Greenpeace look away now: Bugatti has unveiled the 1,825bhp track-focussed Bolide which it promises is “the most extreme, uncompromising, fastest and lightest vehicle concept” it has shown us yet. Weighing just 1,240kg it offers a power-to-weight ratio of 1,417bhp-per-tonne. Ouch. Producing that insane level of shove is an 8-litre W16 engine, an up-tuned version of the one already found in the Chiron, without an electric motor in sight.
But you want to know how fast it can go, right? Apparently the Bolide is capable of heading north of 311mph and sprints from 0-62mph in 2.17 seconds. Oh, and it laps the Nurburgring in 5 minutes 23.1 seconds.
To squeeze more power out of the W12 unit Bugatti has added four newly developed turbochargers and bolted in a new dry sump lubrication system, which not only opens the taps but reduces the weight of the engine. All manner of trickery has gone into keeping things cool, with turbofan compressors on the brakes plus separate oil coolers on the engine, transmission and differential.
A carbon fibre monocoque chassis helps keeps the weight down, as do titanium screws and 3D printed components made from a titanium-alloy composite. Suspension pushrods are also forged from titanium and weigh just 100g each.
You only need to look at the Bolide to know it has enough downforce to crush coal into diamond, but Bugatti says it produces 1,800kg downforce on the rear wing and 800kg on the front wing at speeds of 200mph. Active aerodynamics are offered by that gaping air intake you see on the roof, which widens as the speed increases.
Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti, said.“We asked ourselves how we could realise the mighty W16 engine as a technical symbol of the brand in its purest form – with solely four wheels, engine, gearbox, steering wheel and, as the only luxury, two seats. Important aspects of our considerations were fine-tuning our iconic powertrain without any limitations as regards the weight-to-power ratio. These considerations resulted in the Bugatti Bolide. An uncompromising experiment, a thoroughbred, a Pur Sang that, in its brute exclusivity, impresses above all with high performance, low weight, and a driving experience in a whole new dimension. Driving the Bolide is like riding on a cannonball.”
Bugatti has said it has not decided whether to offer the Bolide to customers yet, but if it does you’d better be in the business of oil prospecting or face-mask manufacturing to afford one.
Keyword: The Bugatti Bolide is the 1,825bhp monster we need in this era of electric hypercars