Bugatti, French carmaker of legend, was revived by the Volkswagen Group at the turn of the century to be a halo car for the automotive giant. And the Veyron, the world’s first production car capable of 400 km/h, was no disappointment. Now, an example of the Gallic firm’s current hypercar, the Chiron, has clocked 490,48 km/h, or 304,773 mph in imperial terms.

Bugatti’s press release was quite short and to the point this morning, stating simply that the 300-mph barrier was broken on a test track in Germany – quite obviously the Ehra Lessien proving ground, which is the only place in the world that this sort of velocity could be reached safely. The facility’s 8,7 km perfectly flat straight linked by banked corners was key for the record attempt.

With that being said, the Chiron used for the run is not exactly one that you would have been able to purchase if you were by the means. The bodywork is elongated slightly, and the rear diffuser setup features a unique tailpipe setup, but Bugatti says it’s still close to the regular production Chiron.

It’s close enough for us, and besides, where else would you really be able to enjoy the quad-turbo 8,0-litre W16’s 1 103 kW and 1 600 N.m?

“What a record! We’re overjoyed to be the first manufacturer ever to have achieved a speed of more than 300 miles per hour. It’s a milestone for eternity. I would like to thank the whole team and driver Andy Wallace for this outstanding performance,” says Stephan Winkelmann, Bugatti president.

Watch a video to see the Chiron hitting 300 mph here