Ahead of production starting in 2026, the Bugatti Tourbillon – the replacement to the eight-year old Chiron, which replaced the iconic Veyron – has been revealed. Only the third new full production Bugatti model in the past 20 years, the Tourbillon features some eye-opening numbers: 250 units, 16 cylinders, zero turbochargers, 1,324kW of total combined power, 0-100km/h in just 2.0 seconds, a top speed of 445km/h, an asking price of over $6 million for each car and yet, an electric range of more than 60km.
Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti, said: “The development of the Bugatti Tourbillon was guided at every step by the 115 years of Bugatti history and the words of Ettore Bugatti himself. His mantras ‘if comparable it is no longer Bugatti’ and ‘nothing is too beautiful’ were a guiding path for me personally, as well as the design and engineering teams looking to create the next exciting era in the Bugatti hyper sports car story.”
“Icons like the Type 57SC Atlantic, renowned as the most beautiful car in the world, the Type 35, the most successful racing car ever, and the Type 41 Royale, one of the most ambitious luxury cars of all time, provide our three pillars of inspiration. Beauty, performance and luxury formed the blueprint for the Tourbillon; a car that was more elegant, more emotive and more luxurious than anything before it. Quite simply, incomparable. And just like those icons of the past, it wouldn’t be simply for the present, or even for the future, but Pour l’éternité – for eternity.”
At the centre of the Bugatti Tourbillon is not the iconic W16 engine that featured in its predecessors, rather, an all-new naturally aspirated 8.3-litre V16 engine that was created in partnership with Cosworth. Alone, the V16 makes 735kW of power (1,000 metric horsepower) and 900Nm of torque, while also revving to a high 9,000rpm. Those numbers make it almost as powerful as the original Veyron’s W16 engine – but that had four turbochargers to help out and the new engine weighs 150kg less.
Not happy with ‘just’ 1,000hp, the Tourbillon’s engine is aided by three 250kW electric motors – one on the rear axle and two on the front axle – for a combined system output of 1,324kW of power, or 1,800hp, which is up from the 1,177kW of the most powerful Chiron. The Tourbillon’s power is sent to all four wheels via a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
As for performance figures, Bugatti claims that the Tourbillon will sprint from 0-100km/h in 2.0 seconds, 0-200km/h in less than five seconds, 0-300km/h in less than 10 seconds and 0-400km/h in less than 25 seconds. Its top speed is limited to 380km/h in normal conditions, but using the ‘Speed Key’ like in its predecessors increases the limiter to 445km/h.
The Tourbillon features a 25kWh battery pack with an 800V electrical system, which enables an all-electric driving range of more than 60km. Charging speeds and times are yet to be confirmed.
Weighing ‘less than 1,995kg’, the Bugatti Tourbillon is lighter than the Chiron thanks to a new carbon fibre chassis and lightweight materials used throughout its construction. The chassis uses a ‘next-generation T800 carbon composite’, which makes the Tourbillon both lighter and stronger than the Chiron, according to Bugatti.
The suspension is a forged all-new multi-link design, which is claimed to be 45 per cent lighter than the Chiron’s double-wishbone suspension, while carbon-ceramic brakes with brake-by-wire technology sit behind 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels with bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.
Inside the Bugatti Tourbillon, inspiration has been taken from high-end watches with the instrument cluster, which is built from more than 600 parts. The instruments are made from titanium, plus gemstones like sapphire, are fixed in place in the centre of the steering wheel – like Citroens of the past – while the centre console parts are milled from a single piece of aluminium.
The one digital part of the cabin is a touchscreen, which extends out of the dashboard in less than two seconds for portrait mode and three more seconds for landscape mode. Both a reversing camera and Apple CarPlay feature, as well as fixed seats (the pedals are adjustable) and a sound system that’s been engineered without traditional speakers and woofers to save weight, according to Bugatti.
The Bugatti Tourbillon is due to commence production in 2026 and all 250 production slots have already been filled. Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews.
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