× Expand Bugatti Chiron APWORKS

Bugatti’s record-breaking Chiron derivative is fitted with a pair of metal 3D printed exhaust finishers produced by service provider APWORKS.

The hyper sports car became the first to break the 300 mile-per-hour barrier this summer in Germany, with the two exhaust finishers being additively manufactured in titanium. APWORKS showcased the metal 3D printed components on its Formnext stand last week.

French luxury automobile brand Bugatti is a renowned adopter of metal additive manufacturing technology – its alliance with SLM Solutions well documented – and turned to the technology once more as it aimed to exceed the 300mph mark with its Chiron derivative hyper sports car. The exhaust finishers form part of the car’s modified longer tail section and were designed to push exhaust emissions further from the rear of the vehicle in order to reduce turbulence and enhance steering behaviour at high speeds.

The increased design freedom enabled by additive manufacturing allowed APWORKS and Bugatti to optimise the components, reducing the mass of parts and helping to increase the aerodynamics and acceleration of the car. Printing the components in titanium also ensured the parts were strong, lightweight and resistant to high temperatures.

Bugatti deployed test driver and LeMans winner Andy Wallace to carry out the world record attempt on August 2nd on the Ehra-Lessien test track in Lower Saxony. Wallace reached a top speed of 304.773 mph (490.484km/h), setting a new TÜV-certified speed record.

“Congratulations to Bugatti on the world record. We from APWORKS are proud to be part of this amazing project, having produced the innovative exhaust finishers,” commented Joachim Zettler, Managing Director of APWORKS. “The pair of finishers impress by the combination of lightweight, high performance material and optimised emission flow. A functional styling that exceeds limits and enables incredible performance.”

“Bugatti has once again show what it’s capable of,” added Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “With this new record of the Chiron, we enter again unchartered territory. Never before has a series manufacturer reached this high speed. Our goal was to be the first manufacturer to reach the magic 300 mile-per-hour mark. We have now achieved this, making ourselves very proud.”