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Bugatti announces V16-electric hybrid drivetrain for Chiron successor

Bugatti sent off the quad-turbocharged W16 engine that has powered all of its 21st-century models with a limited-edition, 1,600-horsepower roadster named Mistral. Rumors about what could power its future cars ran rampant; the brand confirmed a hybrid system for the Chiron's successor, and some sources detailed a downsized engine. Ending years of speculation, Bugatti has announced a new 16-cylinder engine. The difference is in the prefix: the Veyron, the Chiron, and few-off models like the Divo all used a W16 engine, with cylinders arranged — as the name implies — in a W configuration. The new unit will have a V configuration. Put another way, think of the W16 as a pair of narrow-angle V8s and of the V16 as a pair of straight-eights. Bugatti isn't the first company to build a V16 engine, Cadillac famously used one in the 1930s and BMW experimented with one in the 1990s, but there's not a single V16-powered new car currently on the market.  Bugatti stopped short of revealing technical specifications, so we'll need to be patient to learn details such as the engine's displacement and power output. However, the French brand reiterated what we already knew: the V16 will be part of a hybrid powertrain. Here again details are vague, but Autoblog learned that the Chiron's yet-unnamed successor will use a plug-in hybrid system. Rimac, which owns Bugatti, has previously described the drivetrain as "heavily electrified." This suggests (though nothing is official) that the model will be capable of running on electricity alone for relatively short distances. It looks like carbon fiber will play a significant role in offsetting the hybrid system's weight. Achim Anscheidt, Bugatti's former design director, told Autoblog in 2022 that the Chiron's successor will "certainly be tailored to one or the other aspect of a hybrid" in terms of design. The model will be built around a new monocoque, which gives the design team now headed by Frank Heyl the freedom to dial in new proportions. Don't expect a radical change, however: the car will still be recognizable as a Bugatti. Bugatti will unveil the Chiron's successor in June 2024, and we expect to learn more about the model in the coming months. Related video:

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is the same Bug with new paint

We typically wince any time a manufacturer rolls out a special edition that's little more than a coat of paint, but we'll make an exception in this case. Bugatti parked the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse on the lawn of the Quail Motorsports Gathering, resplendent in its Bianco and Light Blue livery. The paint scheme is a tribute to the 1928 Type 37A. That open-wheel racer took the checkered flag at a number of grand prix events and now finds itself in the loving care of none other than Jay Leno himself.
As with the rest of the Veyron Grand Sport models, the Vitesse can bolt to 62 mph from a dead stop in a physics-obliterating 2.6 seconds. The feat is possible thanks to a range of impressive mechanical systems, though the 1,200 horsepower forced-induction W16 at the heart of it certainly doesn't hurt. Check out the Vitesse in the gallery below and have a peek at the full press release as well.

$4.4M Bugatti Bolide moves down the track and closer to production

Unveiled in 2020, and approved for production a year later, the Bugatti Bolide is one step closer to hitting the track. The automaker just published photos of the car being put through its paces, and it released details about some of features that differentiate it from the Chiron. Writing off the Bolide as a rebodied Chiron would be an oversimplification. While the two cars share an 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged W16 engine, the list of Bolide-specific parts is long. Bugatti explains that its engineers designed the model around a new carbon fiber monocoque, and they were unfettered by the various rules and regulations that shape modern cars because the Bolide isn't street-legal. It's exclusively a track car. Changes were made to the cooling system, the suspension system, and the transmission; the suspension is notably three times stiffer than the Chiron's, and it includes uniball bearings. Several 3D-printed parts, including titanium rockers, will be used to build it. Even the engine isn't carried over; not quite. In the Bolide, the four turbochargers always provide boost because the 16-cylinder is expected to spend a lot of time at higher revolutions. In comparison, the Chiron uses a sequential setup: The two smaller turbos generate boost at up to 3,800 rpm, and the two bigger units kick in beyond that. The end result is 1,578 horsepower in a car that tips the scale at 3,196 pounds.  Slick tires designed by Michelin put the power to the ground, while a carbon-ceramic braking system keeps it in check. Interestingly, Bugatti designed new calipers that generate and absorb heat to help the brakes warm up as quickly as possible (they're less effective when cold). Bugatti will begin delivering the Bolide in 2024. Production is limited to 40 units, and the model is sold out in spite of a base price pegged at ˆ4 million excluding taxes, which represents approximately $4.39 million at the current conversion rate. If that's too much, or if you missed your chance to buy one, one alternative is a 905-piece Lego Technic kit that stretches about a foot long and that costs about $50. It's too early to tell what's next. We know that the Bolide is one of the last W16-powered Bugatti models along with the Mistral convertible and the final examples of the Chiron.