Admittedly, this recall won't shake the pillars of the automotive world. In fact, it pertains to just nine vehicles sold in the United States. Correction: the potential number of vehicles affected is nine, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, when the problem is tyres on a car capable of going 218 mph, it tends to grab attention.
The car in question is the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport. We don't know if the nine potential vehicles represent every Pur Sport sold in the States, but if not, we reckon it's close. Per the recall, the rear tyres on the Bugatti could develop cracks after 2,500 miles, and those cracks could lead to a "rapid loss of tyre pressure." That's not good on any car, never mind a two-ton hypercar designed to handle corners with gusto while going extremely fast.
Gallery: 2021 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport: First Drive
Here's where this recall gets even more interesting. Bugatti worked with Michelin to develop the Chiron Pur Sport's Cup 2 R tyres. They're a whopping 355/25-series tyre mounted on 21-inch wheels at the back, and as such, there isn't exactly a selection of styles or brands to choose from for a replacement. For now, the fix is to replace the Pur Sport's rear tyres with a new pair after 1,875 miles or 1.5 years. And Bugatti will keep doing that until a new tyre is developed that doesn't crack. At that point, the new tyres will be installed. Of course, there's no charge to the Pur Sport owner for any of the work.
The Pur Sport in action:
The recall makes no mention of a failure among production vehicles. According to documents associated with the recall, cracks were spotted in the rear tyres of a single Pur Sport test vehicle but tyres never failed. The reason for the cracks is unknown.
Source: NHTSA