INSIDE THE BUGATTI FACTORY: AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT THE MAKING OF THE $2.6 MILLION CHIRON

The Bugatti Chiron is not only very, very expensive, it is, without doubt, one of the fastest production supercars in the world. Bugatti...

The Bugatti Chiron is not only very, very expensive, it is, without doubt, one of the fastest production supercars in the world. Bugatti has a long history in lustrous, elegant design, dating back to founder Ettore Bugatti, who designed racecars at the turn of the century. The $2.6 million supercar was first introduced at the Geneva Motor Show last year. It has entered into production and will soon be delivered to customers. The Verge visited the Bugatti factory in Molsheim, located in the Alsace region of France, and we commissioned motorsports photographer Patrick Gosling to capture exclusive photography. Here The Verge soaked in the technological wonder at the Atelier, where this staggeringly beautiful piece of automotive engineering is assembled.

Bugatti will manufacture 70 models of the Chiron in 2017. Each Chiron takes about six months to produce from start to finish. Bugatti says no robots are used to make the Chiron. In fact, they claim, "The only electronic tool used in chassis assembly is the new EC nutrunner system. This allows a data curve of each bolt tightened on the chassis to be stored on a computer connected to the system, which then gives the assembly worker a signal when the right torque value is reached. There are more than 1,800 bolted joints on a Chiron, with documentation required for 1,068."

A team of 20 people assemble the 1,800 parts that make up the Chiron at the factory that was built in 2005 for Veyron and designed by architect Gunter Henn. Bugatti has a long history in the region, dating back to its founding in 1909.

Bugatti offers La Maison Pur Sang, an extensive customization program, to its customers. Paint can be mixed to match to a swatch of material or piece of clothing.Each Chiron is completely unique. Customers can choose from 23 different colors of leather; eight different colors of Alcantara; 31 different colors of stitching; 18 colors of carpet; and even choose from 11 different colors for their seat belts.

The craftsmanship and attention to detail is extraordinary... as it should be for the insane price! The Bugatti family originally hailed from Italy, where both car and furniture design are paramount. This emphasis on design continues to drive the brand aesthetic.

“Bespoke” is the word that comes to mind.

The Bugatti Chiron is equipped with a truly mega 16-cylinder, 1,479-horsepower engine that makes 1,180 lb-ft of torque that can propel the car to a mind-blowing top speed of 261 miles per hour.

It is also work of art: engineering beauty at its absolute finest.

The completed W16 engine is painstakingly connected to the front part of the car and then swathed in a sea of carbon fiber.

Enormous carbon ceramic brake discs are needed to bring the Chiron to a halt from its top speed.

The wheels are polished to perfection. Parking this car on the street without curbing them must be somewhat of a challenge. Bugatti collaborated with Michelin on tires that decreased overall weight of the car.

The light tunnel is used by the team to carry out an exhaustive six-hour inspection to check for blemishes and imperfections in the bodywork.

Customers visit the Atelier during various phases of the build and some even participate in the assembly. After all of the final checks have been made, the car is prepped for final delivery to the customer.

The Bugatti Chiron takes two months to build from start to finish and is delivered to customers in six months time. If you have a spare $2.6 million laying about, maybe you’d like to put in your order?

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