Mat Armstrong responds to rumor circulating of a hairline gearbox crack on wrecked Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport
Published on Mar 17, 2026 at 1:55 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Mar 16, 2026 at 7:43 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
Mat Armstrong has spoken out about the circulating rumor of a hairline gearbox crack on his wrecked Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport.
This project has been a long-running saga for a quite a while now.
It’s generated a lot of interest online, and that has led to the rumor mill churning out a few stories.
In a recent video, Armstrong set the record straight.
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The truth behind the rumors of a hairline crack in the gearbox of this Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport
When Armstrong’s viewers spotted what they thought was a hairline crack in the Pur Sport’s gearbox, they were quick to flag it up to the YouTuber.
He decided to take a closer look to see if there was anything to be worried about.
But first, what exactly is a hairline crack and how worried would Armstrong have to be if this was indeed what was on the gearbox?
Hairline cracks are very fine, and resemble hair-strands.
A lot has to be taken into consideration when weighing up how big a problem they are – whereabouts they are on the gearbox, the material of the gearbox, etc.
Regarding this Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, there was a lot of apprehension for Armstrong and his team.
They lifted the car up and went in for closer inspection.
The reported crack was near the solenoids.
“It doesn’t feel like a crack, it feels like residue,” Armstrong observed, as he ran his finger along it.
After applying some spray and running a cloth over it, the ‘crack’ was gone.
Turns out it was just some residue or dirt after all.
Although it was a false alarm, he thanked his viewers for raising it with him, as it would only have gotten worse had it gone unnoticed.
Mat Armstrong’s project has seen a lot of bumps in the road
This is just the latest chapter in a long-running saga.
The Bugatti was originally owned by content creator Alex Gonzalez, AKA fxalexgyt, the Chiron was damaged during a stunt, and it was soon found listed on Copart in a pretty poor state.
When Armstrong got his hands on it, he set about getting it back on the road.
Since then, it’s been one thing after another, with even Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac even speaking out at one point.
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Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
