French manufacturer Bugatti has unveiled a £1.9 million vehicle, which it describes as the world's most powerful and fastest car, at the 86th Geneva Motor Show.
Bugatti's eagerly anticipated successor to its Veyron model ? the world's previous fastest road vehicle ? is so quick that the French manufacturer limited the new car's maximum speed to just 260 miles per hour for road use. Testing to obtain the Chiron's top speed is due to commence soon.
"It is part of human nature to cross boundaries and set new records ? to run 100 metres faster than ever before, to fly even further into space and to enter new realms," said Bugatti's chief Wolfgang Dürheimer. "The Chiron is the result of our efforts to make the best even better."
The term hypercar is given the top one per cent of high-performance supercars ? usually the fastest and most-expensive.
To achieve the higher speeds, Bugatti completely redesigned its eight-litre W16 engine, which also powers the Veyron.
Lightweight materials such as titanium and carbon fibre were used to reduce the engine's overall weight, while better-performing turbochargers ? units that force extra air into the combustion chamber, therefore increasing the engine's efficiency ? were fitted.
To keep the redesigned engine operating within the optimum temperature range, Bugatti also improved the Veyron's air cooling system. As a result, more than 60,000 litres of air per minute are pumped through the engine.

The Chiron's monocoque...