PRODIGIOUS POWER, BLISTERING SPEEDS
Now it doesn’t look like it, but the Bugatti Tourbillon is technically a hybrid. It features a brand-new powertrain ambitiously developed from the ground up and infused with Formula One-derived technologies – one that mates an 8.3-litre naturally aspirated V16 engine with two electric motors on the front axle plus another at the rear.
Altogether, they spit out a whopping 1,800 horsepower in total: 1,000hp from the combustion engine and 800hp from the three electric motors, with the latter providing a pure electric range of more than 60km.
With maximum torque coming in at 900Nm, this prodigious power translates to blistering speeds of zero to 100km/h in two seconds flat, 0-200km/h in under five seconds, 0-300km/h in under 10, and 0-400km/h in less than 25 seconds.
“The powertrain was perhaps the most important decision that we had to make,” said Scervo.
The team considered every option available: Re-engineer Bugatti’s existing W16 engine, go fully electric, or create an entirely new platform.
“Ultimately, we chose the hardest possible option, but it was important to us that this car retained that pure and raw analogue feel of a naturally aspirated combustion engine, while pairing it with the agility and ability provided by electric motors,” he explained.
The result is a vehicle pre-possessing a remarkable feat of engineering that, astonishingly, weighs even less than the Chiron.
And what does it sound like when the Tourbillon reaches the 9,000rpm redline? “It is a visceral, awe-inspiring experience that will echo for eternity.”
A NEW CHAPTER IN HISTORY
It’s been 20 years since Bugatti invented the world’s first hypercar and the Tourbillon represents a brand new chapter in its history.
“Yes, it is crazy to build a new V16 engine, to integrate a new battery pack and electric motors, and to have a real Swiss-made watchmaker instrument cluster and 3D-printed suspension parts and a crystal glass centre console. But it is what Ettore would have done, and it is what makes a Bugatti incomparable and timeless. Without that kind of ambition, you might create a great hyper sports car, but you wouldn’t create an icon pour l’éternité (for eternity),” Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac summarised.
Only 250 units of the Tourbillon will be produced, with a starting price of close to €4 million (US$4.37 million; S$ 5.87 million) before configuration and options. Customer deliveries will begin in 2026, and one can’t help but wonder if the Malaysian tycoon who purchased three Bugattis from the Singapore showroom has already placed his order for the Tourbillon to add to his collection, which already includes the Divo, Chiron and Bolide.
