When the Bugatti Tourbillon took center stage in June of 2024, nearly everything written about it (including the piece I wrote) fawned over its meticulous dash, its beautiful curves, and included every chrono-pun one could think of. Finally, Bugatti has given us a peek at what's actually under the hood.
And whoa! It's not just good, it's an engineering marvel (much like the Tourbillon's dash). Sure, every high-end exotic car company is in a constant race to outdo one another – better engine, better aero, more grip, more technology, and so on ... But what Bugatti has done with the Tourbillon is a masterpiece of mechanical integration for saving space and weight, and turning the efficiency dial to 13 ... you know ... because analog clocks only go to 12 ...
If you read my previous pieces on Koenigsegg's Light Speed Tourbillon Transmission (to Koenigsegg's credit, it used the name "Tourbillon" a full year before Bugatti unveiled its car) or the 800-hp Dark Matter electric motor in the Gemera, you know I have a love for all things motor. Both internal combustion engines and electric motors have their pros and cons and each has a time and place ... in the case of Bugatti's latest flagship hypercar, that time and place is together in the Tourbillon.
Bugatti's now-signature naturally aspirated V16 sits in the rear of the Tourbillon. Mated to that beautiful 968-hp (735-kW) V16 is an torque-vectoring 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and a 335-hp (250-kW) electric pulling triple duty: a starter, a generator, and a torque booster.
If I didn't make it clear earlier, this Bugatti is all about integration.
Bugatti has used a quad-turbo setup since the EB110, launched back in 1991. In 2005, the quad-turbo, W16-engined, 253-mph (407-km/h) Veyron hit the street. Then every two years came a new Veyron: The Grand Sport, the Super Sport (which held the world speed record for a bit), followed by the Grand Sport Vitesse. Each pretty much looked the same, just a tad faster.
By 2016, the Bugatti Chiron was born, also sporting the quad-turbo W16. Four more Chiron iterations were made through 2024, including the track-focused Divo, the one-off and world's most expensive car at the time Bugatti La Voiture Noire (which translates roughly to "I am Batmannnn!"), the US$8.8-million Bugatti Centodieci, and the track only Bugatti Bolide (can you say 300-plus mph?). The first Bugatti-Rimac collaboration and the last of the quad-turbo 8-liter W16 line was the 2024 Bugatti Mistral.
Gone is the heavier W16 and gone is the weight and complication of four turbos and associated plumbing. The Tourbillon was even able to shed two radiators from previous W16 Bugatti models. Its eight radiators handle everything from high and low-temp loops to oil cooling – which is how Bugatti cools the Tourbillon's batteries that power its three identically spec'd electric motors.
It gets to be a bit more magical with what's happening up front. Similar to the Dark Matter in the Koenigsegg, a single housing unit sits between the front tires – and that's where the similarities end. In it are two gearboxes and two electric motors, each connected to its own wheel giving the Tourbillon all-wheel drive. Each electric motor pumps out 335 hp and spools up to an incredible 24,000 rpm, focused more on high-speed lightweight efficiency as opposed to low-end torque.
Did I mention integration?
The T-shaped 800-volt battery that powers the EV side of things doesn't even have a case. It would weigh too much to fashion a battery cover – instead, the monocoque body of the Tourbillon is the case. Its 1,500-plus cells will get around 37 miles (60 km) of range in pure EV mode, not that range is a priority for the Tourbillon ... more like zero engine lag, crazy speed and power, and the most efficient, compact, lightweight design possible for pure performance.
Is it even a hybrid anymore? Or a harmony?
Source: Bugatti
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