Mat Armstrong takes wrecked Bugatti Chiron out for its first ever test drive and people are saying the build has one person to thank for it
Published on May 05, 2026 at 10:37 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on May 15, 2026 at 6:23 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Mat Armstrong was finally able to drive his wrecked Bugatti Chiron for the first time since buying it and attempting to overhaul it himself.
The project is far from finished, but Armstrong and his team are making fast progress.
It’s been a massive undertaking, and some of the things the team had to do were quite bold.
But there’s one contribution in particular that stood out.
The story behind Mat Armstrong’s Bugatti Chiron
After fixing several high-performance cars, Mat Armstrong upped the ante by taking on a wrecked Bugatti Chiron.
This, in comparison, made everything else that came before it look easy.
The first and perhaps biggest problem with the hypercar was the fact that Bugatti refused to help and apparently blacklisted the VIN, which meant Armstrong and his team couldn’t get original parts for the car anywhere in the world.
This is because Bugatti determined that the car was compromised and there was nothing anyone could do to change the hypercar maker’s mind.
Plan B saw Mat Armstrong resort to some pretty clever tactics to fix the car.
Among other things, he replaced the destroyed airbags with new ones out of an Audi A3 – believe it or not.
And then we need to talk about the real reason why Armstrong was able to drive the Bugatti again.
A fellow YouTuber and mechanic built two key components from scratch
Mat Armstrong had to thank Bob from The Machine Shop for getting the car running again.
Bob performed significant work to rebuild the damaged Bugatti Chiron.
Among other things, he built replacement radiators from scratch, and then he spent 60 hours creating a custom front crash bar – again from scratch.
Even though they were unable to 3D scan the original part to use as a starting point and a reference, Bob somehow successfully replicated the exact same design.
He even managed to include mounting points and threads, allowing it to bolt directly to the chassis legs.
Even though the hypercar is still nowhere near roadworthy again – as you can clearly see from the pictures – Bob’s contribution was crucial.
To be honest, it wasn’t clear from the clip whether Bob’s magic touch made the car drivable again just for the sake of a short video, or whether it actually made it structurally and mechanically sound.
But Armstrong’s YouTube output is prodigious, so we’re sure we’re going to find out more in the next video, which is probably just a few days away.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
