While the Chiron was essentially an evolution of the Veyron before it, the Tourbillon represents a radical departure. Molsheim’s all-new performance flagship ditches the quad-turbo W-16 engine in favor of a V-16 without forced induction. Cosworth helped develop the naturally aspirated powerhouse, which features an 8.3-liter displacement and an impressively low curb weight. It tips the scales at just 556 pounds, or about 42 percent less than the Chiron’s heart.
Bugatti and Cosworth engineers achieved the significant weight reduction partly by eliminating the four turbochargers. Mate Rimac told Top Gear magazine he doesn’t see the point of using turbos in a hybrid supercar, arguing that the hybrid component compensates for the loss in power while providing the benefits of electrification. In the Tourbillon, there’s a large battery with a gross capacity of 24.8 kilowatt-hours, good for 43 miles (70 kilometers) of range without firing up the V-16.
Photo by: Bugatti
‘I have driven them all and I don’t get it, really. Why would you have a hybrid powertrain with a turbo engine? Like, a turbo engine is a compromise on its own, right?’
Bugatti Rimac’s head honcho revealed that deleting the quad-turbo setup resulted in a 600-horsepower loss. However, the three electric motors compensate, and then some, delivering a combined 800 hp. Factoring in the combustion engine, which produces 1,000 hp on its own, the Tourbillon is more potent than its predecessors and ends up lighter. Aside from dropping the turbos, the weight savings also come from a new suspension that’s 45% lighter, thanks to 3D printing. The whole car weighs less than 4,398 pounds (1,995 kilograms) with all fluids and a nearly full tank of gas.
While most hybrid supercars are turbocharged, the Lamborghini Revuelto sticks to a naturally aspirated V-12. The LaFerrari also featured a naturally aspirated, electrified twelve-cylinder engine, but the new F80 uses a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6. While Porsche hasn’t released a follow-up to the 918 Spyder and its naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V-8, the Mission X concept strongly hinted at a purely electric setup.
Mate Rimac isn’t closing the door on a pure ICE version of the V-16. He’s also open to the idea of a downsized hybrid configuration, even a single-motor Tourbillon that skips the pair of front motors to reduce fat further. A roadster is all but confirmed, so there are big plans beyond the 250 coupes planned for production.
Meanwhile, deliveries of the “normal” car will begin next year but not before producing 35 prototypes for testing purposes. Currently, Bugatti is hard at work delivering the remaining Bolide and Mistral units as the last examples of the W-16 breed.
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