The Tourbillon is a completely new design and does not share any components with the outgoing Chiron, but that, in keeping with the Bugatti brand lineage, it does share many of that model’s key design cues, including the horseshoe grille, central spine, C-shaped side body lines, and two-tone body color. One of the stated inspirations for the Tourbillon was mechanical watches, with the car featuring a fully analog center console operated by mechanical gears and designed to look like a watch, with the speedometer and tachometer needles arranged to look like the hour and minute hand.
source.image: REC Anything
Another design theme of the Tourbillon is “skeletonized” mechanical design, where the mechanisms of components are made visible as part of the design. The interior of the Tourbillon features a steering wheel with a fixed central hub where only the outer rim rotates, allowing the instrument cluster to remain visible at all times. It also features an infotainment screen that retracts into the dashboard when not in use.
The Tourbillon is powered by a naturally aspirated 8.3 L V16 engine developed by Cosworth, combined with 3 electric motors, with 2 at the front axle and 1 at the rear. The engine produces 986 hp and 900 N⋅m of torque, while the electric motors produce a combined 789 hp, for a total of 1,775 hp.
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Bugatti says that the choice to replace the quad turbocharger setup of the Chiron with a naturally aspirated engine was to make the experience “more emotional” and allow for higher rpms, with the engine redlining at 9,000 rpm. The V16 features a crossplane crank design, 90 degree bank angles and a dry sump, with the engine weighing 252 kg. The Tourbillon uses an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission mounted longitudinally at the back of the engine, in contrast to the Chiron where it was mounted in front.
