Summary Reader Response Draft 3

   The article “Bugatti Chiron review - the final generation of Bugatti's W16 masterpiece” from Meaden (2023) introduces the Bugatti Chiron, a high performance supercar with a 16-cylinder engine delivering 1479 horsepower and 1180 lb ft of torque. According to Arcoumanis (2011), the main function of an engine is to convert chemical energy like fuel, to mechanical energy also known as torque. Energy released by combusting fuel provides the necessary power to move the vehicle. Dorian and Clarke (2022) claims the Bugatti Chiron accelerates from 0-60 miles per hour (mph) in 2.3 seconds and reaches top speeds of 261 mph. The article by Meaden (2023) goes on to praise the Chiron's engine as an impressive feat of engineering. It features a 8.0-liter W16 engine, crafted by combining two V8 engines at a 90-degree angle (Ghayad, 2023). In addition to that, according to Uwaoma (2022), the Bugatti Chiron’s engine features 4 turbochargers to maximize the output power from low to high engine speeds. 

Due to the Bugatti Chiron’s huge engine capacity and unique implementation of turbochargers, there is clearly a huge step up in top speed and acceleration as compared to another supercar like the Aston Martin DB11.

    One feature of the Bugatti Chiron’s engine is that it boasts a capacity of 8 liters (Ghayad, 2023). The 8-liter means that the engine is capable of displacing 8-liters of air that will be mixed with fuel and combusted to produce power. The greater the engine displacement, the more air it can move to burn more fuel and generate more power (O’Hop, 2021). Aston Martin Houston (2023) claims that the Aston Martin DB11 includes a 5.2-liter engine producing up to 630 horsepower, capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and achieving a top speed of only 208 mph. Comparing the 6.5-liter to the 8-liter engine of the Bugatti Chiron, there is a big upgrade in power generation that allows the Bugatti Chiron to achieve higher top speed by 53 mph and quicker 0-60 mph acceleration by 1.2 seconds.

    The engine of the Bugatti Chiron also features a quad-turbocharger setup (Uwaoma, 2022). According to Eagle Ridge (2016), a turbocharger feeds the engine with fresh and compressed air which increases overall efficiency and power produced. There is a downside to using turbochargers which is turbo lag. Turbo lag from a turbocharged engine is the delay between flooring the accelerator and feeling a boost in power from the engine (Sands, 2015). To counter this, Bugatti developed a “sequential setup” consisting of two smaller turbos for lower engine speeds of up to 3,800 revolutions per minute(rpm) and two bigger turbos for higher engine speeds. This creates a continuous peak torque from just 2000 rpm to 6000 rpm (Uwaoma, 2022). When compared to the Bugatti Chiron, the Aston Martin DB11 features 2 turbochargers, which suffers from serious turbo lag when accelerating from stationary. The boost in power from the engine can only be felt at higher engine speeds of above 4000 rpm (Collins, 2017). The Bugatti Chiron’s engine is the clear winner when it comes to acceleration timing partly due to its unique quad-turbocharger setup.

    Unfortunately, Engines of larger capacity generally produce more power but as a result, consume more fuel and have higher greenhouse gas emissions (Harvey 2023). According to EPA (2014), the average carbon dioxide (CO2)  emission by vehicle is 411 grams per mile. The Bugatti Chiron’s engine emits more than double the average of 840 grams per mile (EPA, n.d.). Even though the Aston Martin DB11 is also a high performance car, EPA (n.d.) claims that it has a CO2 emission of 522 grams per mile. Global warming leads to unprecedented heat levels, elevated sea levels, and the occurrence of severe floods and prolonged droughts. Almost 30% of US global warming emissions are produced by its transportation which includes cars (UCSUSA, 2014). This proves that driving the Bugatti Chiron may contribute greatly to global warming emissions even when compared to other similar cars like the Aston Martin DB11. Although the Bugatti Chiron’s engine CO2 emissions are alarmingly high, it is more commonly kept for display than driven regularly due to its price.

    In conclusion, the features of the Bugatti Chiron’s engine are the key to allowing it to not only outperform other competitors in the supercar market but also be at the pinnacle in performance in terms of top speed and acceleration for its time.

References: 

Arcoumanis, D. (2011, February 2). Internal Combustion Engines. THERMOPEDIA. https://www.thermopedia.com/content/880

Aston Martin Houston (n.d.). 2023 Aston Martin DB11 0-60 & Top Speed.

https://www.astonmartinhouston.com/manufacturer-information/db11-specs/#:~:text=The%202022%20Aston%20Martin%20DB11,feat%20in%20just%204%20seconds.

Collins, A. (2017, Oct 28). Here’s How The Aston Martin DB11 V8 Really Compares To The V12.

https://jalopnik.com/heres-how-the-aston-martin-db11-v8-really-compares-to-t-1819865077

Dorian, D & Clarke, W. (2022). 2022 Bugatti Chiron Review, pricing, and Specs - Car and driver. 2022 Bugatti Chiron. https://www.caranddriver.com/bugatti/chiron

EPA. (n.d.). The official U.S. government source for fuel economy information. https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=45425

EPA. (n.d.). The official U.S. government source for fuel economy information. https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=38899

EPA. (2014). Green House Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle.

https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/P100JPPH.txt?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=2011%20Thru%202015&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&UseQField=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5CZYFILES%5CINDEX%20DATA%5C11THRU15%5CTXT%5C00000011%5CP100JPPH.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1

Ghayad, A. (2023, January 12). The miraculous bugatti W16 engine!. Engineering. https://engineerine.com/bugatti-w16-german-marvelous-engine/ 

Green Vehicle Guide (n.d.). Vehicle Emissions.

https://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/pages/UnderstandingEmissions/VehicleEmissions

Harvey, C . (2023, Mar 28). Engine Size Explained. https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/tips-and-advice/146778/engine-size-explained#:~:text=As%20a%20general%20rule%2C%20larger,to%20increasingly%20stringent%20emissions%20regulations.

Meaden, R. (2023). Bugatti Chiron Review - the final generation of Bugatti’s W16 masterpiece. evo. 

https://www.evo.co.uk/bugatti/chiron

O’Hop, H (2021, Aug 5). Let’s Talk About What Engine Displacement Actually Is. https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/40767/what-is-engine-displacement

Sands, J. (2015, Mar 17). What Is Turbo Lag? And How Do You Get Rid Of It? https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/what-is-turbo-lag-how-do-you-get-rid-of-it/

Union of Concerned Scientists (2014, Jul 18). Car Emissions And Global Warming.

https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/car-emissions-global-warming#:~:text=Our%20personal%20vehicles%20are%20a,for%20every%20gallon%20of%20gas.

Uwaoma, P. (2022, Jul 28). Everything You Need To Know About Bugatti’s 8.0-Liter Quad-Turbo W16 Engine. https://www.hotcars.com/bugattis-80-liter-quad-turbo-w16-engine/

Viknesh, V. (2016, Mar 3). A close look at the Bugatti Chiron monster W-16 engine. https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1102657_a-close-look-at-the-bugatti-chiron-s-monster-w-16-engine