Last month, Bugatti made its final Chiron model ever with the L’Ultime. Along with being the 500th production version of the Chiron ever assembled, dating back to 2016, the L’Ultime was also the final vehicle from the French marque to come equipped with its W16 engine. Sporting an ultra-curvy, sporty design, the gas-powered hypercar topped out at 1,578hp and cost over $3 million. It’s now being replaced by an even more impressive model, the Tourbillon. Let’s get into Bugatti’s most powerful ride ever.

What’s Under the Hood?

Swapping the combustion W16 engine of the Chiron for a hybrid powertrain, the Tourbillon pairs an 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 with three electric motors. While the former delivers 986hp and 664lb.ft of torque, the latter boasts 789hp, combining for an incredible 1,775hp at your fingertips. On just electricity, the 20kWh battery pack will get you 30 miles of range. With a top speed of 277mph, the vehicle can go from 0 to 60 in just 2 seconds, and to 250mph in just 25 seconds.

While the Tourbillon is highly reminiscent of the curvy Chrion, its supplanted engine allows for some improvements to the overall experience. Designed with a more ergonomic cabin, the vehicle is a bit lower (by 1.3”), now with dihedral doors. Within the carbon-composite body, the seats are spaced out a bit more with the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission sits between the driver and passenger. Other improvements are the narrower horseshoe grill and the wider fenders.

A Luxurious Yet Analog Interior

The Bugatti Tourbillon gets its name from an admittedly antiquated watch component, initially used on pocket watches to offset the effects of gravity on the movement’s accuracy. Today, a tourbillon watch is a denotation of luxury — they are quite superfluous now even though they once held a very practical purpose. 

Similarly old-school yet luxurious, the inside of the Tourbillon is inspired by Swiss watchmaking and sports a skeletonized titanium instrument cluster mounted to the steering column, with each gauge sporting raised numerals and physical needles, all viewed under scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. It’s also designed to never be obscured thanks to the fixed-hub steering wheel. 

Unlike the digitized operating systems of most modern cars, the Tourbillon retains a tactile user experience (although there is a small fold-away digital screen for certain vehicle data and mobile connectivity). Director of Design Frank Heyl postulates in an interview with Car and Driver, “We’re trapped in the technology of our time. So how do we make a car relevant at a concours in 2075 without looking silly in a time that will have holographic displays or augmented-reality contact lenses? Give the entire interior an analog way that you can interact with it.”

​Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

Not commencing production until 2026, the Tourbillon will be priced somewhere in the ballpark of $4.6 million and only 250 examples are expected to get made. Head over to Bugatti’s website to learn more.