Key takeaways:
- Bugatti Tourbillon will have a different sound due to a naturally aspirated V16 with plug-in hybrid technology.
- The Bugatti team plans to keep a soft rev limiter out of the production model, allowing owners to enjoy its unique exhaust sound.
- The Tourbillon is the first production car with a V16 engine since the 1991 Cizeta-Moroder V16T.
- Mate Rimac’s Instagram reel revealed the impressive acceleration and unheard sound of the upcoming Tourbillon.
The Bugatti Tourbillon Reimagines Future of Cars
The forthcoming Bugatti Tourbillon marks a departure from the car it replaces. This doesn’t mean it is any less impressive, but instead, it promises a new breed and sound of hypercar quite like no other. Unlike the quad-turbocharged, W16-powered Chiron with its woofling exhaust note, the Tourbillon comes with a naturally aspirated V16 alongside plug-in hybrid technology. This impressive mix gives the car a remarkably harmonious screech, one that even surprised Bugatti CEO, Mate Rimac.
Hypersonic Sound of the Future
As heard in Mate Rimac’s latest Instagram reveal, the Tourbillon has a different and unique sound that will make supercar shows and private race tracks a thrilling experience. The production version of the hypercar maintains this distinguishing sound. The intention behind leaving a soft rev limiter out of the Tourbillon’s production model is so owners can experience the vociferous, outrageous soprano of the exhaust’s sound from idle to redline.
More than the Sound: Peeking Under the Hood
The Bugatti Tourbillon boasts an 8.3-litre V16 hybrid engine and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. All these are responsible for a mind-blowing base trim horsepower of 1,775 hp. A rapid acceleration rate sends the car from 0-60 MPH in a staggering 2.0 seconds, topping at a breathtaking speed of 276 mph.
Returning the V16 to Production
The Tourbillon will mark its footprint in history as it becomes the first production car to feature a V16 engine since the 1991 Cizeta-Moroder V16T. That wedge-shaped supercar opted to use two V8 engines. Before the 1991 Cizeta, the last car to feature a similar engine layout was the 1940 Cadillac V16. Over the years, several concepts and prototypes featuring this engine layout have been revealed, yet only Bugatti has dared to bring a V16 back to production.
Incredible Acceleration Unveiled
The Bugatti Tourbillon shown in Rimac’s Instagram video demonstrated incredible acceleration. The car smoothly and gently idles away from the camera but once it begins to distance from the crowd, it accelerates in a power rush fueled by the three electric motors. This smooth rush of power continues to build speed as the engine warms up its prodigious vocal cords. The impressive rate at which the car accelerates might give observers the impression that the video was sped up. But given the unique plug-in hybrid powertrain and its combined horsepower, one can be assured it’s as real as it gets.
An Unusual Harmony
At first glance, the unique nature of high-capacity engines is their inherent balance. In the case of the Tourbillon’s V16, the motion of one cylinder cancels out by the motion of another. With a cross-plane crank, every revolution of the engine accompanies four individual cylinder ignitions. These aspects provide the new Bugatti with a unique exhaust note, where distinct pitches rise with engine speed. From a musical standpoint, the engine harmonizes with itself, projecting overtones that contribute to creating other pitches – a mesmerizing spectacle of acoustic harmony within mechanics.
In the world of hypercars, Bugatti’s Tourbillon stands in a class of its own. This masterpiece of automobile engineering has meticulously combined power, speed and the beauty of sound, paving the way for a new era of supercars. As Rimac said, “This will be one for the history books”. There’s no questioning that the Bugatti Tourbillon is poised to redefine the landscape of hypercar technology in the contemporary automobile industry.