All posts in “Bugatti Bolide”

The Bugatti Bolide is The Most Beautiful Hypercar

Back in 2020 famous hypercar make Bugatti unveiled something really special … La Bolide. A design exercise from the Bugatti Atelier to show what they could do if they had a brief to design the best, fastest, no-bars held hypercar that had to adhere to no regulations whatsoever … neither for the road nor for the track, the result was the most radical-looking Bugatti ever with a massive power output of 1825 hp.

But La Bolide was a design concept, fully driveable, but just a test mule for a ‘what if’ question … until Pebble Beach 2021, when Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. revealed they would turn the La Bolide into a limited edition production car, still track-only, but at least some high-net-worth individuals would be able to obtain the best of the best from the Bugatti Atelier in Molsheim.

Only 40 units of the Bugatti Bolide will be made for the entire world, and chances are that by the time you are reading this, all of them are sold out already with a price set at €4,000,000 before taxes, that’s about $4,700,000 in the United States of America. Power comes from the famous W16 engine, which on 110 Octane racing fuel is capable of 1,850 PS, but it seems the production version will be set to 98 RON fuel, which compromises power to ‘only’ 1,600 PS, keep in mind this Bugatti comes with a monstrous torque output of 1,600 Nm at just 2,250 rpm … that will rip up the pavement for sure.

At the 36th Festival Automobile International de Paris, an expert jury comprised of design professionals selected the La Bolide from Molsheim as the world’s most beautiful hypercar, taking the victory in the ‘Hypercars’ category by a substantial margin, among a total of four finalists. “It’s an honour for us that the resulting design has won such a highly coveted award, voted for by experts in our field. Praise must go to the entire design team, each dedicated to their craft in harmonizing and perfecting all aspects of the Bolide’s design during an innovative four-months, purely digital process” explains Bugatti Design Director Achim Anscheidt.

It will take the development team at Bugatti three more years to create a production-ready version of the current experimental concept, but they promise the final car customers will be receiving by 2024 will be very close to the prototype we can admire today, with very few changes, technically or visually. The intention is to optimize the areas of design, aerodynamics, quality, and safety for a production version of the Bugatti Bolide with a weight of just 1,450 kgs to achieve a weight-to-power ratio of 0.9 kg per PS when 98 RON gas is used.

“Although extremely functional, the Bolide is brimming with Bugatti’s distinctive personality and tradition. Its creation was inspired by the weight-to-power philosophy of a young Ettore Bugatti, who upturned the world of motorsport in the 1920s by designing lightweight and nimble cars, such as the Type 35, that became practically unbeatable. Bolide is the ultimate culmination of that philosophy, pure in its design and its purpose. Just like those early 1920s racers, that purity brings with it an inescapable beauty,” explains Nils Sajonz, Bugatti Design Head of Special Projects.

Enjoy some more photos of the aggressive but beautiful and instantly recognizable as a Bugatti, La Bolide:

Bugatti Bolide will be built

It seems the several customers for hypercars are ready for the next step, track-only versions of their street-legal dream cars, we’ve seen it with the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12, an extreme version of the Aventador, but also with the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, the track-only version of the already limited edition Valkyrie … and now Bugatti joins this exclusive club with their Bolide.

Similar to Lamborghini’s Essenza SCV12, Bugatti will be offering only 40 units of a production version of their Bolide, built in 2020 as a one-off concept, the Bolide was an experimental car created as a test-bed for future technology from Bugatti, as the ultimate driving machine in terms of power, lightness, and pure acceleration … the most extreme version of the famous Bugatti 8-Liter W16 engine.

Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti, explains why they will build 40 units of this car that was never meant to be sold to customers: “The Bolide generated a great deal of enthusiasm and intrigue last year. Following its presentation, a significant number of enthusiasts and collectors asked us to develop the experimental Bolide as a production vehicle. I was absolutely amazed by the reactions and feedback from customers from all over the world. We therefore decided to make the Bolide a few-off in order to give 40 customers the opportunity to experience this incredible vehicle. Our team has now been developing a production model – the ultimate driving machine for the track.”

The Bugatti Bolide was created with the idea of ‘what if?’ … what could we do with the existing W16 engine if there were no restraints … and that is how the Bolide’s minimal bodywork was designed around the 1,850 PS engine (on 110-Octane racing fuel) … but for the Bolide production version the engine will be configured for 98 RON fuel, that will reduce the power output to 1,600 PS but still offer a massive 1,600 Nm of torque as low as 2,250 rpm, with a modified rev setup for use on the race track, together with an intake and exhaust system, this car will achieve faster, more spontaneous, and very extreme responsiveness.

The impression from the front of the Bugatti Bolide is unmistakenly that of a Formula One car, thanks to the elaborate number of air ducts and aerodynamics, the Bolide also boasts an extremely low ride height, and you can’t have a hypercar like this without a big roof scoop that runs into a massive rear wing and equally impressive rear diffuser.

While clients will most likely not be able to enter their Bugatti Bolide into any official racing class, the car is being developed with FIA rules in mind when it comes to safety and driving experience, among the safety features developed by Bugatti for the Bolide are a HANS system compatibility, an automatic fire extinguishing system, pressure refueling with a fuel bladder, central wheel locking, and a six-point safety belt system.

The Bugatti Bolide production version will come in at 1,450 kg, a weight-to-power ratio of 0.9 kilograms per PS when 98 RON gas is used, but the car is still being developed at Molsheim at the moment of writing, this will take another three years according to Bugatti, with the first customer cars ready for delivery by 2023 … at a net price of €4,000,000 each, or about US $4,680,000, but you should be quick as only 40 units will be available worldwide.

Track Only Bugatti Bolide Makes Appearance on the Streets of Milan

Bugatti is attending the Milano Monza Open Air Motor Show with a lineup of their latest hypercars. Making it’s first ever public appearance is the Bugatti Bolide, a track only experimental hypercar that was sold to a long standing Bugatti client. The new Chiron Super Sport also made its first public appearance here. Both cars were driven on the streets of Milan for the public to see.

The new Chiron Super Sport presents a long elegant streamlined bodywork and a combination of top speed and comfort. It is powered by an 8.0 litre W16 quad turbo engine with an output of 1,600hp and a limited top speed of 440km/h. Only 30 units will be produced each at a price of $3.9 million.

The Bolide on the other hand is an experimental vehicle from Bugatti with a power-to-weight ratio of 0.67kg/PS and delivers a maximum output of 1,850hp, it weighs 1,240kgs. The Bolide is developed around a W16 power train with minimal bodywork for improved performance. Bugatti could already be planning to produce a small number of the Bolide which it would then sell for around 10+ million euros a piece.

The Milano Monza Motor Show (MIMO) is running from 10th to 13th of June 2021 as an open-air event, the event will be in collaboration with the cities of Milan, Monza and the region of Lombardy. New models of over 50 automobile and motorcycle manufacturers will be presented at the motor show.

In addition to the Chiron Super Sport and Bolide, Bugatti will also present the full lineup of the Chiron family including the Chiron Pur Sport and Chiron Sport.

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport shown to the public

Stephan Winkelmann had a busy week in early June 2021 at the MIMO, the Milano Monza Motor Show, not only did he have to fulfill his role as President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini SpA to talk about the Sián, the Huracán STO, and the Urus being on display at this open-air public show (read our article on Lamborghini at the MIMO), but he’s also still President at Bugatti, and the MIMO show was the perfect venue for the world premiere of the Chiron Super Sport to the public.

We’ve covered the brand new Bugatti Chiron Super Sport earlier in-depth already, please take a look at that article for more information about the latest hypercar from Molsheim, the fourth iteration of the famous Super Sport moniker used by Bugatti since 1931 for their special, light-weight performance evolution of existing models, probably the most famous being the EB110 Super Sport from the 90s of which only 39 units were ever built.

The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport finished in white is shown at the MIMO show, using the famous 8.0-Liter W16 engine with 1,600 P, she’s capable of reaching a top speed of 440 km/h, and comes with a price tag of €3,200,000 before taxes ($3,900,000 at today’s exchange rate), the first customers will receive their Super Sport in early 2022.

Stephan Winkelmann was behind the wheel of the new Chiron Super Sport in the parade on Thursday evening and presented the new vehicle to the enthusiastic crowds by Milan Cathedral. “It feels fantastic to be presenting the new Chiron Super Sport live,” says Stephan Winkelmann. “Showcasing a new model in Ettore Bugatti’s birthplace is very meaningful to me. The Chiron Super Sport looks perfect in this setting of the Piazza del Duomo, and the famous Monza racetrack is nearby, too, even if it can’t show off its full potential there.”

But the Chiron Super Sport wasn’t the only car Bugatti brought to this open-air motor show, for comparison they had a regular Bugatti Chiron on display next to a white Pur Sport, onlookers could clearly distinguish the major differences between the three hypercars, like the longtail design on the Super Sport being about 25 cm longer overall than the standard Chiron, the white Pur Sport on display at MIMO shows the massive rear wing installed for even more downforce … three Bugatti Chiron, but three totally different cars in the end.

But the Super Sport wasn’t even the only one that was unveiled to the public for the first time … in October 2020, Bugatti introduced their most extreme, uncompromising, fastest, and lightest vehicle concept in the company’s recent history, during a virtual press release. The French luxury car manufacturer designed an ultra-lightweight shell around the iconic 8.0-Litre W16 engine with up to 1,850 PS, weighing just 1,240 kilograms, the Bolide achieves a phenomenal weight-to-power ratio of just 0.67 kilograms per PS with a top speed that has been calculated to well over 500 km/h, all without sacrificing maximum handling and agility.

The Bugatti Bolide was even voted as the most beautiful and aesthetic hyper sports car in the world, the Bolide won the “Hypercars” category at the prestigious Festival Automobile International in Paris where this experimental vehicle from Molsheim was named the most beautiful hyper sports car of 2020 by a substantial margin from a total of four finalists.

The first public appearance of the impressive Bugatti Bolide was at the 2021 MIMO motor show, and it wasn’t just a static display either, the Bolide is fully functional, as was demonstrated during the Premiere Parade, a showcase during which these cars were driven through the streets of Milan … a catwalk of hypercars.

The Milano Monza Motor Show (MIMO) runs from June 10 to 13, 2021, and is an open-air event held for the first time in collaboration with the region of Lombardy and the cities of Milan and Monza …