By: Double Apex
The Chiron is no more. Say hello to the Bugatti Tourbillon, the latest in the ever-growing hypercar list from the German-owned French brand. Only 250 units will be built and they will go on sale from 2026 at a reported price of around 3.8 billion euro (R68 million).
That’s about half the production run of its predecessors the Veyron and Chiron.
Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti, said: The development of the Bugatti Tourbillon was guided at every step by the 115 years of Bugatti history and the words of Ettore Bugatti himself.
His mantras ‘if comparable it is no longer Bugatti’ and ‘nothing is too beautiful’ were a guiding path for me personally, as well as the design and engineering teams looking to create the next exciting era in the Bugatti hyper sports car story.
The Bugatti Tourbillon is all-new from the ground up. The basis is a new carbon-fibre monocoque. But the outward appearance seems somewhat evolutionary. There are strong links between its predecessor and the latest, which are all intentional.
New W16 hybrid powerplant
The biggest news for the Bugatti Tourbillon is the all-new powertrain. Bugatti has done away with the quad-turbo W16 used in the Veyron and Chiron. In its place there is a naturally aspirated V16 that revs to 9,000rpm. On its own the 8.3-litre Cosworth-developed ICE unit produces 736kW. That the same output of the original Veyron, which as boosted by four turbochargers.
However, the powertrain also makes use of a trio of electric motors. There is a single motor sandwiched between the ICE and eight-speed transmission. Two others are sited on front axle, All up the hybridised system produces 1,324 kW (or 1,800 hp in old money). There is enough power from the electrical system to travel up to 60km without using any fuel.
The newest hypercar had to beat the stats of its predecessors and it does. The Tourbillon can zip from rest to 100 km/h in 2.0 seconds flat. Three seconds later it will blast past 200. The 0-300 km/h run takes an incredible 10 seconds. Top speed is rated as 445km/h.
Evolutionary design
Frank Heyl, Bugatti director of design said: “The creations of Ettore and Jean Bugatti are ingenious in their aerodynamics, innovation and enduring beauty. We draw from the Bugatti Type 35, where the whole shape of the car was guided by the shape of the horseshoe grille, tapering back into this streamlined fuselage shape.
“We find inspiration in the Type 57SC Atlantic – the S stood for Surbaissé, which essentially meant lowered – bringing down the frontal area, lowering the roofline, lowering the driver and creating this wonderful stance and proportion. If the car is lower, it looks wider and the size of the wheels are emphasised; it looks like there is tension in the muscles, a posture ready to pounce. Every design decision is geared towards creating a sense of speed even at a standstill.”
Click here to check out some unlikely members of the 1,000 hp club
* This article originally appeared on Double Apex and is used with their permission.
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