See How the World's First 3D Printed Brake Caliper Held Up When Put to the Test

Bugatti made headlines earlier this year when it promised to have the world's first 3D printed brake caliper ready for testing. Now, the company recently debuted that caliper, showcasing exactly how well it works in a new video on Volkswagen's channel.

According to Bugatti, the caliper is "the world's largest 3D printed titanium pressure functional component ever produced on one of the most powerful brake test benches on the market."

It took over 45 hours to shape and melt this one titanium caliper with four lasers. While that process looked great on film, many car enthusiasts understood that process doesn't work for large-scale manufacturing. 

And the test itself was far from easy. It simulated braking speeds as fast as 249 mph. There were plenty of flames in the test video, especially as the caliper got close to its limit. The disc reached temperatures of 1,877 Fahrenheit. 

The video does more than showcase a creative caliper solution. The Volkswagen Group might one day put it into cars like the Chiron or Divo -- cars where lightweight solutions are critical to how it handles. 

Next on Bugatti's list is to speed up production and test the quality of calipers produced at faster speeds through this 3D printing process.