- The 8.3-liter naturally-aspirated V16 of the Tourbillon has been developed by Cosworth.
- A trio of electric motors complement the V16, resulting in a combined 1,775 hp.
- Bugatti says the new hypercar will hit 248 mph (400 km/h) in less than 25 seconds.
It’s been five months since Bugatti shook up the world of hypercars with the hybrid Tourbillon. Now, we have our best opportunity to hear it in action, and as we had hoped for, the huge V16 sounds more musical than the W16 it replaces.
As customer deliveries of the Tourbillon won’t start until 2026, Bugatti continues to test and develop its latest creation. It was recently filmed up-close, and on the move at Rimac’s expansive facility in Zagreb, Croatia, and while the engineer behind the wheel wasn’t pushing the prototype anywhere near its limits, the V16 can be heard loud and clear.
Read: 1,775 HP Bugatti Tourbillon Hybrid Gives Us V16 Reasons To Hate On Electric Hypercars
This engine has been developed by Cosworth and it’s a naturally aspirated 8.3-liter piece of art. Making the massive engine all the more remarkable is that it revs to 9,000 rpm, well beyond the 7,100 rpm limit of the Chiron Super Sport with its quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16. The higher-revving nature of the V16, combined with its unique configuration and lack of forced induction, also means it sounds quite unique.
At low revs, it has quite a base-heavy soundtrack, not dissimilar to the famed W16. However, at higher revs, it starts to sound a bit more like a large-capacity V8. As mentioned, the driver was taking things easy and short-shifting, meaning the Tourbillon was nowhere near its redline. If pushed to 9,000 rpm, we suspect it’ll sound absolutely ridiculous according to Bugatti’s own video.
The engine produces 986 hp and is supported by three electric motors, for a combined output of up to 1,775 hp. Bugatti says the Tourbillon will hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2 seconds flat before powering through to 124 mph (200 km/h) in less than five seconds and completing the 0-186 mph (300 km/h) sprint in under 10 seconds. It should also reach 248 mph (400 km/h) in under 25 seconds. The Tourbillon will likely also be the car that Bugatti uses to try and break the 311 mph (500 km/h) barrier.
