• 310mph speedometer
• Distractions reduced as you go faster
• Incredible attention to detail

Three things strike you when first climbing into the Chiron. The first is the gigantic speedometer, which reads right round to 310mph.

It’s an analogue gauge, rather than digital, Bugatti reasoning that if a young child managed to peer through the window of a car that was parked with the engine off, they’d still be able to read that incredible final measurement.

The next thing you notice is that unlike almost any even moderately expensive car, there is no screen in the centre console. There are two small screens either side of the speedometer which can display trip, audio and navigation details, but they’ll seem disappointingly modest to tech-loving drivers.

Bugatti, sensibly, would rather you keep your eyes focused on the job in hand when driving your 1,500hp supercar, and has even configured the instrument cluster to pare back on information displayed as your speeds increase, giving you only key details like speed and engine revs.

Not the most intuitive controls, but immense quality

The centre console itself is home to four rotary dials, which primarily control the heating system, but can also be used for other functions, like monitoring the car’s performance, though this multi-task setup might require some learning.

The third thing that strikes is the incredible attention to detail. The quality of the components is superb, and bar an appearance on the seatbelt clasp, it’s hard to find a trace of plastic anywhere. Everything you can see and touch appears to be made from leather, aluminium or carbonfibre. The steering wheel, for instance, is milled from one huge aluminium billet.

Other things to note include excellent forward visibility thanks to slim windscreen pillars. And less than excellent rear visibility, the view bisected by the strange central cabin divider running top to bottom, and the large spoiler at the tail.

• Extreme luxury extends to refinement
• Astonishing ride comfort for a 261mph car
• No other hypercar matches it here

The Chiron is unique among extreme supercars for focusing as much on luxury and refinement as it does on performance. And despite the huge 20-inch front and 21-inch rear tyres and the mammoth engine behind your head, the cabin is so quiet that even beyond 150mph, you don’t need to raise your voice to be heard.

The ride comfort is also excellent, particularly considering this car has been engineered to remain rock solid at almost 300mph, smoothing always surface imperfections and gliding over cobbled streets better than some hot hatches.

Factor in the excellent seat comfort, and you have the makings of a very relaxed high-speed express. While some rivals might be fun for 15 minutes, the Bugatti is ready to tackle entire continents.

Our final point is an unusual one to find in a section that normally extols the virtues of comfort and refinement: we can’t help thinking that people buy supercars for the excitement, and that the Bugatti sounds a little too muted.