The anticipated Chiron successor, the Bugatti Tourbillon is finally here, and it’s taken a major departure from its predecessors. While the Veyron and Chiron both relied on Bugatti’s signature W-16 engine with four turbochargers to help achieve their four-figure horsepower, the Tourbillon eschews the snails and the W-configuration.
It turns out that not needing four turbochargers along with the oil coolers and air-to-water intercoolers that come with them saves a significant amount of weight. Also consider the engine’s configuration. W engines may be more compact, but they require more metal. The Tourbillon’s V-16 may take up more space but uses less material and is made from lightweight aluminum.The weight savings is only half of the story. Remember, Bugatti is saying the Tourbillon exceeds the Chiron’s performance.
While turbochargers don’t rely on batteries, they have their own disadvantages. As mentioned earlier, having turbochargers also means having the accompanying components to cool them which not only means more weight but more potential points of failure and moving parts.