This Bugatti car could’ve gone faster than 490 km/h, but tyres said no! Here's why

The Bugatti Chiron is built for speed, with a record run that touched 490 km/h. However, the top speed of it on public roads is electronically limited to 420 km/h. Why? Because it is found that existing tyres could not safely handle higher speeds, setting a dramatic boundary for this hypercar.

Tyres face immense forces at high speeds. At 420 km/h, a simple valve cap on a tyre weighs as much as 7 kg. Forces increase so fast at higher speeds that no normal legal tyre can cope. This means even a powerful machine like the Chiron can only go as fast as its tyres allow.

For its record 490 km/h run, Bugatti used Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres with extra reinforcements. These were tested on a machine once used for the Space Shuttle spinning at up to 511 km/h to check for the tiniest faults. Each set was x-rayed before being used for safety.

At such speeds, even a tiny flaw can have dramatic results. If a tyre fails, the risk is huge, so the standard Chiron stays limited at 420 km/h. Only the special Super Sport 300+ was produced in limited and it could have gone more than that that but it was limited because of tire is not capable.

In August 2019, Bugatti’s Chiron Super Sport 300+ reached 490 km/h, becoming the first car to break the 300 mph barrier. But this was a prototype with special gear, tyres, and settings, not something that is any Chiron owner can do on public roads.

Bugatti and tyre makers like Michelin are still pushing tyre technology. Future tyres may be able to handle even more force, but for now, engineers tire are not made. Bugatti is researching it.

So, while the Bugatti Chiron could possibly go even faster, smart engineering keeps drivers and passengers safe. The quest for speed continues, but until tyres catch up, the world’s fastest cars will stay a few steps behind their true limits.