With more power, less weight and new high-tech, lightweight components, the Bugatti Bolide is set to be the most extreme take on the W16 hypercar yet
Initially unveiled as an exotic, far-fetched concept, the Bolide has since become one of Bugatti’s most ambitious projects to date. In 2021, the marque announced that it would put the track-only W16 hypercar into limited production, embarking on a three-year development programme ahead of first deliveries in 2024. Pairing its iconic quad-turbocharged W16 powertrain with a bare-bones, lightweight body, each of the 40 examples will cost its buyer €4m. As first deliveries approach, the model made its public debut at the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace took to the wheel for a demo lap of Circuit de la Sarthe, giving the record crowd a first look at the marque's next creation. Following the drive, Wallace said: 'The Bolide looks and feels – in every respect – like a real racing car with genuine outstanding high-performance capabilities. The fact that it generates around twice its own weight in downforce at maximum speed, giving the car a very high level of grip and stability in high-speed corners is in its own right incredibly impressive. But to then match that prowess with Bugatti’s W16 engine, developing 1,600 PS, takes the Bolide to an entirely new level.'
The latest round of testing saw the Bolide undergo real-world aerodynamic assessment, with its extreme front splitter, rear diffuser and adjustable rear wing put through their paces. With most of these components shaped by mathematics in simulations, Bugatti is now ensuring the hypercar performs on track, and predictably for drivers of varying skill levels. This doesn't mean it's any less potent though, with initial tests proving that it can achieve 2.5G of lateral acceleration in cornering.
As the Bolide enters its next phase of testing, Christophe Piochon, president of Bugatti Automobiles, said: ‘The Bolide is treading new ground for Bugatti. Never before has such a powerful engine been paired with an ultra-lightweight design to create a track car that delivers motorsport levels of performance. Almost every component has been analysed and redesigned to ensure Bolide is as light, capable and reliable as our strict targets require it to be. The next phase of development is a major milestone in the creation of a car that takes Bugatti’s “form follows performance” philosophy to a new level.’
Remarkably, Bugatti believes it can come close to matching the figures announced for the concept in 2020. Kerb weight is said to be targeted at just 1450kg, 200kg more than the concept, even with the gargantuan powertrain at its core. Running on more readily-available 98 RON fuel as opposed to the 110-octane of the concept, peak power is down from 1825bhp to 1578bhp, but this still makes it 100bhp more powerful than the most potent iteration of the W16 so far. Torque sits at 1180lb ft. Should it meet these targets, the Bolide will achieve an astounding power-to-weight ratio of 1106bhp/ton.
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The low kerb weight is achieved through a vast spread of weight-saving techniques, including the application of 3D printing and biomimicry. Such technologies have been applied to elements like the mounting hardware for the car’s aero, which features a patented construction similar to that of bone. Printed in titanium, each component has thin outer walls and a complex hollow structure inside, something that only additive manufacturing techniques like 3D printing can achieve. The similarly constructed suspension pushrods are able to transfer up to 3.5 tons of force, despite weighing just 100 grams, displaying an astonishing mass-to-strength ratio. This same technology is applied to small components throughout the Bolide, such as the wheel-mounted turbofans cooling the 390mm (front) carbon-carbon brakes and load-bearing aero components.
Previously spied testing at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, the Bolide bears little resemblance to its road-going siblings, with a set of proportions that differ markedly from the Chiron. Bugatti’s trademark horseshoe grille does make an appearance, but fronts an entirely new body which has been designed with weight savings, aerodynamics and cooling in mind. Sitting just 995mm off the ground, the marque says its design is reminiscent of the famous Bell X-1 aircraft piloted by Captain Charles ‘Chuck’ Yeager, the first person to break the sound barrier.
At the rear, a complex, stacked rear wing setup can be found, with a central fin mounted on the engine cover likely there to increase stability. An aggressive new diffuser, rain light and mammoth 400-section LMDh-spec Michelin slicks are also clear to see; for reference, the Chiron is fitted with 355-section rear tyres.
At its core is Bugatti’s 8-litre quad-turbocharged W16, sending 1578bhp and 1180lb ft of torque to those Michelin slicks – unlike a Chiron, the Bolide will lean on all four of its turbochargers at all times, and feature a higher red line. The lighter, more powerful concept was said to cover the 0-62mph sprint in only 2.17sec and hit a top speed of over 310mph, but we’ll have to wait for figures for the production car. The concept was also said to go from 0 to 249mph and back to standstill in just 24.64sec, 6.84sec faster than the current record holder, Koenigsegg’s Regera.
To ensure the unit can withstand the toils of a track session, Bugatti has optimised its cooling and oil systems whilst also upgrading the four turbochargers to produce more boost at higher engine speeds. A total of three air-cooled charge coolers are employed to help keep the engine, transmission and differential at within suitable operating temperatures, and there’s also a water pre-cooling system there to give the system a helping hand too.
The Bolide’s real party piece is that 1450kg kerb weight, astonishing considering the immense near-500kg weight of the powertrain. To streamline the weight as much as possible, Bugatti switched from water-to-air cooling to air-to-air, utilised 3D-printed titanium components throughout, including a wound carbonfibre driveshaft, forged magnesium wheels and a completely stripped cabin.
Suspension is of a pushrod design with the horizontal dampers visible through apertures in the bonnet. Extreme aerodynamics were also high on the agenda, with a peak downforce rating at 199mph reaching 1800kg on the rear axle and 800kg at the front. A ‘morphable outer skin’ is also used for the roof-mounted intake, altering the surface texture at speed to reduce drag by 10%. Bugatti claims that this all allows the Bolide to achieve an incredible lateral acceleration of 2.8G.
Bugatti is now in the final year of its three-year development programme for the car, with the first of 40 examples scheduled for delivery in 2024. Prices start at €4m.
Keyword: 1578bhp Bugatti Bolide makes public debut at Le Mans