Bugatti's $4 Million Masterpiece: How the Tourbillon Outshines the Chiron
The world of hypercars just got a new king, and it comes with a $4 million price tag. The Bugatti Tourbillon is here, and it’s not just a pretty face. Sporting a gleaming carbon fiber body and an interior befitting a mechanical art gallery, this vehicle stands out as an engineering marvel. What makes it even more astonishing is the feat of outperforming its predecessor, the Chiron, in both power and weight.
A Peak Under the Hood
Equipped with an 8.3-liter naturally-aspirated V-16 engine, the Tourbillon delivers a jaw-dropping 1,000 horsepower, eclipsing many supercars. And when you add the electric drivetrain’s 800 hp, you get a combined power that surpasses most performance EVs. It’s a unique hybrid setup, designed not only for speed but also to conserve weight.
Revolutionary Battery Technology
The challenge of battery weight plagues all hybrid performance cars, but Bugatti's engineers have tackled it brilliantly. Their solution? An 800-volt, 25.0-kilowatt-hour battery pack that doesn’t compromise on power or weight. While it's larger than what you might find in cars like the Corvette E-Ray or Porsche 911 GTS hybrid, it uses a unique cooling method to maintain efficiency.
Most electric vehicles employ dedicated cooling channels that add weight and complexity. Instead, Bugatti chose direct cell cooling, circulating a dielectric fluid around the battery. Though the precise workings of this system are still somewhat of a mystery, similar technology has appeared in the all-electric Caterham Seven concept released earlier this year.
Motor Mastery
The Tourbillon's electric motors are also a marvel. Although Bugatti hasn’t openly disclosed whether they are axial flux or radial flux, the power density they achieve is remarkable. Claimed to be 6 kW/kg—including inverters and reduction gear—the motors set a new standard. Typically, many electric motors struggle to achieve this level of power density even without these additions.
The integration of the rear motor into the transmission likely eliminates the need for a separate motor reduction gear, though exact details remain unspecified.
The V-16 Engine: A Game-Changer
To counterbalance its hybrid system's mass, the Tourbillon employs a naturally aspirated V-16 engine. This engine does away with the Chiron and Veyron's quad turbochargers, making it significantly lighter. Weighing just 555 lbs compared to the Chiron’s W-16 ranging between 882 lbs and 961 lbs, this is a substantial reduction. The weight-saving extends to the Tourbillon’s entire chassis and drivetrain, reinforcing its superior power-to-weight ratio.
Advanced Materials and Design
Much of the Tourbillon’s weight advantage comes from its innovative use of materials. The battery is a structural part of the carbon fiber monocoque, and both the front and rear subframes are crafted from thin-wall aluminum castings. Numerous other components, both sprung and unsprung, are 3D-printed from aluminum, and the brakes are carbon ceramic, shedding mass from critical areas.
Even the gauge cluster, a piece of jewelry-like instrumentation, incorporates lightweight titanium components, contributing to the overall mass reduction.
The Final Verdict
When you dissect the Tourbillon’s design and craftsmanship, it becomes evident why this hypercar is a significant leap forward from the Chiron. The weight savings from the engine alone are considerable, and with a meticulous approach to weight reduction in every component, Bugatti has once again set a new benchmark. This ingenious balance of power and lightweight design ensures that the Tourbillon isn’t just another hypercar—it’s the new standard in automotive excellence.