2012 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Xcar sends off the Bugatti Veyron

By now, there are a small but growing number of exotic supercars costing seven figures, producing 1,000 horsepower and reaching 250 miles per hour, but ten years ago, those kinds of bragging rights were unheard of. It was Bugatti that broke such barriers with the Veyron, and it's that story which Xcar tells in this latest video installment. The story of the Veyron is one of unprecedented technological achievement, the dawn of a new era of performance and the height of status-symbol transportation. It's also a story worth telling, and worth telling right. And we're glad Xcar has set about it. So sit back, crank the speakers and listen to the most cacophonic yet refined swan song in the history of the automobile. Related Video:

Coming Bugatti reportedly gets NA V16 PHEV powertrain making 1,800 horsepower

With Bugatti having shown the Chiron successor to select clientele, a growing number of unconfirmed reports from reputable sources are filling in blanks with fascinating details. Let's start with the already confirmed fact that the new engine unit nestled at the back of the new carbon monocoque would trade the Chiron's quad-turbocharged W16 for a 90-degree V16. The best source for more intel is Bugatti-Rimac CEO Mate Rimac, who joined Ineos Automotive CEO Lynn Calder as one of the guest speakers at the Financial Times' Future of the Car summit in London. Autocar reports he told his audience the engine by itself is 39.4 inches long (one meter), making it 15.8 inches longer than the W16. Germany's Auto, Moto, und Sport writes that when including the hybrid element, the power unit is nearly two meters long, almost 78.7 inches. Rimac had to win boardroom battles to get that engine approved. Some background: Years ago, when Stephan Winkelmann ran Bugatti, he not only hinted repeatedly at some kind of electric SUV, but when asked about a "three-door, ultra-premium crossover SUV" in 2019, he replied, "The design is done. Some potential customers have seen it, and they liked it." At the London summit, Mate Rimac confirmed such a vehicle had been in development, and that it was planned to use battery-electric power on a Rimac chassis. But Mate managed to convince Volkswagen Group bosses that a full EV wasn't the way to go at a time when most company chiefs believed EVs had almost finished starving internal combustion of its fossil fuels. He's been proved more right than anyone expected or wanted; he said Rimac Automobili still hasn't sold out its 150 Nevera build slots.  There are no turbos involved in this PHEV — this is a free-breathing V16, just like the last V16 to reach the marketplace, the 6.0-liter unit in the Cizeta V16T. AMS claims Bugatti's engine has been developed with Cosworth's help, is bored out to 8.3 liters, revs to 9,000 rpm, and makes about 1,000 metric horsepower on its own (986 U.S. horsepower). That's close to double the power from the Cizeta's V16, which made 540 hp and 400 pound-feet of torque. The mill has been on the dyno since at least the end of 2022. Instead of turbos from Molsheim, a hybrid element is thought to add another 800 hp in final configuration. If that's the case, the new car will go beyond the W16's 1,587-hp swan song in the Mistral roadster. What is that hybrid element?

Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo sounds as ferocious as it looks

The Vision Gran Turismo program lets auto designers go wild on special creations for the PlayStation game. Bugatti went a little further with its entry by unveiling the full-scale hypercar at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The company even put a ferocious sounding engine in it – as you can hear in his video. Even at very low revs, the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo is incredibly loud, and its quad pipes make a raw sound. The hypercar only idles around an exhibition center in this clip, but the concept still exudes an aggressive presence at such low speeds. We'd love to hear the Bugatti on the open road because the engine note probably improves as the speed climbs. The Vision Gran Turismo was a one-off, but the concept provided an early preview of the upcoming Chiron's styling. Based on spy shots, they share similar noses with narrow headlights. Both also put a visual emphasis on the oval that the A-pillar forms as it flows into the massive side intake. The Chiron cleans up the shape by removing most of the oversized ducts and spoilers, though. The brand's new hypercar finally debuts at the Geneva Motor Show in March.