2021 Bugatti Chiron

As the follow-up to the legendary Veyron, the 2021 Chiron takes the brand's heritage and its predecessor's performance and melds them together into one stunning—and stunningly capable—machine. The Chiron's nearly $3 million price tag matches its extreme persona, but even for that kind of money it's almost a performance bargain. It's powered by a massive 16-cylinder engine that is a marvel of modern engineering, capable of propelling this hypercar to 300 mph and beyond. Besides performance that can alter time, the Chiron looks like nothing else on the road—save for maybe a Veyron—and its interior is lined with fine materials worthy of its price tag. No, this beauty doesn't offer Apple CarPlay or a semi-autonomous driving mode but really, who cares? The Chiron is simply not weighed down by the same practical expectations and requirements as something as plebian as a Lamborghini or a McLaren—which allows it to be all of autodom's halo car.

People who choose cars such as the Chiron do so because they want a vehicle that makes a jaw-dropping impact on the boulevard or at the valet stand—or in front of the Casino in Monte Carlo. With its swooping lines and famously stratospheric price, the base Chiron certainly fits the bill. We think this model has what it takes to put a smile on the face of even the most discerning hypercar buyer. The Chiron comes standard with amenities such as quad LED headlights and full power accessories.

All Chiron models are motivated by an 8.0-liter 16-cylinder powerplant. This beast of an engine employs four turbochargers to generate a mighty 1500 horsepower and 1180 lb-ft of torque. Bugatti claims that the Chiron makes the dash from zero to 60 mph in a mere 2.3 seconds, and it has a top speed of 261 mph. If the Chiron's standard engine doesn't quench your thirst for speed, step up to the Chiron Super Sport 300+. This model is equipped with a slightly more potent version of the base powerplant, and it produces 1578 horsepower. Piloted by factory test driver Andy Wallace, a model with specs almost identical to those of the Chiron Super Sport 300+ logged a record-setting 304.773 mph test-track run. With every model in the Chiron lineup, power is sent to all four wheels by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.