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Bugatti Tourbillon Preview: 1,000-hp V16, 800-hp electric motors, gorgeous interior

LONG BEACH, Calif. — A few months ago, Bugatti invited us out to a studio in Long Beach, California, to get an early look at a prototype version of its latest creation, the Tourbillon. As the follow-up to two of the most iconic luxury-performance vehicles of the past two decades, the Tourbillon has some sizable shoes to fill, as both the Veyron and the Chiron were standard bearers of hypercar engineering during their respective eras. The high-performance landscape has also gone through some fairly dramatic changes in the time since. While the near-1,500 horsepower produced by the ChironÂ’s quad-turbocharged W16 was otherworldly in 2016, it seems notably less remarkable at a point in time when there are luxury sedans capable of producing more than 1,200 horsepower and the worldÂ’s quickest production vehicle offers nearly 2,000 hp. The paradigm shift brought on by high-performance EVs has not gone unnoticed by Bugatti, though. In 2022, the automaker formed a technical alliance with Rimac, the Croatian EV upstart that produces the world-beating Nevera. In its early stages, the partnership tasked Rimac with the development of an all-new powerplant for what would eventually become the Tourbillon, but the agreement soon evolved to effectively give Rimac founder and CEO Mate Rimac full control of the Bugatti brand through a 55/45 split with Porsche, BugattiÂ’s prior parent company. Bugatti Tourbillon action group View 7 Photos This, of course, begs a question: How do you follow up an automotive icon like the Chiron with something that feels equally unprecedented when your other company has upstaged that car with its own technology? As Bugatti design director Frank Heyl explained it, you focus less on the stats and more on the experience. “Yes, obviously it will be extremely fast. But I donÂ’t really like to talk about the numbers. ItÂ’s more about how you feel in the driverÂ’s seat, the sensations – the haptics of the switchgear, the smell of the leather, and the sounds and vibrations of the engine. ItÂ’s an emotional experience that canÂ’t really be expressed in numbers.”    That experience is driven in no small part by the TourbillonÂ’s jaw-dropping hybrid powertrain. At the front end of the Tourbillon, thereÂ’s a dual-motor and dual-inverter setup thatÂ’s good for 600 horsepower, along with a third electric motor in the rear that delivers an additional 200 hp of its own.

Bugatti confirms new Chiron to debut in Geneva

Few followup acts have ever been as highly anticipated as the successor to the Bugatti Veyron, but the wait will be over in a few months. Bugatti confirmed Monday that the new supercar will be called the Chiron, and it will debut next year at the Geneva Motor Show. Bugatti did not announce specifications, though the Chiron is sure to be a technical tour-de-force and a world-beating supercar. It is widely expected to further evolve the package developed for the Veyron. That will center around the 8.0-liter W16 engine, this time expected to use electric turbochargers for a mild hybrid setup, little to no turbo lag, and an output anticipated to approach 1,500 horsepower. Combined with lower weight (thanks in part to the more widespread use of carbon fiber), all that muscle is tipped to rocket the Chiron to 62 in less than 2.5 seconds and on to a top speed of around 288 miles per hour. All the automaker will confirm at the moment, however, is that the "Bugatti Chiron will be the world's most powerful, fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive production super sports car." Expect the design to closely mirror that of the company's Vision Gran Turismo concept, albeit in a more elegant and less racy form. The lines are anticipated to be dominated by the semi-circular curve encompassing the main rear vent and the trailing edge of the greenhouse. The front end will be more angular with sharper headlights, but still dominated by the signature horseshoe-shaped front grille. As for the name, Bugatti has – as expected – drawn once again from its illustrious pre-war racing history to name the supercar after one of its most legendary gentleman drivers. Louis Chiron remains the only Monegasque driver ever to win the Monaco Grand Prix, counting it among his numerous career victories. Those included more grands prix before and after World War II, as well as the Spa 24 Hours and the Monte Carlo Rally. Bugatti previously applied his name to the 18/3 Chiron concept that previewed the Veyron with an even larger 18-cylinder engine at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1999. It only strikes us as fitting, then, that the name now be resurrected for the Veyron's successor. Read more about Louis Chiron's life and career – including an interview with his descendant and biographer Lydie Barre-Chiron – in the press release below, accompanied by the images in the gallery above.

Volkner Performance S is an RV with a Bugatti in its belly

Going on a long road trip in a Bugatti Chiron is easier said than done: There are a lot of things to love about the hypercar, but cargo space isn't one of them. German recreational vehicle (RV) manufacturer Volkner has a solution in the form of a big, bus-like motorhome with enough space between its front and rear wheels to house a Chiron. Volkner's Performance S looks just like a regular motorhome when you're stuck behind it in traffic. It's as big and as boxy as a tour bus, and its front end features antenna-like mirrors. It's what's inside the box that's impressive. The panel between the front and rear passenger-side wheels flips up to reveal a car-sized metal tray that slides out from the underbody. Controlled by a wired remote, it's big enough to hold a 178.9-inch long and 80.2-inch wide Chiron. Volkner Performance S View 3 Photos It's unclear whether Volkner made structural reinforcements to its motorhome in order to accommodate; the space the Chiron sleeps in is normally reserved for lighter items such as luggage. And, while most promotional material shows a Bugatti emerging from the RV's belly, anything that's smaller than a Chiron fits; one of the firm's images depicts a Porsche 911 parked in the storage space. Don't try to park a Toyota 4Runner under there, however. Inside, the Performance S looks like a five-star hotel, and it's bigger than many college dorm rooms. It boasts leather-upholstered seats, cabinets made with real wood, and LED lighting, among other features. Posh vacationers can work directly with the brand to configure an interior that suits their needs. If you splurged on a Chiron, you may as well order your RV with a Burmester surround-sound system that costs nearly ˆ300,000 (about $355,000). Volkner charges around ˆ2 for the Performance S, which represents approximately $2.3 million at the current conversion rate. Bugatti priced the Chiron at around $2.9 million, so the full package is worth over $5 million. Related video: