Bugatti no longer has access to Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien high-speed test track, but CEO Mate Rimac remains determined to push the limits even further.
Bugatti isn’t finished breaking records. Following the Mistral’s impressive 282-mph top-speed run, CEO Mate Rimac revealed the brand’s next goal: a staggering 500 kilometers per hour, or 310 miles per hour.
During the Mistral’s record-setting open-roof run at the Papenburg testing facility earlier this year, Top Gear spotted Rimac in conversation with a Michelin engineer. Curious, the publication asked if they were discussing a tire capable of handling speeds beyond 500 km/h. They were right on target.
“That’s exactly what we were discussing,” Rimac confirmed. “I realized the engineers here specialize in high-performance and racing tires, so I asked, ‘Can you do this? Can you do that? Where’s the limit?’”
Bugatti has yet to share performance details about its latest creation, the V-16 hybrid-powered Tourbillon, but it’s safe to assume it will have the power and aerodynamics to chase the elusive 500-km/h (310-mph) milestone. The bigger challenge might be finding the right location for such an achievement.
Since parting ways with the Volkswagen Group, Bugatti no longer has access to the Ehra-Lessien testing facility, where the Veyron and Chiron Super Sport achieved their record-breaking 267-mph and 304-mph runs. Instead, the company may need to return to Papenburg, use a long runway like the Kennedy Space Center in Florida—favored by manufacturers such as Hennessey and SSC—or follow Koenigsegg’s lead by temporarily closing a public road for a record attempt.
