is Bugatti’s quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine. It produces 1,600 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet (1,600 Newton-meters) of torque, which routes through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to all four wheels.
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The M5 has BMW’s twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 engine under the hood. It usually makes 625 hp and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque. This car produces 1,000 hp and 885 lb-ft (1,200 Nm) of twist, which powers all four tires thanks to the sedan’s eight-speed gearbox.
The M4 has the automaker’s smaller twin-turbo 3.0-liter straight-six engine. This one also makes 1,000 hp and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of twist, much more than the stock output of 510 hp and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of twist. It has an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Bugatti is significantly more expensive than its two competitors. The BMWs have extensive upgrades that help narrow the performance gap to the Chiron, at least in the standard drag race.
The Chiron struggled for traction during its launch, letting the M5 get a sizable but short-lived lead. The Bugatti quickly closed the gap once it found traction, beating the BMW to the finish line by a nose, but the two crossed the finish line in the same time – 9.6 seconds. The M4 coupe finished third with a 9.8-second time.
Those are small differences considering the massive price gap between the two BMWs and the Bugatti, but things changed during the rolling races. The Bugatti and M5 struggled to accelerate as the M4 left the pair behind during the first run with the cars in their comfiest settings. The M4 won the first race, beating the second-place Bugatti and the third-place BMW M5.
The M4 got a better start in the second rolling race, but so did the M5 and the Chiron. The Bugatti’s launch was so much better that it won the race. The M5 still came in third but didn’t finish last in the brake test. That award went to the Bugatti, which needed the most distance to stop and again lost to the M4.