When you read that the world's latest hypercar is fighter-jet quick, you might understand that as hyperbole. But for at least a decade, the fastest cars have genuinely competed with jet-powered fighters. For the non-believers, Bugatti has just released a video showing just that. The Chiron Sport is so quick that even a Dassault Rafale Marine doesn't stand a chance off the line. While the Rafale can reach speeds far beyond the 300-mph limit of today's fastest road car, it's the Bugatti that's better optimized for low-speed launches. The special-edition Chiron—a one-of-20 "Les Légendes du Ciel" edition car built to celebrate the connection between Bugatti and aviation—reaches 62 mph in just 2.4 seconds. Just 13.1 seconds after setting off, it's cresting 186 mph. The French Marine version of the Rafale, meanwhile, takes a second to compose itself. But as the jet engine roars, it quickly makes up its lost ground.
“I pulled away from the Rafale over the first few hundred meters, but after a few hundred meters more it was around 20 meters above and alongside me in the air. An incredible and fantastic sight,” said Pierre-Henri Raphanel, Bugatti's test driver and pilot for this exercise.
The Rafale takes flight 450 meters into the race at a speed of 161 mph. Left at full throttle, the Rafale M is capable of Mach 1.8 at altitude, equivalent to 1188 mph on the ground. And because it's built for carrier landings, it also out-brakes the Chiron. On approach, it snags an arresting wire that retards the Rafale from 174 mph to 0 in just 150 meters. The Chiron's air brake and huge rotors can't match that performance.
So the Chiron is not a true match for the Rafale, itself not the fastest or most advanced fighter out there. But for a brief moment, those in the driver's seat of a modern hypercar get an experience unrivaled by even a purpose-built fighter jet. Because of this, Bugatti—not quite an unbiased source—declares the race a tie. I wouldn't go that far, but it's impressive regardless.
Bugatti vs Rafale-by Amaan Attar
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