No one wanted to miss this test. MSIMA staff, guest writers, fans, friends, family, rabbis and priests alike all flew out to the west coast for this one.

Never before had two vehicles of such historical importance been brought together like this, and we here at MSIMA had the honor to not only perform our first comparison test, but to have done so with such cars. From our staff, thank you to all those who participated, and here are our thoughts.

We picked up our rental cars from LAX and headed west into the Sierra Mountains. The anticipation within our VW Golf was heavy enough to have overloaded the suspension, yet we persisted.

Nestled high up in the mountains, we reached our home for the next week, the Sky View Inn (4.6 stars on Google Reviews). And there in the parking lot, glistening and sweating in the California sun, sat our two cars: a 2021 Bugatti Chiron and a recreation 2021 BC Mesopotamian Ox Cart.

The Chiron needs no introduction. A well-fit evolution of VW Bugatti’s AWD 16-cylinder goliath, the driving experience is pure magic despite the Bug weighing a few pounds. You are made well aware of the car’s size and power in this environment, as the suspension adjusts beneath you and fights for grip on sloping hairpins. Lay back on the power, and all four turbos come online with diesel-like torque, teleporting you to the next corner as the huge brakes clamp down and wastegates woosh over your shoulder like breaking waves.

Dan Verona said at the bottom of his first canyon run, “The whole time that bloated tank felt like it was threatening to murder me with a piece of gold-plated rebar to the skull. It dared it to, but it never did. I like this car.”

But even the mighty Chiron’s spec sheet pales in comparison to the other vehicle we found parked out front.

Our Ox Cart was equipped with a set of 30” 10-spoke ash wood wheels, making for plenty of purchase on the road. Up front, power comes from a 5 year old Ayrshire Ox, very well kept by its owner and running on a mix of grains and greens. The cart body is made from similar materials and includes lattice fencing for impressive weight reduction. Unsprung weight is kept to a minimum by a complete lack of suspension, making for the sort of rough ride one would expect from such a focused performance vehicle.

The First Drive

We took the day to get acquainted with our cars and surroundings. In two days we would head to Chuckwalla Valley Raceway to battle it out on track, but until then we had the sunny sierra mountains and two cars that couldn’t have been better suited.

Jumping into the Chiron, you’re met with opulence. Not a surface you touch isn’t adorned with exquisite materials. And the build quality is leagues ahead of almost any car in its category.

The damping in EB mode is sublime across the Californian tarmac

“The car had immense grip but your senses are quickly overwhelmed by just how

Then came the Ox Cart.

We each gazed up the finely cleaned hide of our Ox, our eyes following the clean lines from where the cart is mounted to the aft, admiring its lacquered Lebanese cedar construction.

Weighing in at around 500lbs, the ox cart not only puts the Chiron to shame, but many other modern day race cars as well. Climbing into the cart is an effortless affair, made even easier thanks to the lack of a roof in this more hardcore speedster model.

“It’s the worlds most focused convertible. Noting can distract you from the driving experience, and nothing can truly immerse you within the environment outside of a motorbike”, MSIMA writer Monty said about the Ox Cart.

However some where a little less enthusiastic about the lack of a roof, with Justin being quoted as saying “I’m hot”.

Our first drive took us southwest to Big Bear Lake, where we would do a photo shoot before stopping by Bianca & Pierre’s Restaurant for brunch and pies.

The two set off, with the big bug kicking up a cloud of dust as Daniel and Justin left the parking lot.

The ox cart, ever modest, lumbered along the winding canyon pass with less initial vigor, as our ox gave her best to move us up hill.

“The road feel in the ox cart was other worldly, thanks in part to the iron tires and stiff suspension. You have the most direct connection of any road car on the market today”

High Temp Mayhem

On our drive to Big Bear Lake, we took the time to enjoy the roads and revel in just how special it is to have these two cars. The cracked California tarmac has been the benchmark for testing road cars, and today was no different. The oppressive sun beat down on both cars, as we tried to keep temperatures at bay. However, about an hour into the drive, the Chiron had stop and cool off its massive w16.

The Ox Cart, ever persistent, had to come to the big bug’s aid. The Ox Cart, as hard core as this model is, vastly exceeded the Bugatti’s trunk space. This allowed us to carry water, coolant, and ice to keep the French hypercar going, all while having a negligible impact on performance.

While we addressed the Chiron’s fever, the Ox Cart was able to show off its cutting edge autonomous features. Not only can the ox cart drive itself, a feat many modern manufacturers claim to do, but it can also refuel itself. By stopping near some shrubs, grasses, and plants, the ox cart will consume what it needs until its tank is full. All this means you have an almost net-zero emissions car from a truly zero emissions fuel source that can be freely found at almost any place on planet earth. The ox cart can even go and forage for fuel when you are at work, our for lunch, and even at home! This is a true game changer technology, whereas the Chiron relies on tried and tested gasoline, and the premium stuff that that.

Once the Chiron had cooled down, we made our way to Bianca’s, where the two cars garnered a crowd of onlookers. But much to our surprise, it was the humble Sumerian Ox Cart that stole the show. The younger crowed in particular, was enamored with the Oxen, no doubt inspiring the next generation of petrol heads.

After stopping *ROAD* traffic during our burger stop, the we drove the two cars to lake LAKE for magazine photos (which you can read in our latest issue in Mis-Shift Into My Auto Magazine). However, the day would end early as we headed back to the Sky View motel. We needed to save our energy for tomorrow’s track battle.

MSIMA Power Laps

Not long after, the sun would rise on our hotly anticipated track day. We departed Sky View in our test cars, a convoy of lesser vehicles trailing behind as we carved our way down the mountain tarmac. Our drive lasted through the morning with a mandatory gas station slushie break, and we continued east until Chuckwalla Valley Raceway emerged from the desert mirage.

Many thanks to our gratuitous sponsor Strada Racing USA for handling our track rental free of charge.

The heat was oppressive that day, and the toll it had taken on the Chiron warranted an hour or so of parking lot cooldown time. However, the Ox Cart seemed unaffected by the temperature, likely due to its endurance optimization and well-established presence in similar climates. As the big Bug recovered, we set up for a lap-to-lap comparison.

For consistency, we opted to remove drivers from the equation for this test, and let the vehicles run on their own.

The Ox Cart was let loose at the starting line, leaping to its top speed like no other vehicle can. Shortly after, it strayed from the course and began wandering around the property at Chuckwalla, nibbling on shrubs as it went. Roughly 1 hour 26 minutes later, our Ox found its way back to the start / finish line, setting our first time of the day.

Disappointingly, the Chiron failed to begin its lap with the absence of a driver and was marked as a DNF for the day.

On that low-note for the hypercar crowd, we figured it was time to get both of these automotive titans on track together.

The Chiron is a major departure from the Veyron dynamically, with the car not only being much more eager to turn in, but also much more controllable. Engaging handling mode heightens the car’s dynamics and adds the precision and road feel you want on track.

Turn it, notice a hint of built in understeer, the ride all 1500 hp in a magnificent four – wheel drift as the car’s computer magic helps keep you in control. It’s a thrilling experience, as Justin was quoted as saying “The comfort and surge of power you feel on road still present, but suddenly the continent cruiser has become an agile sports car!”

Not all where fully convinced. While the car was universally agreed to be fun on track, the weight, computer assistance, and more road focused suspension tuning of the Chiron had some wishing for more.

“It’s a phenomenal car, and a really impressive engineering achievement. However the weight (4398 lb, 1995kg) can’t be fully masked through a corner. Paired with the sublime but still road focused suspension and driver aids to achieve the dynamic balance the car has and the Chiron’s ability to be truly rewarding on track is dulled compared to other more focused cars” – Monty.

The ox cart shown equally good on track as it has on the road. You merely need to use the power of suggestion, and the ox cart will go exactly where you want it. And due to the direct steering and open air design, you can place the cart with pin point precision, all the while being able to tell how many layers of paint were applied to each rumble strip.

If a wheel touches gravel or grass, ox cart cares little. Other hypercars, like our Chiron, would have you facing oncoming traffic or worse. But the ox cart doesn’t step out or make a fuss, and grip is constant throughout the entire affair. In fact, it is very difficult to get to the limit of traction on this car, making it ideal for smashing lap times.

A subtle yet notable feature of the ox cart is the inclusion of an active aero system. Going into the corners, the ox’s head tilts up, directing airflow to the rear of the kart to increase traction. When accelerating out of a turn the ox tilts its head down, reducing drag and allowing for a higher top speed.

Not that the Chiron is lacking in similar technology. An active rear wing deploys to help glue the car to the ground, then under breaking it can act as an air brake. Flaps open and close to let in cooling air as needed to optimize drag. And active dampers work wonders to keep the car planted, adjusting stiffness to suit the track.

The ox cart lacks many of the active driving aids found on the Chiron and other modern hypercars. But this allows for a far less intrusive driving experience on the road and on track. You are an integral component to this car, involved in every step. You have total control over what the ox cart does, which we can’t say the same for the Chiron.

In Summation

At the end of the day, both of these cars were a blast. The Chiron indulges you with immense power, refinement, and performance, however the car’s road friendly manners meant that it fell short of our on-track expectations. It is a marvel of engineering and an immensely impressive exposition of road car technology, and yet on track you feel disconnected.

The Ox Cart, with its single Ox power, really establishes a back-to-basics connection between the driver and car. It’s raw, focused, but not uncompromising. The cart has wonderful road manners, a truly impressive amount of cargo space for a sports car, and the unique ability to refuel almost anywhere where grasses grow. Then on track, few cars can truly compare to the connectedness and instant response of an ox cart. And, like the Chiron, there are a plethora of options if you desire more creature comforts such as batteries, a roof, and air conditioning. However we at MSIMA believe the stripped down speedster model is the one to get if you’re truly after driving purity.

Man, we really did write 300 articles. And I know a good lot of you have been with us for a while too. So I hope you’ve all enjoyed consuming, and expect more crap to follow (even if the posting schedule has no rhyme or reason anymore).

Anyways, thank you all for reading our crap!

– Monty, Pierce, Dan “Pinecone” Verona, Backlicker, the Skinwalker, Comrade Zdzisław, Xaroula, your resident Pimp Master, SwedishDiesel, the NonCredible™ Mechanophile, Smith, Nii-San Tsuru, and the Bidster (et al).

🙂