By: Allen Huang

Do you know the Bugatti Chiron? Did you know there is now a successor? Well, just yesterday at 1 pm pacific standard time, Bugatti held a live event, both in-person and on Youtube for car enthusiasts around the world. The stream started off with Mate Rimac, the current CEO of Bugatti, explaining the purpose of the car, and their legacy for over a century. Once he was done, the talk transitioned into the history of Bugatti over the last 20 years, explaining their records and accomplishments. Then, after a few minutes, the
Tourbillon, which is French for “Hurricane ” and is a component that makes watches much more accurate, was revealed after months of leaks.

The hype for the Bugatti Chiron’s successor was at an extreme as this is a successor to the top-speed, record-breaking Chiron. While some were disgusted by the design of the Tourbillon, others appreciated the history embedded into the Tourbillon’s design. On the Tourbillon, if you see the sides, those horseshoe bars on the sides are a feature that carried from the Chiron to the Tourbillon, an iconic design choice that is still part of Bugatti’s design evolution. However, the Tourbillon also has the DNA of a watch, also named the Tourbillon. The back is inspired by the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, which is French for “The Black Car.” Interior wise, it’s the space between the driver and passenger seat, instead of being far apart, they are closer together than in the Chiron. The gauges have the feel of a watch, with actual components of how Bugatti’s Tourbillon watch works.

Let’s get into details on performance for the Tourbillon. The Tourbillon, unlike previous Veyrons, Chirons, Centodieci, La Voiture Noire, Pur Sports, Divos, and Bolides, which have W16 engines with forced induction (turbocharged or supercharged) the Tourbillon is the first Bugatti to use an 8.3 liter V16 engine that is also naturally aspirated, which means the air naturally goes to the engine instead of it being sucked in. The Tourbillon also uses a hybrid system, which is why the forced induction was dropped. The engine and hybrid system creates 1800 horsepower, 2300 Newton meters (Nm) of torque. The Tourbillon sports an 8 speed gearbox. As for the electric side of things, it is a 25 kilo-watt lithium-ion battery with three motors that make 400 horsepower, two in the front, one in the back. The Tourbillon revs up the 9,500 rpms (revolutions per minute). So what does this mean? The amount of tradition from the past and new technology put into this car not only makes it worth $4 million, but has DNA from a history of racing and luxury.

Sure, the Tourbillon is more powerful than the Chiron, but what about weight? Well, the Chiron was 1995 kg, but the new Tourbillon is less than 1995 kg, using 3D printed suspension components that made parts much lighter along with using AI to make the car parts lighter, which will attribute to the car’s lighter weight, which will make the Tourbillon to be the first road car to use this technology. For speed and less drag, the designers had lowered the roof of the car so it would create a bit more speed and acceleration. This truly is the successor for the Chiron.