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Bugatti 18/3 Chiron
Bugatti
aka
Introduction 1999
Class Concept Car
Body Style 2-door coupé
Length 4,420 mm (174 in)[1]
Width 1,994 mm (78.5 in)[1]
Height 1,150 mm (45 in)[1]
Wheelbase 2,650 mm (104 in) [1]
Weight
Transmission 5-speed manual[2]
Engine 6.3 L W18
Battery {{{Battery}}}
Electric motor {{{Electric motor}}}
Power
Similar
Designer Fabrizio Giugiaro at Italdesign Giugiaro under Hartmut Warkuß[2]

The Bugatti 18/3 Chiron is a 1999 concept car developed by French automobile manufacturer Bugatti Automobiles and designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro of Italdesign.[3] Powered by a 6.3 L W18 engine, it is a 2-seater mid-engine coupé. The 18/3 Chiron was the last in a trio of Bugatti concept cars by Italdesign, after the 1998 EB 118 coupé and the 1999 EB 218 saloon.

The Chiron name was used again on the 2016 successor to the Bugatti Veyron.[4]

Name origin[]

The 18/3 Chiron is named after Bugatti race driver Louis Chiron, while the "18/3" prefix stands for the engine's 18 cylinders distributed into three banks of six cylinders each.[5]

Description[]

The Bugatti 18/3 Chiron premiered at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1999.[6]

Design[]

Fabrizio Giugiaro of Italdesign was responsible for the design with input from Hartmut Warkuß from the Volkswagen design centre in Wolfsburg. In creating a logical successor to the EB110, they had the unique opportunity to style Bugatti's possible flagship model.

Airflow management and aerodynamics were key considerations in the exterior design. Below the traditional horseshoe radiator grille a large opening provides enough air to the radiators of the 6.3-litre engine; much of this air is extracted though vents located forward of the front wheel openings. A similar system is used on the side of the car to cool the rear brakes. At the rear a diffuser was integrated in the rear bumper. A retractable rear wing deploys at high speeds, much like on the EB 110. The 20-inch eight-spoke wheels resemble the cast aluminium wheels first found on Louis Chiron's Type 35B. The stylish body work was made from carbon fibre. Lighting on both ends of the car was cutting edge at its time, including triple Xenon headlights and elongated turn signals at the rear who also served as the tail lights of the car, two double exhaust pipes were visible through a large air extractor at the rear which also served as the underbody spoiler. Inside, the cabin is upholstered in Blu Pacifico and Sabbia leather with aluminium accents as well as a removable watch on the passenger side.

Important design elements such as the classic horse shoe grille, inset front lights, converging front hood and an exposed intake plenum would eventually be integrated into the production Veyron EB 16.4.

Engine and chassis[]

In order to construct a fully working prototype, Bugatti utilised the chassis and four-wheel drive system sourced from the Lamborghini Diablo VT in the 18/3 Chiron.

The 18/3 Chiron uses the same Volkswagen-designed W18 engine that first appeared on the 1998 EB 118 and the 1999 EB 218 concept cars. As on the other two cars, the Chiron's W18 has a power output of 563 PS (414 kW; 555 hp) and 649 N·m (479 lb·ft) of torque. The 18/3 Chiron's W18 engine is composed of three banks of six cylinders with a sixty degree offset between each cylinder bank. In contrast, the W16 engine in Bugatti Automobile's first production car, the 2005 Veyron EB 16.4 features a four-bank configuration of four cylinders each, totalling sixteen cylinders.

Performance[]

The 18/3 Chiron could accelerate from 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) in 3.9 seconds and could reach a top speed of approximately 335 km/h (208 mph). But these numbers were never verified.

Photos[]

Worldwide[]

The 18/3 Chiron Concept was never produced, serving only as a “test dummy” and a gateway to the Bugatti Veyron.

References[]

External links[]


See also[]

Smallwikipedialogo.png This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Bugatti 18/3 Chiron. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Autopedia, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


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Current Models: Chiron (2016) · Divo (2019) · Centodieci (2020) · Mistral

Historic Models: Veyron · EB110 · Type 57 · Type 57 Atlantic · Type 10 · Type 13 · Type 15/17/22 · Type 29 · Type 32 "Tank" · Type 35/35A "Tecla"/35B/35T/35C/37/39 · Type 52 · Type 57G "Tank" · Type 50B · Type 53 · Type 51/51A/54GP/59 · Type 251 · Type 18 "Garros" · Type 23 "Brescia Tourer" · Type 30/38/40/43/44/49 · Type 41 "Royale" · Type 46/50/50T · Type 55 · Type 57/57S/57SC · Type 101 · Type 101 Ghia Roadster

Prinetti & Stucchi: Type 1

Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik: Type 8/9

Peugeot: Type 19 "Bébé"

Dietrich-Bugatti: Type 3/4 · Type 5/6/7 "Hermes" · Type 2

Concept Models: EB118 Concept · EB 218 Concept · 18/3 Chiron Concept · EB18/4 Veyron Concept · Rinspeed EB110 Cyan Concept · Type 36 · Type 45/47 · Type 56 · Type 64 · Type 73C · 16 C Galibier Concept · PJ271 Prototype · Veyron Barchetta · Vision Gran Turismo · Atlantic Coupe


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