Bugatti's new Tourbillon doesn't whisper. It screams.
The hypercar's naturally aspirated 8.4-liter V16 howls with a voice that makes turbo engines sound like vacuum cleaners.
This isn't marketing hyperbole. This is mechanical opera.
The V16 Symphony
Bugatti abandoned forced induction for the Tourbillon. No turbos. No superchargers. Just 16 cylinders arranged in a 90-degree V, breathing atmosphere and revving to a stratospheric 9,000 rpm.
The numbers tell only part of the story:
- 1,000 horsepower from the combustion engine alone
- 800 additional horses from three electric motors
- 1,800 total system horsepower to violently rearrange your internal organs
- 252 kg engine weight with dry sump lubrication
The Cosworth-developed powerplant uses a crossplane crankshaft that creates its distinctive acoustic signature. It's haunting. Emotional. Primal.
Engineering Extremes
Bugatti didn't just stuff a massive engine into a carbon tub and call it progress.
The Tourbillon's T800 carbon composite chassis features 3D-printed braces and an integrated 24.8 kWh battery pack. Its multi-link suspension—developed with Divergent Technologies using AI and 3D printing—weighs 45% less than the Chiron's setup.
An 8-speed dual-clutch transmission handles the V16's 900 Nm of torque, mounted longitudinally behind the engine.
Numbers That Distort Reality
The Tourbillon doesn't just accelerate. It warps spacetime.
0-100 km/h happens in 2.0 seconds. Double that speed in just 5.0 seconds. Triple it in 10.0 seconds. Keep your foot planted and you'll eventually see 444 km/h (276 mph) on the digital display.
All this from a car weighing 1,950 kg—not light, but hardly portly given the hardware it's packing.
The Price of Exclusivity
Bugatti will build just 250 Tourbillons, each commanding roughly 3.8 million euros. Deliveries begin in 2026.
Is it worth it? For the sound alone, perhaps. In an era of synthesized engine notes and electric whirs, the Tourbillon's naturally aspirated V16 represents something increasingly precious: mechanical authenticity that can't be faked.
The Tourbillon isn't just another hypercar. It's Bugatti's manifesto on internal combustion's last stand.
