The Bugatti Chiron no one knows about

In automotive engineering, prototypes generally serve development purposes and are usually then disposed of after a few years. But not so with this Bugatti Chiron - The Bugatti Chiron 4-005.

For more than eight years, the Bugatti Chiron prototype served as a piece of work equipment, a tool used to develop the Chiron to production maturity. It served this purpose on multiple continents and in a variety of climate zones. The 4-005, as it is referred to internally, is the first Chiron to be driven in the USA, perform drifts in the snow in Scandinavia, complete laps on the high-speed ring in Nardò, passed heat tests in South Africa and subjected to the afterburner of a Eurofighter Typhoon. The hypercar serves the electrics and electronics development as a test lab on wheels and in no way spared right to the end. Test engineers tend to develop a prototype for a specific task then test their systems until shortly after the start of production, after which the vehicle is disposed of. But not so with the “Four Five.” The four stands for “prototype” and the five stands for the fifth prototype of the Chiron. In all, eight prototypes were created, each built by hand and featuring many custom-made parts. Starting in 2013, all of the Chiron’s software was developed and tested in the 4-005. This involved some 30 vehicle control units undergoing a specific test procedure following a modification, first on the test bench and subsequently in the vehicle. When modifications are made, the engineers also monitor the condition and therefore the quality. Even though it is a piece of work equipment, every drive in the Chiron is special. “In spite of it being an immense feat, we drove for up to ten hours at a time and got out of the car feeling fit in the evenings,” says Norbert Uffmann, who is responsible for telemetry and connectivity at Bugatti. They have positive memories of the many wonderful moments with the vehicle as well as the reactions of other road users regardless of whether they were car drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians. Even stern US police officers took interest in the hyper sports car, asked questions, and posed for photos.