Last year when Bugatti announced its prototype Bolide hypercar, many multimillionaires were doubtless eager to obtain one of the ultra-extreme vehicles for themselves. Well, they'll soon have the chance, as the French automaker is moving the Bolide into limited production.
To recap our previous coverage, the existing prototype Bolide is built around Bugatti's quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine, and was designed with track use in mind. According to simulations conducted by the company at the time of the announcement, the car was claimed to be capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 2.2 seconds, and of reaching a top speed of over 500 km/h (311 mph).
Although performance specs haven't been provided for the production version of the car, its available power output will be 1,600 PS (1,578 hp) – as opposed to the prototype's 1,850 PS (1,824 hp) – with a torque figure of 1,600 Nm (1,180 ft lb) starting at 2,250 rpm. This decrease is due to the fact that whereas the prototype runs on 110-octane racing fuel, the production model is designed to use more widely available 98 RON gas.
Because the production car will be used by members of the public – or at least, a very few of them – extra safety measures are being built into it. These include HANS head-restraint system compatibility, an automatic fire extinguishing system, central wheel locking, and a six-point safety belt system.
The whole thing should have a curb weight of 1,450 kg (3,197 lb), which is certainly a tad heavier than the prototype's estimated 1,240 kg (2,733 lb). It will therefore have a weight-to-power ratio of 0.9 kg (2 lb) per PS when 98 RON gas is used.
Plans call for just 40 Bugatti Bolides to be designed and manufactured over the next three years, with delivery to buyers taking place in 2024. Each car will be priced at 4,000,000 euros, or about US$4.7 million.
Source: Bugatti
