If you were a gearhead almost 100 years ago, you would have read some startling news in the daily HotCars Gazette. When the 1935 Auburn 851 S/C Boattail Speedster was launched, it wasn't just its comic book go-fast looks that caught people's attention; it was the fact that this 4.6-liter supercharged straight-eight monster was the first car to do more than 100 mph (104 mph to be precise).It took until 1987 for the Ferrari F40 to smash the 200 mph barrier, clocking 201.4 mph thanks to a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V8 and advanced aerodynamics. At this point, even the most dedicated speed freaks probably would agree that 300 mph in a road car is a bit unnecessary. But that didn't stop someone from going and doing it. The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ Is As Fast As Its Name Suggests via Bugatti No, the "300+" bit in the Chiron's name doesn't stand for the production number, or the number of people that will be taking phone pics of the car when you stop at a set of lights. It relates to how fast a Bugatti Chiron has gone on a test track: 300 mph. Bugatti has always gone big in everything – the Type 41 Royale has a 12.7-liter engine – and when it made a big comeback under the VW umbrella, there was no messing around. Ever since the $1,657,700 Veyron of the mid 2000s, which came out with a 1,001-horsepower 8.0-liter W16 engine and a 254-mph top speed, Bugatti has sought to redefine the definition of luxury and speed.BugattiThe Chiron Super Sport 300+ took things even further. The car is based on a near-production prototype derivative of the standard Chiron, which allowed Bugatti to become the first manufacturer to break the 300-mile-an-hour barrier in 2019, with a speed of 304.773 mph at Ehra-Lessien in Lower Saxony, with Andy Wallace at the wheel. The 1,578-horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque car, inspired 30 production models built at Bugatti’s headquarters in Molsheim, France, each starting at a net price of 3.5 million Euros (approx. $4.1 million). How Bugatti Made A 300-MPH Hypercar Bugatti As you can imagine, making a 300 mph hypercar wasn't just about tweaking the ECU and bolting on a spoiler. Power in the 300+ was boosted by almost 100 horsepower over the standard Chiron's 8.0-liter W16, but the engineers had to even develop a new thermal management system for the hyper sports car’s engine and gearbox, ensuring it operated at top speeds. Bugatti carried out software upgrades to the engine, gearbox, powertrain and turbochargers, as well as completely rethinking the aerodynamics.New to the Chiron was the Longtail rear end, which extended the body by 25 centimeters and allows the laminar flow to pass over the body for a longer period of time, cutting aerodynamic stall by more than 40 percent. So-called air curtains at the front corners disperse excess air pressure towards the Chiron's sides, and air outlets at the wheel arches and behind the front wheels guide excess pressure away from each wheel arch. The weight saving on the vehicle went right down to creating carbon fiber windshield wipers. Is The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ Too Fast? BugattiLet's be honest, none of us are going to hit 300 mph in everyday driving – the fastest you can legally drive on a highway in the US is 85 mph. But in Germany, there is no legal maximum speed on derestricted sections of the Autobahn. That said, you would need to be pretty reckless to try 300 mph anywhere other than a dedicated test track. The Ehra-Lessien high-speed track in Lower Saxony is a 21-kilometer three-lane high-speed track that is lined with crash barriers, and rescue services are available at the north and south ends. Special mats are even used to clean the carriageway before each test. Bugatti said that it chose the track for safety, despite the fact that at 50 meters above sea level it meant that the car was 15 mph slower than it would have been in Nevada. The Bugatti Won't Last Long At Top Speed Bugatti Then there are issues such as fuel consumption. The Veyron reportedly uses a whole tank in just 12 minutes at top speed, with a Chiron SS doing it in nine minutes. Finally, tires are a very important component at speeds of more than 300 mph. For the Chiron's near 305 mph run, Michelin specially developed Michelin Pilot Sport Cup semi-slicks using a test rig that was originally built for testing the tires for the Space Shuttle. At these speeds, tires rotate 4,100 times per minute and need to be X-rayed after production to check for even the smallest of flaws. At this point, it's worth putting a large asterisk in the mix. Although the 30 production Chiron Super Sport 300+ had "300" in the name, the top speed for the road cars was actually pegged at 273 mph. The Future For Bugatti's High Speed Hypercars Bugatti Despite the world leaning heavily into EVs, Bugatti hasn't given up on mind-blowing ICE hypercars just yet. The Tourbillon uses Formula One-derived tech and a new naturally-aspirated V16 engine that delivers 1,000 horsepower. That mill is coupled to three electric motors, contributing an extra 800 horsepower, making this a hybrid that is a world away from a Toyota Prius, with a sprint to 60 mph in 2.0 seconds and a top speed of 277 mph. What's Next For Bugatti When It Comes To Speed Runs? Bugatti Bugatti won't be using the 1,578-horsepower W16 Quad-Turbo anymore, with the outgoing W16 Mistral officially the last road-going model with that mill. The company is also edging closer to full-electric with Rimac Technology developing a new solid-state battery worthy of a Bugatti hypercar. But before the Tourbillon bows out, expect Bugatti to develop a high-speed model — as it has with all its hypercars — to show what it is capable of. The question is: with 300 mph gone, where will Bugatti aim next? The Race To 300 MPH BYDThe Chiron wasn't the only car eying 300 mph. The SSC Tuatara is an American hypercar powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine developed and built in collaboration with Tom Nelson of Nelson Racing Engines. This bespoke mill produces 1,750 horsepower on E85 or Methanol, and 1,350 horsepower on 91 Octane, and is mated to a CIMA 7-Speed electronically controlled transmission. In 2022, the Tuatara achieved a top speed of 295 mph at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Then there is the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, which is powered by a 1,600-hp twin-turbo V8 and has an estimated top speed of 310 mph. The YANGWANG U9 Xtreme Has Also Claimed The Title Of World's Fastest Production Car BYDIn September 2025, the YANGWANG U9 Xtreme claimed the title of "World’s Fastest Production Car," clocking 308.4 mph at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg test track in Germany. The 2,977-horsepower electric hypercar, made by a sub brand of BYD, is heading into production, with a limited run of 30 units. However, as of writing, this car still isn't street legal in America, leaving the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ as the reigning speed champion in the states. Who knows where the quest for road going speed will lead to next?Source: Bugatti.