Q. I hear the new Bugatti Chiron can do 0-60 m.p.h. in 2.4 seconds and can do well over 200 m.p.h. Is all that possible? — E.N. (via Internet)

A. The sleek new Chiron reportedly can do all that with its quad-turbo DOHC 64-valve 16-cylinder 1,479 -horsepower engine. It also reportedly tops out at 261 m.p.h., although electronic controls prevent it from going that fast here. And, yes, it looks good and is—perhaps needless to say—beautifully engineered and can be comfortably driven on the street. Now, all you need to get one is to come up with $2,998,000. The question is, what the hell would you do with it?



Q. I’ve heard about the spectacular Bugatti Chiron, but don’t have an extra $3 million laying around to buy one. What’s my alternative when it comes to a reasonably priced American car? I can’t afford something like  a Ferrari or Lamborghini. — J.K. (via Internet)

A. You’re in luck. Dodge has introduced its 2018 Challenger SRT Demon, which is the fastest production car on the planet. (The hand-built Chiron really doesn’t qualify as a production car.) The Demon can be had with 808 or 840 horsepower. It will do 0-60 m.p.h. in 2.3-2.6 seconds and 0-100 m.p.h. in 5.7-5.9 seconds and reportedly tops out at 168 m.p.h. Its prices are $84,995—or $86,094 if you want that little extra acceleration. The Demon actually is designed for drag racing but can be equipped to be a comfortable street driver. There always will be some folks who want the fastest affordable production car around.

Q. What do you think of the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio sedan ? I owned an Alfa sports car in the 1960s and it was enormous fun to drive but was often mechanically troublesome. — E.H. (via internet) 

A. The twin-turbo V-6 Giulia Quadrifoglio is the higher-performance 505-horsepower version of the standard Giulia and costs $79,195. The Quadrifoglio has typical Italian charm and looks sexy, although it needs a higher-grade interior. It does 0-60 m.p.h. in 3.6 seconds and can hit 100 m.p.h. in 8.1 seconds.  It’s a blast to drive, but many Americans know nothing about Alfa Romeo, which hasn’t sold cars here for a long time. As with most Italian cars, watch out for quirks and reliability issues.



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