$4 MILLION BUGATTI BOLIDE HYPERCAR THAT CAN REACH 300 MPH WILL BE TRACK-ONLY

The end of an era: The forthcoming Bugatti Bolide is the ultimate (and final) expression of the traditional internal-combustion Bugatti, powered by a mid-mounted 8-liter, quad-supercharged W-16 engine.

Although the power plant is similar to that of regular road Bugattis, the car is ultra-light and aimed at the track only. Only 40 will be made, at US$4 million each, and they’re all claimed, with first deliveries in the coming months.

It’s a painful truth of the collector-car market that a number of these cars will never be driven for thrills on a track (or anywhere else). Instead, they’ll sit in temperature-controlled storage with delivery miles, waiting for appreciation and an auction somewhere. The buyer will likely move the car to another garage, rather than drive it, and erase the low-mileage status.

But brave owners who put the Bolide through its paces—perhaps on private tracks like Florida’s Concours Club—will get a car engineered to make it easy on the driver.

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“All cars are difficult to drive at their limit, but even at the limits of its capabilities, the Bugatti Bolide remains remarkably easy to drive,” Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace said in a statement. “When you have a car with this much capability, and this much downforce, not many people would believe that is possible. Even I found myself in a state of disbelief after my initial stint driving the Bolide.”

The turbo W-16 generated a staggering 1,825 horsepower and 1,364 pound-feet of torque in prototype form on 110-octane racing fuel. In production, the Bolide is likely to offer 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet. But it’s not just brute force that makes it quick—the power is contained in an ultra-light chassis of carbon-fiber composite, developed with the Italian race-car company Dallara to the standards set for Le Mans race cars. Components are made of lightweight titanium. The curb weight of the Bolide is only 2,733 pounds.

The Bolide’s unique seating position—with the driver reclined into the rear, heels slightly raised, and the passenger pointed at the nose—is adapted “from some of the world’s most extreme race cars.” The driver is firmly planted, which is essential in a car that, given enough runway, could reach 311 miles per hour. (Top speed likely on the world’s tracks is 231 mph.)

The car “demonstrates aptitude on the straights exceeding that of Formula One,” according to a statement from Bugatti, adding that the biggest obstacle for the Bolide is finding a track with a straight long enough to attain its higher speeds. Zero to 62 miles per hour takes 2.2 seconds, and zero to 124 just 4.4. Give it 33.62 seconds and it will go from zero to 311 mph and (thanks to huge and unique Brembo race-derived carbon brakes) back to zero again.

The interior looks spartan as befits a racer, but Bugatti said the car will boast air conditioning, power steering, and “ergonomically designed seats.”

Let’s step back a bit. The Bolide was announced during Monterey Car Week in 2021, as Bugatti was going through immense changes. The “Bugatti Rimac” joint venture was announced that same year, ending the French brand’s existence as a straightforward subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. Rimac has a controlling interest at 55%, and Porsche at 45%.

Rimac is not only the builder of some of the world’s fastest EVs, it’s also a consultant on electrification with other automakers—Porsche, Hyundai, Kia, Automobili Pininfarina, Koenigsegg, and Aston Martin. A partnership with BMW was just announced.

The long-lasting W-16, with four banks of four cylinders in a “W” shape, dates to 2005 and served both the Bugatti models Veyron and Chiron. Now that the motor has finally run its course, Bugatti has said that the successor to the Chiron will be powered in a hybrid configuration built around a new V-16. The new car is scheduled to be unveiled this June, with production starting in 2026 or 2027 and pricing that could exceed US$5 million.

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Bugatti would presumably have access to Volkswagen Group engines, but the company doesn’t currently have a V-16 in the lineup. It seems likely Porsche is assisting on the new Bugatti engine. Although Rimac is an electric brand, its first fully battery-powered Bugatti isn’t expected until after 2030.

Rimac certainly could build an electric Bugatti now. The exclusive 1,914-horsepower Rimac Nevera, on the road now, can reach 258 mph and hit 60 miles per hour in less than two seconds.

2024-04-17T16:30:18Z dg43tfdfdgfd