Exciting job: Meet the man who tests every new Bugatti before delivery

All automakers around the world have their own test drivers. These test drivers test the prototypes before the actual production car starts hitting showrooms and buyers' garages. Their inputs are invaluable for the automakers to ensure there are no malfunctions. These test drivers play a key role in making the cars or any other automobiles what they are.

No wonder, these are exciting jobs. However, there could be nothing as exciting as a test driver for Bugatti who gets to test all the cars the French supercar manufacturer develops. Steve Jenny, who actually does that, probably has the most desirable job in the automotive industry.

Jenny started working in the auto industry with Mahle and BBS, where he used to develop various components for motorsport. In Bugatti, he applied for the job back in May 2004, when the automaker was working on Veyron. His job was to ensure that each and every Bugatti car work perfectly before being delivered to the customers.

In September 2005, he started testing each and every Bugatti Veyron supercar after its final technical inspection to ensure that the car was running perfectly. Since then, every new Bugatti Veyron and Chiron have been driven and tested by Jenny.

Test driving these Bugatti hypercars are pretty exciting. These hypercars are put on a journey that normally covers a distance of around 300 km and through its paces in all kinds of conditions. Each of these test drives usually takes around five hours and includes a driving dynamics inspection.

During these test drives, Jenny checks pedal weights and responsiveness, feel the steering wheel's response, and listens for any unusual sounds from the car. After covering the first 80 km distance, Jenny takes each Bugatti hypercars along a cobblestone road.

After that, the testing procedure moves to a closed runway at the Colmar airport in France where each of these hypercars undergoes performance tests, including hitting speeds beyond 300 kmph. Also, the car's systems are tested to their limits. The systems such as the launch control and airbrake are tested for optimum performance. Other testing methods such as rapid lane change and heavy braking manoeuvres too are performed by him.

After this initial 300 km test drive, the hypercar returns to the Bugatti factory where the gearbox oil is changed and new wheels are fitted. Then another one-hour test drive is performed, spanning at least 50 km before Jenny gives each car his final approval.

Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India.