• Bugatti presents the Tourbillon, a limited-edition super-PHEV. Go ahead, ask the price.
Bugatti has never done halfway, let’s put it that way. The French brand this week unveiled the car destined to replace the Chiron. The Tourbillon will debut in 2026 equipped with a V16 engine working in a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
In case you’re wondering, the model's name means whirlwind in English, which is apt enough. But it’s not where the Tourbillon takes its name from. It takes it from the manufacturer of high-end watches. Bugatti thus steps away from its tradition of borrowing names from race car drivers, as was the case with the Chiron and Veyron.
And like a fine watch, the Bugatti Tourbillon is a "celebration of mechanical complexity", said Mate Rimac, CEO of parent company Bugatti Rimac, at the car's presentation.
This is the first Bugatti created under Rimac's direction. He felt that a Bugatti demanded the kind of emotion that only a combustion engine could deliver. That's why a new, naturally aspirated 8.3L V16 was developed to replace the 8.0L, 4-turbocharged W16 engines of the Chiron and Veyron.
Price of the Bugatti Tourbillon
If you have to ask the price, it's probably not in your budget, let's say. But for form’s sake, here it is: The Bugatti Tourbillon will retail for the modest sum of around $4 million. Production will be limited to 250 units.
The first units should be delivered in 2026.
Powertrain of the Bugatti Tourbillon
The engine can rev up to 9,000 rpm and develops 1,000 hp on its own. It’s backed up by three electric motors, two of them at the front. These add 800 hp to the equation, for a total of 1,800. A dual-clutch automatic transmission manages that gargantuan amount of power, which is of course sent to all four wheels.
Thanks to a 25-kWh battery, electric range is about 60-70 km. In terms of performance, the 0-100 km/h sprint will take just 2.0 seconds. 0-200 km/h will take less than 5 seconds. For 0-300 km/h, we're talking less than 10 seconds, which is unreal. For the 0-400 km/h, less than 25 seconds, enough time to enjoy life at over 300 km/h. Claimed top speed is 444 km/h.
Design of the Bugatti Tourbillon
Aesthetically, the car sports spectacular lines and the signature Bugatti look. The horseshoe-shaped grille has been widened and moved forward, giving the car a more menacing appearance. Interestingly, the model's backbone, that visible line running from the roof to the rear, is still present, harking back to the design of the legendary 57SC Atlantic of the 1930s.
The interior
On board, the mechanical instrumentation was created with the help of Swiss watchmakers. It comprises over 600 parts, some of them in titanium and precious stones. The centre console is made of aluminum and specially designed crystal glass. A touchscreen deploys from the console only when necessary.
