LONG BEACH, Calif. — A few months ago, Bugatti invited us out to a studio in Long Beach, California, to get an early look at a prototype version of its latest creation, the Tourbillon. As the follow-up to two of the most iconic luxury-performance vehicles of the past two decades, the Tourbillon has some sizable shoes to fill, as both the Veyron and the Chiron were standard bearers of hypercar engineering during their respective eras.
Bugatti Tourbillon action group View 7 Photos This, of course, begs a question: How do you follow up an automotive icon like the Chiron with something that feels equally unprecedented when your other company has upstaged that car with its own technology? As Bugatti design director Frank Heyl explained it, you focus less on the stats and more on the experience.
Then there’s the engine, a 64-valve, naturally aspirated 8.3-liter V16. The V is not a typo we intended to be a W. The all-new mill with the more common cylinder formation than those of its W16 predecessors delivers another 1,000 horsepower of its own without the aid of forced induction, allowing it to rev out to a soaring 9,000-rpm redline and sound absolutely incredible while doing so. Total system output is 1,800 horsepower.
Heyl might not want to harp on the numbers, but there are certainly a few worth noting. Outfitted with a new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox that sends power to all four wheels, the Tourbillon is capable of reaching 124 mph from a standstill in less than 5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 277 mph. The former figure puts the Tourbillon roughly on par with the Nevera in terms of face-melting quickness, while the latter gives it an edge of about 20 mph.
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