(Paris) Bugatti presented Thursday its first hybrid car model, the Tourbillon, announced with a total power of 1,800 horsepower for a price of 3.8 million euros ($5.6 million).
The brand with the most expensive and fastest automobiles in the world is beginning its electric shift, combining the responsiveness of three electric motors (two at the front, one at the rear) and the power of a new 1,000 horsepower internal combustion engine.
This “hypercar” – a category of very powerful sports cars – aims for a top speed of 445 km/h, while offering an electric range of 60 kilometers with a small battery, the Alsatian manufacturer, co-owned by Porsche and by Croatian Rimac.
In 2021, the takeover of the manufacturer by Rimac, a pioneer of electric supercars, led people to believe in the imminent arrival of a battery-powered Bugatti. But the boss of the Mate Rimac brand indicated in May that electric vehicles were no longer as “cool” as before in this niche for the ultra-rich.
Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin have already proposed their vision of hybrid performance in Formula 1 and on the road.
The Tourbillon wants to place itself above with its performance and its bodywork with marked curves, inspired by the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic from 1934. Thanks to its carbon chassis and 3D printed parts, it goes under the two ton mark, weighing less than its predecessor, the Chiron.
Going against the trend of the rest of the industry, it only offers a small screen – retractable if necessary, predicting that these screens will quickly be “outdated” according to Bugatti.
The instrumentation – rev counter, speedometer, thermometers – are placed directly on the steering column, behind the steering wheel, in a system “in titanium, sapphire and ruby”, “designed and manufactured by Swiss watchmakers”, described Bugatti.
Under the control of Volkswagen, the brand distinguished itself during the 2000s and 2010s with the launch of two cars, the 1000 horsepower Veyron and the 1500 horsepower Chiron, both exceeding 400 km/h top speed.
They both featured a huge 8-liter engine with four turbos, the “W16”.
Manufactured at the Bugatti factory in Molsheim, the Tourbillon will be offered in only 250 units. Prototypes are already in the testing phase, with first deliveries planned for 2026.
Its consumption has not been indicated, but the Chiron is displayed at 25 liters per 100 kilometers on average, for 571 grams of CO2/km.