The Veyron rewrote the supercar rulebook and established the hypercar genre that is thriving immensely today. Bugatti created a new boundary of what automotive engineering can do when pushed to the limit but over the years, the formula has been tweaked too. The Chiron pushed that ethos further but now the Tourbillion is a bold step towards changing the hypercar landscape much like what the Veyron did. This is not a reworked Chiron but an automotive Fabergé egg with a rocket engine strapped onto the back of it. Bugatti could have reworked the Chiron but instead went with a clean slate. The Tourbillon is all new and that includes its beguiling with massively powerful V16 engine.
The previous Bugatti cars had the W16 and it was turbocharged with the personality of the car built around it. However, with the Tourbillon, there is an all-new 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine, made with the help of Cosworth while the electric assistance comes with no less than three electric motors including an e-Axle with two electric motors and one electric motor mounted at the rear axle. Combined, the Tourbillon produces 1,800 hp with 1,000 from the combustion engine only and 800 hp from the electric motors.
Hence, this new Bugatti is an EV on one hand with more than many supercars from its electric motors alone but when combined with its epic engine, it simply becomes a rocketship for the road. The speed is 276 mph and for that, it needs a special key but what is amazing is that its bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are also capable of withstanding this much power. It also has a new chassis plus a new lightweight front e-axle with dual independent motors, including the dual-inverter, which fits within the same package space that was available in Chiron. Bugatti has amazingly managed to keep the weight of the Tourbillon in check despite its complex hybrid powertrain.
That said, there is a lot more to the Tourbillion than just raw power as the name has been plucked from a watchmaking tradition that focuses on craftsmanship. Bugatti has shunned the digital world for an analog look and that is what its billionaire clients like. The centrepiece is the instrument cluster which has been designed and built with the expertise of Swiss watchmakers.
It includes more than 600 parts and is constructed from titanium as well as gemstones such as sapphire and ruby. Even the skeletonized cluster weighs just 700g. Unlike other cars, it is also fixed in place as the rim of the steering wheel rotates around it. Hence, Tourbillon drivers have an unobstructed view of their instrumentation independent of the steering angle because the spokes reach around the back of the instrument cluster.
There is a screen that has been kept hidden to not disturb the gloriously analog ambiance that the interior generates. Even the center switchgear follows the Tourbillion ethos of being exposed with the intricate workings being visible. Bugatti has also managed to keep the purity of the driving experience with fixed seats along with adjustable pedals. Even the audio system is not the same as standard cars instead it has a more exotic lighter one with exciters on the door panels and throughout the car to use existing interior panels as speakers.
The Tourbillion then is more than just a run-of-mill hypercar that only worships speed as it also infuses luxury along with craftsmanship which befits its name. Unlike the Chiron only 250 examples would be hand-made for its clients but most have already been spoken for despite its hefty $3.9 million price tag. However, in terms of hypercars the Bugatti Tourbillion is truly something unique.