Bugatti reveals 'incomparable' 1,800hp Tourbillon

A 'timeless masterpiece' was required to replace the Chiron. Bugatti has not disappointed

We’d be the first to admit that the reveal of a new car can be a little underwhelming these days. There are many to get through and precious few can claim to be deserving of your undivided attention. But the rules are different whenever Bugatti unveils what it likes to call a ‘hyper sports car’. And that’s because its track record for producing landmark, era-defining cars is exemplary. The Veyron was the first road car with 1,001hp and, at the start of the 21st century, set a new and long-running benchmark for our definition of high performance. Then came the 1,500hp Chiron, which, in 2019, proved itself capable of exceeding 300mph - something other manufacturers are still aspiring to half a decade later. Bugatti reckons that taken together, its cars ‘transformed the world'. It is probably not wrong.

Now, finally, there is a new Bugatti, and on the basis that it is the first in more than 20 years not powered by the 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 - and is a Mate Rimac-championed hybrid to boot - it sets a historical precedent by default. But with an astonishing naturally aspirated V16 delivering the lion’s share of its 1,800hp output, and an entirely new carbon composite chassis underpinning the car, it is clear from the outset that the firm has attempted to make good on its claim that the newcomer ‘had to be incomparable in every respect’. Hence the name: Tourbillon - a reference to the ‘complex and beautiful’ mechanism invented 200 years ago to counteract the effect of gravity on timepieces, and still very much in use today.

To achieve the appropriate sense of ‘mechanical timelessness’, Bugatti has taken the Tourbillon in ostensibly divergent (though impressively well-resolved) directions. Here at last is a manufacturer which understands that intrusively large digital touchscreens effectively timestamp a car with a use-by-date. We’ll get to the stupendously wonderful analogue instrument cluster in a moment, but suffice it to say that Bugatti wants the Tourbillon to be regarded as heirloom-worthy by anyone with the money to buy it. While at the same time providing them with one of the most complex and cutting-edge powertrains ever created, in a platform and body bristling with patents and ‘technical beauty’.

So let’s start with that V16, all 8.3 litres of it. “The powertrain was perhaps the most important decision that we had to make, considering every option available to us; reengineering the W16, going fully electric or creating something entirely new,” commented Emilio Scervo, Bugatti’s CTO. “Ultimately, we chose the hardest possible option, creating a powertrain from scratch and pairing it seamlessly with a complex system of e-motors, a new generation eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and more, all developed from the ground up specifically for the Tourbillon.”

Mate Rimac has been outspoken in his insistence that any new Bugatti must be chiefly powered by combustion, and it is to the firm’s credit the ‘pure and raw analogue feel of a naturally aspirated combustion engine’ was considered essential to the way its hypercar would drive. Moreover, the unit itself appears to be a thoroughly worthy - if very different - follow-up to the W16. Engineered with help from Cosworth, the 90-degree V16 develops 1,000hp and 664lb ft of torque, and redlines at 9,000rpm. Unsurprisingly, it is said to offer a ‘visceral, awe-inspiring experience’ at that engine speed, and thanks to the lightweight materials used in its construction, weighs just 252kg.

The remarkable petrol motor is paired with a front ‘e-axle’ that houses two independent 340hp electric motors, theoretically capable of supplying up to 2,213lb ft of fully vectored torque at the wheels. There is an additional 340hp motor on the back axle of equivalent 24,000rpm design - they are said to be among the most power-dense in the world - although with just 177lb ft of torque claimed for it, supervision of the rear wheels is likely to fall to the V16, via an electronic limited-slip differential. The electric motors are powered by a 24.8kWh oil-cooled 800v battery located in the central tunnel and behind the occupants, capable of supplying beyond 600kW at its peak, as well as 37 miles of pure electric range. Should you need it.

While we are yet to learn how the powertrain, including the new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, operates in detail (although Bugatti’s reference to the ‘immediate torque and flexibility of electric motors’ suggests they’ll be doing all the hard work initially, as you might expect) the firm is happy to confirm one startling fact: the Tourbillon, despite the addition of electric motors and inverters and battery cells, is marginally lighter than the Chiron it replaces. Granted, its predecessor was hardly a flyweight prospect itself, but if the claimed 1,995kg (DIN) mass quoted on the supplied spec sheet is to be taken a face value, it seems like a commendable achievement for a car that seeks to pack so much technology in.

Predictably, the Tourbillon owes much of its belt-tightening to the entirely new chassis and body structure, much of it made from next-generation T800 carbon composite. The packaging alone appears to be a work of art. Not only is the battery integrated as part of the monocoque’s structure, Bugatti reckons the new front e-axle, including its dual inverter, fits into the same space that was available to the Chiron. It describes the enormous, motorsport-inspired 'crash concept' rear diffuser as ‘unprecedented’ and says that the air ducts that flow through the front of the car are integral to a platform that is not only lighter than its predecessor, but stiffer, too.

In terms of suspension, the Tourbillon features forged aluminium multi-link axles front and back, replacing the Chiron’s steel double wishbones, and saving some 45% in comparative weight. Bugatti claims to have used 3D printing liberally, not just in a new suspension arm and upright, but also in structural braces in the front and rear subframe. The brakes are no less advanced, featuring carbon-ceramic technology and operated via a bespoke brake-by-wire system which is integrated into a Bugatti-developed non-linear controller for the hybrid powertrain. The enormous tyres - 285/35 R20 at the front, 345/30 R21 at the rear - are a custom-made variant of Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2.

The size of the contact patches is indicative of the performance flowing through them. Bugatti does not make a significant fuss about the quoted acceleration time - possibly because they do not eclipse the record-breaking Rimac Nevera - but they are extraordinary nonetheless: 0-62mph in 2.0 seconds; 0-124mph in 5.0 seconds; 0-186mph in 10 seconds; 0-248mph in 25 seconds. For reference, the Chiron Super Sport 300+ managed 0-124mph in 5.8 seconds and 0-186mph in 12.1 seconds. Compared to a Veyron 16.4, the Tourbillon is fully 6.7 seconds quicker to 186mph. Much like its predecessors, the car’s top speed is restricted to 236mph in normal operation; its loftier 276mph limit must be accessed using the designated Speed Key.

As it did before, the ability to exceed 400km/h does leave its mark on the car’s styling. Aerodynamic (and thermodynamic) efficiency is cited as the guiding principle for the ‘shaped by speed’ silhouette, alongside four traditional design elements: the horseshoe grille, the so-called ‘Bugatti Line’, the central ridge and the dual colour split. Accordingly, the result is familiar - or at least immediately recognisable as a Bugatti, which is at least partly the point. But there are innovations aplenty, not least in the electrically actuated dihedral doors, which can be opened and closed from the key fob to provide ‘a dramatic sense of arrival’.

The real wow moment is saved for inside. In fact, there is a screen, but just one, and it’s completely hidden from view inside the centre console unless called upon. Otherwise, the interior appears to be authentically and very showily analogue. That instrument cluster? Made by Swiss watchmakers (obvs) from titanium and comprising 600 parts, including gemstones, with a fixed-hub steering wheel for an unobstructed view. The centre console? The aluminium parts are milled from a single block of metal, while the crystal glass goes through 13 stages to ensure clarity and toughness. The seats? Fixed to the floor for the sake of lightness with an electrically adjustable pedal box ensuring comfort. The engine start? A pull lever, just to heighten the physical experience. In short, Bugatti says it’s a ‘masterpiece of packaging and engineering’. Hard to argue with that from here.

That’s as it should be, of course, because its maker is charging masterpiece prices. While it is only now entering its dynamic test phase ahead of customer deliveries in 2026, the firm has confirmed that just 250 examples of the Tourbillon will be hand-built at the Bugatti Atelier in Molsheim, with a net starting price of 3.8m euros. Or around £3.2m. Nonetheless, Mate Rimac, so obviously the driving force behind many of punchier decisions, is adamant they were the correct ones: “So yes, it is crazy to build a new V16 engine, to integrate with 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,” he said. “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.” Fittingly, only time will tell if that's true.

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Iamnotkloot

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