It’s not every day that Bugatti releases a new model: And that’s what we have with the Tourbillon.
“Mechanical timelessness” — that’s what French automaker Bugatti says it set out to create in its follow-up to the Veyron and the more recent Chiron. Both of those cars famously packed a quad-turbocharged W16 engine, and time as well as shifting priorities had everyone thinking internal combustion (at least with 16 cylinders) wouldn’t be part of the company’s future roadmap. Turns out we were wrong, as the Bugatti Tourbillion takes up the hypercar mantle with a powerful, naturally aspirated V16 engine.
In fact, though Bugatti also touts its prowess making luxurious cars for the well-heeled enthusiast, let’s kick off the discussion with performance. Lurking within the new Tourbillon is an 8.3-liter, 64-valve V16 engine. Yes, it is in a “V” configuration this time around. This absolute screamer of a powerplant manages 1,000 horsepower all on its own (again, without any forced induction), while Bugatti craftily manages another 800 horsepower from two 250-kW electric motors that rev out to 24,000 RPM. Mated to a 24.8-kWh battery pack, the Tourbillon and its 800-volt electrical architecture actually allows drivers to travel up to 37 miles on electricity alone.
So, you see, it is still green (sort of), even though it actually uses a larger-displacement gas engine than any 21st-century Bugatti model. Bugatti developed the engine with input from Cosworth, while Rimac (whose founder now has a controlling stake in Bugatti itself) helped develop the Tourbillon’s electrified side. All that power makes its way to the ground, and all four wheels wrapped with uniquely developed Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tires, by way of an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Top speed, if you’re curious (and you should be), is 277 mph. 0-60? Under two seconds, so despite its fancy name and painstakingly crafted interior — more on that in a second — the Tourbillon is properly snap-your-neck quick. This car will make its way to 124 mph from a dead stop in the same time it takes a Honda Civic Type R to do 0-60. Multilink aluminum suspension, a carbon composite chassis and carbon ceramic brakes are all part of a purpose-built setup to make this one of the fastest and best cars around.
As expected, the Bugatti Tourbillion has an exquisite interior.
Part of that “timelessness” Bugatti talks about is bucking the trend of slapping huge digital displays everywhere. Instead, the company is sticking with mostly analog gauges and a bank of central switches along the center console. Speaking of that center console, you’ll see a combination of aluminum and crystal glass. The analog gauges comprising the speedometer and horsepower gauge use sapphire and titanium in the cluster, inspired by high-end watch design.
The Tourbillon name, for its part, also borrows its name from the watch industry, as the “tourbillion” is an invention developed by Swiss-French watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801. Bugatti also says of this new car’s design ethos: “For a car that will be displayed on the concours lawns of this and the next centuries, technology can easily date — especially large digital screens — so it’s important that it uses as many timeless components as possible.”
If you want an idea of how much the new Bugatti Tourbillon will cost, here’s my retort: What do you think? It certainly won’t be cheap, and in fact it will set you back a cool €3.8 million. That amounts to about $3.4 million for us, and that’s before taxes, customizations or any of that goodness. That said, when you’re shopping at this level, the price is almost irrelevant.
The Tourbillon will roll out from the automaker’s Molsheim, France headquarters in 2026.
