Biography
The Bugatti Tourbillon is an upcoming mid-engine hybrid sports car manufactured by French automobile manufacturer Bugatti. The Tourbillon succeeds the Chiron and is limited to 250 units. It was unveiled in an online live stream on 20 June 2024. It comes in at a price tag of €3.8 million or US$4.1 million. The vehicle is named after the tourbillon mechanism, a balancing structure used in a variety of mechanical watches. Bugatti states that the Tourbillon is a completely new design, and does not share any components with the outgoing Chiron, but in keeping with the Bugatti brand lineage, it does share many of its key design cues, including the horseshoe grille, central spine, C-shaped side body lines, and two-tone body colour. One of the stated inspirations for the Tourbillon was mechanical watches, with the car containing a fully analog center console operated by mechanical gears, designed to look like a watch movement, while the speedometer and tachometer needles were arranged to resemble an hour and minute hand. Another design theme of the Tourbillon is a "skeletonized" mechanical design, where the mechanisms of components are made visible as a part of the design. The interior of the Tourbillon features a steering wheel with a fixed central hub where only the outer rim rotates, allowing the instrument cluster to remain visible at all times. It also features an infotainment screen that retracts into the dashboard when not in use. Bugatti says that, as in past models, their goal was to make sure that the car remains "timeless", even when the screen technology inevitably becomes outdated. The center panel of the Tourbillon is made from machined aluminum and machined crystal glass, while the watch-inspired instrument cluster is made from titanium by Swiss watchmaker Concepto. The Tourbillon is powered by a naturally aspirated 8,355 cc (8.4 L; 509.9 cu in) V16 engine. The engine, developed by Cosworth, has a bore x stroke of 92 mm × 78.55 mm (3.62 in × 3.09 in) and is implemented in conjunction with 3 electric motors, 2 located at the front axle and 1 at the rear. The engine has a power output of 1,000 PS (735 kW; 986 hp) and 900 N⋅m (664 lb⋅ft) of torque, while the electric motors have a combined power output of 800 PS (588 kW; 789 hp), making for a total of 1,800 PS (1,324 kW; 1,775 hp). Bugatti says that the choice to replace the quad turbocharger setup of the Chiron with a naturally aspirated engine was to make the experience "more emotional" and allow for a higher rev count, with the engine redlining at 9,000 rpm. The V16 features a crossplane crank design, a 90-degree bank angle, and dry sump lubrication system. The engine weighs a total of 252 kg (556 lb). The Tourbillon uses an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission mounted longitudinally at the rear of the engine, in contrast to the Chiron where it was mounted at the front. The battery is a 24.8 kWh unit mounted in front of the engine in the central tunnel, which allows for a complete electric range of around 60 km (37 mi). For the suspension of the Tourbillon, Bugatti collaborated with Divergent Technologies, the parent company of Czinger, to create organically shaped 3D-printed suspension components designed with the assistance of AI. The suspension is a forged aluminum multi-link setup that Bugatti says is 45 percent lighter than the suspension system found in the Chiron. The chassis of the Tourbillon is made from T800 carbon composite, with front and rear frames that use 3D printed braces, and a battery that is integrated into the monocoque in order to save weight. It also features a diffuser designed to serve as part of the crash structure in place of a rear crash beam, which functions as another weight-saving measure. The Tourbillon can accelerate from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.0 seconds, 0–200 km/h (124 mph) in under 5.0 seconds, 0–300 km/h (186 mph) in under 10.0 seconds and 0–400 km/h (249 mph) in under 25.0 seconds. It has an estimated top speed of 445 km/h (277 mph) with the use of a speed key, and is limited to 380 km/h (236 mph) without it.