Twenty years after the game-changing Bugatti Veyron entered production and eight years after the Chiron was unveiled, it’s time for a new Bugatti. The Bugatti Tourbillon is the culmination of 115 years of Bugatti’s history and the embodiment of Ettore Bugatti’s ethos, “If comparable, it is no longer Bugatti” and “Nothing is too beautiful.” The result is the Tourbillon, an imperious super-coupé hybrid that sees Bugatti looking a hundred years ahead as much as it’s invoking its storied past but not in the ways you’d expect.
Powered by the all-new 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine, developed with Cosworth. This powerhouse, combined with a hybrid system featuring three electric motors, delivers an extraordinary 1,800 horsepower. The electric motors are powered by a 25 kWh oil-cooled 800V battery, offering an impressive all-electric range of over 60 kilometers.
Drawing from the carmaker’s back catalog, including cars like the Type 35 racer, the mythical Type 57 SC Atlantic, and the elegant Type 41 Royale, the Tourbillon now sits lower, leaner, and wider. Step inside, and the Tourbillon pairs an elevated level of craftsmanship to balance out its extreme engineering. In keeping with the theme of timelessness, it doesn’t sport any fixed large displays, not even the Chiron’s small screens, which flanked its central tachometer. Instead, Bugatti leaned again into the watch-inspired gauge cluster which is presented like a mechanical timepiece for its new interior. Comprised of over 600 components, it’s the real deal with raised numbers, physical needles uses titanium, sapphire, and ruby in its construction. The ultra-luxurious instrument cluster is fixed to the fixed central hub of the steering wheel, meaning that only the rim of the wheel rotates while turning.
The center console is a mix of crystal glass and aluminum, and an engine start “pull” lever connects the new car to the pioneering days of automotive. The seats are fixed to the floor for maximum weight savings, while the pedal box can be electrically adjusted to ensure a comfortable driving position. Only those Da Vinci–referencing maestros at Pagani come close to this level of artistry, and it’s refreshing for the focus of an all-new hypercar in 2024 to be firmly on the interior’s finer details.
Limited to just 250 units, each meticulously hand-assembled at the Bugatti Atelier in Molsheim, the 3.8 million Euros Tourbillon is set to become an icon for eternity.