Bugatti builds one of the most luxurious car on the planet. But Chiron clients also buy the car for its performance, because the supercar is capable of reaching speeds that seemed impossible 20 years ago. In order to make benefit from this performances, Bugatti introduced some important tech inside the Current Chiron.
With the new Chiron, data is even transmitted on a real-time basis – this feature is normally only implemented on Formula 1 or DTM racing cars. All Bugatti customers can benefit from this unique support for their vehicles – but of course only if they give their consent in advance.
The super sports car manufacturer already developed this data transmission and analysis system which allows communication between vehicles and customer service for its first modern supercar, the Veyron 16.4. Since 2004, Bugatti has therefore been in a position to monitor the technical status of each individual Bugatti from the company’s headquarters in Molsheim.
The Bugatti telemetry system works mainly using mobile radio and monitors the operating status of each Bugatti. It is “online” round-the-clock seven days per week – provided that the customer’s vehicle is located in an area with mobile phone network.
With the launch of the Chiron, far more data can now be acquired and recorded in a variety of different ways – permanently, temporarily with respect to individual events or limited to certain time periods. The system keeps a close eye on about 10,000 signals from all parts of a car, including engine, transmission, lights, air conditioning and infotainment system. As a new feature on the Chiron, the data is transmitted on a real-time basis, something that is normally only experienced with Formula One or DTM racing cars, where the race team mechanics can monitor their cars from the pits. Live data from any location on earth takes no longer than a text message to reach Bugatti. The Bugatti Flying Doctors do not need to closely watch their monitors. If unusual signals are received from a vehicle, the responsible flying doctor receives a message on his mobile phone.
The telemetry system allows two-way communication, not only from the Bugatti to the customer service centre but also vice versa. Customer Service can transmit data to the vehicle in order to change configurations or, to a certain extent, to carry out software updates.
This sophisticated technology is not packaged in a particularly spectacular way. The Customer Service laptop “talks” to an aluminium box in the vehicle which is only 140 mm wide, 50 mm high and 100 mm long. Despite its small size and light weight, the box is packed with power, housing eight vehicle networks such as CAN (Controlled Area Network) buses.
