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Bugatti

Bugatti Retires From Chasing Speed Records After Breaking 300 mph

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
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By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 3, 2019, 12:22 PM ET
bugatti chiron
Bugatti

Bugatti has broken plenty of speed records over the years, but the luxury automaker passed a key milestone with its latest, as the Bugatti Chiron became the world’s first production car to top 300 mph. And with that milestone behind it, the company said it’s through chasing records.

Andy Wallace, a Le Mans winner and Bugatti test driver, clocked in at 490.484 km/h (304.773 mph) last month, the company said in a press release Tuesday. That works out to 136 meters—roughly one-and-a-half football fields—per second.

Bugatti has become known as one of the leaders in setting speed records, so the company’s announcement that it’s putting those days behind it is rather surprising.

“Bugatti has once again shown what it’s capable of,” said Bugatti president Stephan Winkelmann. “Our goal was to be the first manufacturer ever to reach the magic 300-mile-per-hour mark. We have now achieved this–making ourselves, the entire team, and myself incredibly proud…We have shown several times that we build the fastest cars in the world. In future we will focus on other areas.”

Speed might sell, but luxury sells at a higher price. The company says it plans to focus on making sports cars that, while still capable of going ridiculously fast, showcase their craftsmanship and luxury options more. The company, which is owned by Volkswagen, hinted at that earlier this year, selling a car for $11 million, the most expensive vehicle sale in history.

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About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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