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French manufacturer Bugatti returned to the market in 1987 with the EB110. Since then they've made two new cars, the Veyron and then the Chiron. According to Bugatti their latest model, the Chiron Super Sport is, "The ultimate grand Tourisme, delivering brutal performance in total comfort." The pinnacle of all things motoring, the Chiron is surely many people's poster car in the same way the Veyron was a decade ago. With the opulence of a luxury yacht and the performance of a Le Mans racecar, the Chiron is opulence magnified. So is its price tag, which sits nearer to $3 million than it does $2 million.
Not only is the Chiron a billionaire's weekend toy, the Chiron-derived Super Sport 300+ is the Volkswagen Group's first stab at a 300 mph car. Vietnamese YouTuber Nhet TV dreams of owning this engineering excellence. Over a year the channel constructed its own version of the car in baby blue, and, unlike those MR2 based kit cars, this looks like the real deal.
How Hard Is It To Build A Chiron?
In just under a week, their YouTube video has amassed over 5 million views. Nhet TV demonstrated a sentiment that many car enthusiasts share. After all, that gas-loving gear head doesn't admire a quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine. In a rural area without access to fabrication equipment, the group got creative with their manufacturing process. Starting with a wireframe that they wrapped in clingfilm, they built the shell of the car from the most malleable of materials: clay. This was then covered in a strong gray material that bears a close resemblance to concrete. It doesn't look as strong as the titanium and carbon fiber found on Bugatti's Chiron. It is strong enough to support the bodyweight of the team.
The team removed the body from their thin metal skeleton that forms a chassis to lower in an old Toyota motor. It's unknown exactly what this motor is but with 12 valves it's more than likely a four-cylinder unit producing between 100 and 200 horsepower. No matter how light and aerodynamic the homemade Bugatti is, it won't match the real performance figures. With 1,500 horsepower, the Chiron accelerates to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds and tops out at 260 mph.
What Is The Homemade Bugatti Like To Drive?
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Once the motor slots in, gearbox set up and drivetrain arranged the car went on a little test drive around some of Vietnam's roads. It cruises well and actually has an impressive stance. Although as just a rolling chassis it is nowhere near road legal for the United States.
The final product looks near identical to the real Chiron. It's impossible to tell that components like grilles use wire mesh for chicken coops. The final spray of the paint doesn't shine the way it does on the real car, and the LED light clusters aren't nearly as complicated. The exhaust note sounds harsh, maybe not as harsh as the hypercar, under acceleration but similar to that of a hot hatchback that's had the catalytic converter removed. The homemade Bugatti could certainly fool someone who doesn't know much about cars.