Bugatti Drivers Test Speed at KSC: 256 MPH

Experience Speed with Bugatti: 256 mph!

Bugatti proprietors recently received an opportunity to make the most of top-velocity jaunts without receiving any heat from Johnny Law after the French carmaker welcomed them to a remarkable indulgence.

Last April, 18 Bugatti owners from around the globe gathered at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center to take part in “The Bugatti 400 Drive”. The goal of the event was to reach a top speed of 400 km/h (256 mph) or higher while still remaining below 261 mph – a limit that Bugatti had to impose on their cars.

Bugatti decided on the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch and Landing Facility to host the event, an area that reverberates with history and has significant meaning. Having previously been used as a spot for NASA space shuttles to touchdown, the 3-mile long location was the ideal setting for owners to flaunt their Bugattis by pushing them past their limits.

The BUGATTI 400 Drive: A Unique Customer Experience at Kennedy Space Center

By doing away with any limitations and making use of the entire length of the airstrip, it’s clear to witness exactly what a Bugatti was designed to do. In the video, highly conspicuous are the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport models which can catalogue up to 60 mph in just two seconds and swiftly reach maximum speeds, due to the Top Speed keys made accessible at the gathering.

When the car’s automated systems are engaged for safety, the Top Speed Key is enabled. This decreases the ride height and rear wing to create a low-drag setup for the vehicle. In addition, two hydraulically operated flaps located in front of the wheels are adjusted to reduce the downforce on the front axle. As a result, the full capacity of the exhibited Bugatti models is unleashed.

Drivers received an intensive briefing from Bugatti race organizers prior to their initial attempts, prepping them for the strain both physically and mentally that they would face. The challengers will undergo greater than one gravity of longitudinal pressure during full-on acceleration, while simultaneously trying to identify the braking markers amid the hot air coming off the tarmac.

Following the competition, the participants received a commemorative plaque to commemorate their participation in the event, together with their very own tailor-made racing suit and helmet customized with their name, date, and top speed attained.

The legacy of Ferdinand Piech, former chairman for the Volkswagen Group, still inspires Bugatti to this day. With his vision of a car with ultimate capabilities – to traverse at 256 miles per hour in the mornings but also be capable of delivering its driver and passengers to the opera during the evenings – led to the brand’s ambition to push limits of speed. The first iteration of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 was produced in response to these directive and has served as a flagship to define the company’s values since.