A new Bugatti hypercar, the follow-up to 2016’s Bugatti Chiron, will always be big news considering it will only be the third new model in recent history. Even more so as it will be the first new model under the new CEO Mate Rimac, known for challenging status quo with his hypercar start-up, Rimac Automobili. The Chiron-successor, codenamed BR1, will understandably set out to beat the Chiron’s impressive metrics. And one of the latest developments that hold a clue to performance come from an illustration of the new Bugatti’s speedometer, now marked up to 550kmph, or 342mph. The Bugatti Chiron’s speedo went up to 500kmph, or 311mph. That said, the Chiron’s official top speed was 261mph, though a test driver has taken it up to 304mph.
Which is why we emphasize that this is merely a clue — it’s very likely the new Bugatti hypercar will have a higher top speed than the Chiron. Will it be 31mph higher than the Chiron, commensurate with the increased speedometer reading? It’s too early to say, but the other details we know about the future Bugatti flagship are promising.
While the news that Bugatti was dropping the quad-turbo W16 engine layout may have been disappointing to some fans, the fact that it’s being replaced by a hybridized, naturally-aspirated V16 should bring solace. Turbocharged engines are known for many things, but an involving soundtrack is not one of them. On the other hand, an NA V16 developed by Cosworth – legendary engine builders behind the delightful V12 engine in the GMA T.50, should deliver aural drama by the bucketful.
Sources say it will be 8.3-liters in capacity, with three electric motors providing torque fill across the rev range, especially in the lower reaches. The new Bugatti’s power output has been speculated at 1,800 horsepower, or about 300hp more than the Chiron. Production will be limited to 250 units, half of the Chiron’s production run. The next Bugatti hypercar will be revealed in June of this year, so we don’t have to wait long at all for more eye-opening details to be confirmed.
