When Bugatti brought the Supercar Chiron to market many didn't believe they could go bigger, better and faster. Well, they have with the new estimated $5-5.8 million Bugatti Divo.
The Bugatti Chiron cost a measly $3 million in comparison to its younger brother the Divo. The Chiron had some already ridiculous numbers with an 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine which produced a 1,479 bhp. A figure that everyone needs especially when you go grocery shopping.
The Divo was announced in Monterey, California in 2018 and later shown at the 2019 Geneva Internation Motor Show, the gear heads version of Comic-Con. Bugatti stating they are planning on selling 40 units. The Divo finished its last phase of testing in April of 2020, so if you've ordered one, expect it to be delivered soon. And according to reports, all 40 units were sold before its public debut, you might a bit late to the party then.
For anyone with deep enough pockets, we'll try and guide you through the endless horsepower that sits under the hood of this Bugatti.
What's New With The Divo?
If you have bought the Divo and expected there to be a 'top speed' mode which is only unlocked with a special key, then you might be disappointed to find out the Divo does not come with such a device like the Chiron or the Veyron did. But not to worry, you can still reach its 380 km/h (236 mph) top speed by just pressing on that gas pedal you may have heard about.
The main difference between the Chiron and the Divo is the amount of downforce the car generates. The Divo was not built to break the sound barrier but rather restructure your internal organs as you corner at extreme speeds. The Divo generates a total of 456 kg (1005 lb) of downforce which is 90 kg (198 lb) more than its younger brother the Chiron. For those who don't know what downforce is; it is a downward lift. Imagine a plane upside down and you have got the gist; it's pushing the car back into the road generating more grip.
What Are The Specs?
Bugatti went through a weight-saving process on the Divo. They saved anything they could. The windscreen wipers are carbon fibre. The changed the designs to the intercooler shroud, grooved wheel spokes, a lighter Accuton sound system, and they even removed storage lockers in the cockpit. This means the Divo is a whole 35 kg (77 lb) lighter than the Chiron. The interior is as luxurious as the Chiron, however, they have fitted some carbon fibre trimming and Alacantara upholstery for your comfort.
The Divo is said to be 8-seconds faster around the Porsche test track, the Nardò Ring. A high-speed track used by supercar car manufacturers to test their speed demons out. The 4-lane track also featured in two episodes of Top Gear with Martin Brundle driving a Jaguar XJ220, and the series 18 opener - "Supercars Across Italy".
Due to its extra downforce, the Divo does have a slower top speed than the Chiron but that doesn't mean your right foot feels lonely. It still has an unchanged 1,479 bhp outputting 1,600 Nm (1,180 lb-ft) of torque at and from 2,000 - 6,000 RPM. The Divo's acceleration time of 2.4 seconds from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) is also unchanged from its younger brother, the Chiron. But because of the extra downforce, the Divo has a higher lateral acceleration, up from 1.5 G to 1.6 G.
Overview: What's Good And What's Bad
As the Divo has the same engine as the Chiron, we can use the data gathered from that car to estimate miles per gallon (MPG) for the Divo. So, with all that power and grunt you would expect the MPG to be rather low and you would be right in your estimation. The EPA estimates between 8-9 MPG for city driving and 13-14 MPG for highways. That is a lot of stopping at petrol stations. And as the Divo generates downforce and therefore drag it uses up more petrol. Expect the Divo to be slightly worse on highways. But, if you are able to buy a car like this, then you will be able to afford its atrocious MPG.
You will be happy to hear the Divo does include an anti-lock braking system, front and knee airbags, and stability control (among other things of course). Which is helpful but at the ridiculous speeds you might be carrying in this car. Exactly how much an airbag is going to do, is up to you to figure out. But it's comforting to know it is still there.
The Divo took its design inspiration from the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo and the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic. And as the Divo was created with the track in mind, you can see where the Gran Turismo bit comes in. This means you do not get any fancy LED touch screens in the cockpit as Bugatti further reduce its weight. They really went out to save weight where possible but the interior still feels like a nice place to be. And for $5 million bucks that is something you would probably want. Overall, its a Bugatti with a few extra bits on it which gives them the "right" to charge an extra $2 million.