The naturally-aspirated V16 is paired with a trio of electric motors for 1,775 hp and a top speed of 445 km/h.
Bugatti has recently revealed its successor to the Chiron, and the big news with its new Tourbillon is for this hybrid hypercar to come packing an 8.3-litre naturally-aspirated V16!
The first of this format to power a road car since the Cizeta-Moroder V16T, this Cosworth-designed naturally-aspirated 16-cylinder (that screams to 9,000 rpm by the way) virtually matches the original Veyron’s quad-turbo-assisted horsepower count at 986 horsepower. Though that is only to be half the story, as its tri-motor (two up front and one in the rear) hybrid system then tops that up further to the tune of an extra 789 hp, for a combined 1,775 horsepower.
Funnily enough, Bugatti has yet to officially quote a torque figure for the Tourbillon. What it has instead noted however is for its centrally-mounted 25 kWh battery to be capable of offering up to 60 km of zero-emissions cruising with this hybrid hypercar, as well as for its 800 V PHEV charging hardware to top up said pack from 0-80% in just 12 minutes.
Indulging a little here on the nerdier aspects of the Tourbillon too, this latest electrified Bugatti with its quarter-tonne V16 is somehow actually lighter than the outgoing Chiron. This is thanks in large part to its integrating its battery pack as a structural member of the carbon fibre monocoque, in addition to the liberal utilisation of components constructed from 3D-printed aluminium.
This being a Bugatti however, what is probably more important to know is that with the insertion of its second speed key, the Tourbillon is currently touted to only max out at 445 km/h (276 mph). And likely to no one’s surprise here, that top speed is of course on track to see this hybrid hypercar continue the Bugatti tradition of cementing itself as the world’s fastest road car.
Expectedly for the world’s fastest road cars too, the Tourbillon is to be one of the world’s fastest accelerating road cars as well. Bugatti is currently quoting that a blast from 0-100 km/h in the Tourbillon will be achieved in 2 seconds dead, which is 0.4 seconds faster than the outgoing Chiron. This hybrid hypercar is also touted to lay down a 0-200 km/h time of less than 5 seconds, a 0-300 km/h time of under 10 seconds and a 0-400 km/h time of below 25 seconds.
And while on the topic of time, it would be remissed to highlight this Bugatti’s five-dial gauge cluster that looks like a high-end timepiece. Just taking a slight tangent to discuss its model name here as well, the Tourbillon is actually to be a specific mechanism found in high-end timepieces that eliminate timekeeping inconsistencies caused by gravity.
As for other highlights within its ‘timeless’ cabin on the other hand, the Tourbillon features a fixed hub steering wheel (alá Citroen of the mid-2000s) so that the driver’s view of the instruments is never blocked by its twin spokes. Also observed on this hypercar is a crystal pull-to-start starter lever that pays homage to the starting procedures of the Bugattis from days gone past, in addition to a digital screen at the top of its centre console that only shows itself when needed.
Finally finishing off with a quick discussion on its exterior here, Tourbillon’s face could be likened to a Chiron that has been squashed slightly from above. A set of dramatic dihedral doors meanwhile takes centre stage down the sleek profile of this Bugatti, before passing the baton to the massive rear diffuser that both masterfully blends in, yet fully dictates the design at its rump.
Now for any billionaire who wishes to procure one of these Tourbillon’s for themselves, the current starting price for this latest and greatest Bugatti is €3.8 million (RM 19.2 million) plus taxes, thereby making it the most expensive new car in ‘series’ production today. But alas don’t even bother thinking about booking one now if you haven’t already, as all 250 units that have been allocated for production have reportedly long been snapped up before its official launch.
