Bugatti creates the most exclusive customer concierge

When a customer in the Golf region received a call from Molsheim in Alsace, he did not know that the pressure in the front left tyre of his Bugatti Chiron was no longer ideal. However, the French super sports car brand's service technician was already fully informed and suggested that he ought to correct the tyre pressure before his next trip with the 1,479bhp super sports car. He could do that despite working almost 6,000km away from the car. Telemetry is the explanation. With the new Chiron, data is even transmitted on a real-time basis - this feature is normally only implemented on Formula One or DTM racing cars. All Bugatti customers can benefit from this unique support for their vehicles - but of course only if they give their consent in advance.

Bugatti has many years of experience in this field. The super sports car manufacturer already developed this data transmission and analysis system which allows communication between vehicles and customer service for its first modern supercar, the Veyron 16.4. Since 2004, Bugatti has therefore been in a position to monitor the technical status of each individual Bugatti from the company's headquarters in Molsheim.

The Bugatti telemetry system works mainly using mobile radio and monitors the operating status of each Bugatti. It is 'online' round-the-clock seven days per week - provided that the customer's vehicle is located in an area with mobile phone network.

With the launch of the Chiron, far more data can now be acquired and recorded in a variety of different ways - permanently, temporarily with respect to individual events or limited to certain time periods. The system keeps a close eye on about 10,000 signals from all parts of a car, including engine, transmission, lights, air conditioning and infotainment system.

As a new feature on the Chiron, the data is transmitted on a real-time basis, something that is normally only experienced with Formula One or DTM racing cars, where the race team mechanics can monitor their cars from the pits. Live data from any location on earth takes no longer than a text message to reach Bugatti. The Bugatti Flying Doctors do not need to closely watch their monitors. If unusual signals are received from a vehicle, the responsible flying doctor receives a message on his mobile phone.

This way, Customer Service receives the information needed to provide the best possible support for each Bugatti. This includes prompt answers to customers' questions over the phone and long-term assessments of vehicles' behaviour so that the flying doctor can prepare for his upcoming visit to the customer. The highly qualified technicians therefore know in advance which spare parts they need to order, if any, and can immediately place the necessary orders.

Bugatti has three flying doctors, who are responsible for vehicles owned by Bugatti customers in the regions of Europe/Russia, the Middle East and Asia/Pacific, and North America. They are supported by mechanics at the company's headquarters in Molsheim and at the facilities of Bugatti's 34 dealers and service partners throughout the world. From the moment when a customer takes delivery of a Bugatti, the flying doctor is his direct contact for all technical questions.

The telemetry system allows two-way communication, not only from the Bugatti to the customer service centre but also vice versa. Customer Service can transmit data to the vehicle in order to change configurations or, to a certain extent, to carry out software updates.

Norbert Uffmann, who is now responsible for the development of the telemetry system at Bugatti, says, "Bugatti's telemetry system is our version of the connected car - exclusive and individual for our customers and saving time and money for our developers. This is 'Connected Car' a la Bugatti, and it has already been available for more than a decade."