By Otsile Kadiege

In 2004, the reborn Bugatti brand transformed the world of automotive performance and luxury with a 1,001 hp hyper sports car: the Veyron. The first road car with more than 1,000 hp was succeeded in 2016 by another engineering feat so ambitious it reset all expectations of performance, the world’s first 1,500 hp car: the Chiron. At the heart of these cars was the world’s most advanced automotive engine: an 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16. Now, 20 years after Bugatti invented the hyper sports car, it redefines the concept completely with an entirely new powertrain and platform with the all-new the Tourbillon.

Tourbillon V16 powerplant

Straight off the bat, Bugatti ditched the old W18 engine for a new Cosworth-designed 8.3-litre naturally aspirated, high-revving V16 engine that’s paired with an 8-speed DCT gearbox. The powerplant is also paired with a front e-Axle with two electric motors and one electric motor mounted at the rear axle. In total, the Tourbillon produces 1,800 hp (1,342 kW) with 1,000 from the combustion engine itself and 800 hp from the electric motors.  Constructed from lightweight materials, the engine weighs just 252 kg. Bugatti claims the Tourbillon will accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just 2 seconds and has a top speed of 445 km/h.

The electric motors are powered by a 25 kWh oil-cooled 800V battery housed in the central tunnel and behind the passengers. With four-wheel-drive and full torque-vectoring, it offers ultimate traction and agility. The front e-axle houses two electric motors, with a further motor on the rear axle, for a total of 800 hp from the electric powertrain system. The electric powertrain, with the electric motors spinning up to 24,000 RPM and a fully integrated dual silicon-carbide inverter, is among the most power-dense in the world. The e-axles are delivering over 6 kW per kg of e-axle mass, including inverters, motors and gearboxes. While power, throttle response and torque-fill are priorities for the electric powertrain, the relatively large energy content of 25 kWh allows for a very usable all-electric range of more than 60 km / 37 miles.

Braking performance comes in the form of Bugatti’s bespoke brake-by-wire system. It’s fully integrated with the moveable pedal box, and blended through an integrated vehicle non-linear controller developed by Bugatti to the hybrid powertrain. Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tires – 285/35 R20 at the front and 345/30 R21 at the rear – are a bespoke development for the Tourbillon.

Tourbillon chassis

The Tourbillon is designed around entirely new chassis and body structure. The structure is made from a next-generation T800 carbon composite, which incorporates a number of weight-saving innovations, such as integrating the battery as a structural part of the monocoque and an unprecedented crash composite rear diffuser, inspired by top level motorsport. The front composite air-ducts that flow through the front of the car are also integral to the structure, ensuring that each and every part of the rigid, lightweight structure is optimized.

The completely new chassis integrates multi-link suspension front and rear, forged from aluminum, moving on from the double wishbone steel construction found in the Chiron. By opting for a new organic-designed suspension arm and upright, 3D-printed in aluminum, engineers have saved 45% in suspension weight compared with the Chiron. The rear also features an AI-developed 3D-printed hollow airfoil arm to enhance vehicle dynamics and aerodynamic performance.

Tourbillon exterior

As with every Bugatti of the modern era, the Tourbillon is ‘shaped by speed’. At the heart of the Tourbillon’s design ethos is the iconic horseshoe, from which all lines of the car originate, shaping the central fuselage volume. Other exterior highlights include slim LED headlights, gaping air inlets, staggered 20- and 21-inch wheels, pronounced rear haunches, Bugatti La Voiture Noire inspired LED taillights with ‘BUGATTI’ lettering on the centre, quad exhaust tips and a massive rear diffuser.

Tourbillon interior

In a bid to make the interior of the Tourbillon timeless, the Bugatti design team were inspired by the world of horologie, in which wristwatches over 100 years old can still be worn and used today. Interior highlights include electrically actuated dihedral doors, a centre console designed by Swiss watchmakers, a fixed-hub steering wheel, a centre console made of crystal glass and aluminium, and a deployable high-definition digital screen displays vehicle data and media.

Availability

The Bugatti Tourbillon now enters its testing phase, with prototypes already on the road in anticipation for customer deliveries in 2026. A total of 250 examples will be built, with a starting price of 3.8m EUR net. Hand-assembly will take place at the Bugatti Atelier in Molsheim, following the final W16-powered Bugatti models, Bolide and W16 Mistral.