Bugatti Tourbillon marks a new era with a 1,800 hp v-16 plug-in hybrid powertrain

Bugatti announced on Thursday the successor to the Chiron, a V-16-powered plug-in hybrid hypercar called the Tourbillon.

Rather than naming a new hypercar after a famous racing driver from Bugatti history, the Tourbillon gets its name from a high-end watch, as does Chiron and its predecessor, the Veyron. Like haute horlogerie, the Bugatti Tourbillon is a celebration of mechanical complexity, Mate Remac, Ceo of parent company Bugatti Remac, said in the car's publication.

Production is limited to 250 units and delivery is scheduled to begin in 2026, with a price set at about4400 million. In the meantime, Bugatti will complete the remaining W-16 cars, including the Bolido track car and the Mistral Roadster.

This is the first Bugatti created under the control of Rimac, also responsible for the Rimac Nevera and Concept_One electric supercar. However, Rimac felt Bugatti was demanding the feelings of an internal combustion engine, so he commissioned a new naturally aspirated 8.0-liter V-16 to replace the quad turbocharged 8.3-liter wide 16 engine, which was the signature element of the Chiron and Veyron.

The first production since the engine that powered the 1990s Cizeta V16t supercar V-16 will rotate to 9,000 rpm and will be 1,000 horsepower by itself. It has partnered with an 8-speed dual clutch transmission and 3 electric motors (2 on the front and 1 on the rear), adding 800 horsepower, totaling 1,800 horsepower, and features a wider power band than a naturally aspirated engine can offer alone.

The structurally integrated 25kwh T-shaped battery pack sits behind a central tunnel and seat, and while Bugatti claims to provide up to 37 miles of electrical range, it is unclear whether it is a more generous European WLTP cycle or a more rigorous U.S. EPA cycle. Even with the puck and the motor, Remac claims that the tourbillon is lighter than the Chiron (but he won't say how much). This was achieved in part by the use of 3D printed parts containing suspensions that are claimed to be 45% lighter than those used for chirons.

Bugatti estimates 2.0〜0〜62mph acceleration in less than 5.0 seconds, 0〜124mph in less than 10.0 seconds, 0〜186mph in less than 25.0 seconds, and 0-248mph in less than 0 seconds. The acceleration will eventually stop at 276mph.

Bugatti claims that the tourbillon does not share components with the Chiron, but its styling is evolutionary. The Bugatti Horseshoe grill is widened and sits further forward, and its adjacent intake is larger. The hoop-like elements that hold the side air intakes remain, but now frame the McLaren-style butterfly door. The central spine, inspired by the riveted half of the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, comes back as well. A larger rear diffuser means less reliance on the pop-up rear wing and also doubles as a crash structure.

Despite the extension of the engine and the addition of a battery pack, Bugatti claims that the interior space is the same as Chiron's.Inside, there are complex mechanical gauge clusters made with the help of Swiss watchmakers, consisting of more than 600 parts, including those made from titanium and gemstones. The center console is made of aluminum and specially designed crystal glass. The touchscreen is deployed from the console only when needed.