In a revealing series of social media posts, Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac expressed genuine amazement at what his team has created with the upcoming Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar. “I don’t think we understand yet what we have built,” Rimac admitted, sharing footage of the prototype in testing. “This will be one for the history books.”
The Tourbillon represents a significant departure from Bugatti’s previous flagship, the Chiron, replacing the latter’s quad-turbocharged W16 with a naturally aspirated V16 engine complemented by a sophisticated hybrid system. This powertrain configuration makes the Tourbillon a unique proposition in the modern automotive landscape – it’s set to become the first production car with a V16 engine since the Cizeta-Moroder V16T of 1991.
The numbers are nothing short of extraordinary. The internal combustion V16 alone produces 1,000 horsepower, while three electric motors contribute an additional 800 horsepower, resulting in a combined output of 1,800 horsepower. What makes the Tourbillon particularly special is its ability to operate in either pure combustion or pure electric modes, offering owners unprecedented flexibility in how they experience their $4.6 million investment.
But it’s the engine’s sound that has captured attention. The V16’s cross-plane crankshaft creates a unique acoustic signature, with four cylinder ignitions per revolution producing distinct, harmonizing pitches that rise with engine speed. The exhaust note is so complex that it generates overtones – additional notes created by the interaction of multiple frequencies, similar to what occurs in musical instruments.
The development team has made a conscious decision to preserve this acoustic performance by avoiding a soft rev limiter, allowing the engine’s soprano voice to build uninterrupted from idle to redline. Test footage shows the Tourbillon’s remarkable acceleration capabilities, with the electric motors providing immediate thrust while the V16 warms up to deliver its full potential.
Limited to just 250 units and scheduled to begin deliveries in 2026, the Tourbillon represents more than just another hypercar. It’s a bold statement about the future of high-performance vehicles, combining traditional internal combustion engineering with cutting-edge electrification. The fact that it can operate independently on either power source suggests a level of technical sophistication that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in automotive engineering.
As development continues, Rimac’s enthusiasm suggests that the Tourbillon might be more than just a worthy successor to the Chiron – it could be the definitive statement of the hybrid hypercar era, complete with a soundtrack that’s already making history.
