As if a Veyron or the dramatic versions of the Chiron weren't enough to take the breath away from any of us, this one, duly dubbed, now appears. Bugatti Bolide.
Those responsible for this audacious Bugatti project did by discarding everything that didn't necessarily have to be in this unique 4.76 m long piece, and the design team around Achim Anscheidt was allowed to give free rein to their own dreams.
The result is this sensational “hyper-athlete”, whose 1850 hp and weighing less than 1.3 tons (1240 kg dry) mean a weight/power ratio of 0.67 kg/hp . The maximum speed of this naked cannon exceeds 500 km/h (!), while the maximum torque rises to 1850 Nm — right there at 2000 rpm —, enough to guarantee otherworldly acceleration values.
Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti“We wondered how we could represent the powerful W16 engine as a technical symbol of our brand in its purest form – little more than four wheels, engine, gearbox, steering wheel and two unique luxury seats. were not strictly necessary to make it as light as possible and the result was this very special Bugatti Bolide, on which every journey could be like a cannonball shot”.
The French brand's engineers were able to calculate a little further and more creatively than usual. How fast would the Bugatti Bolide be able to run on the most famous speed circuits in the world? A lap on the La Sarthe circuit at Le Mans would take 3min07.1s and a lap on the Nürburgring Nordschleife would not take more than 5min23.1s.
Subscribe to our newsletter
“Bolide is the definitive answer to the question of whether Bugatti would be able to build a hyper-sport suitable for the tracks and that would respect all the safety requirements of the International Automobile Federation (FIA). Designed around the W16 propulsion system, with minimal bodywork around it and unbelievable performance”, explains technical development director Stefan Ellrott, for whom this project “also acts as an innovative knowledge carrier for future technologies”.
What… bolide!
Though it's a game of thinking on and off the track, despite the technical subtlety, the coupe's design is much more real. Four-wheel drive, eight-liter turbo W16 engine with seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and two racing bacquets, Bugatti has created an exclusive carbon monocoque with the highest rigidity.
The stiffness of the fibers used is 6750 N/mm2 (Newtons per square millimeter), that of the individual fiber is 350 000 N/mm2, values that are more common… in spacecraft.
The change in the outer coating on the roof, with active flow optimization, is particularly impressive. When driving slowly, the roof surface remains smooth; but when accelerating at full throttle a bubble field forms to reduce air resistance by 10% and ensure 17% less lift, while optimizing the airflow to the rear wing.
At 320 km/h, the downforce in the rear wing is 1800 kg and 800 kg in the front wing. The proportion of visible carbon parts has increased by about 60% compared to what is usual on Bugatti and only 40% of the surfaces are painted, in French Racing Blue of course.
The Bugatti Bolide is just one meter tall, like the historic Bugatti Type 35, and a foot shorter than the current Chiron. We go in and out like an LMP1 race car opening the doors and sliding over the threshold into or out of the bacquet.
Equipment such as the fire extinguishing system, trailer, pressure refueling with fuel bag, wheels with center nut, polycarbonate windows and six-point seat belt system comply with Le Mans regulations. Will Bugatti want to give a vision of a possible car for Le Mans with the Bolide? Probably not, because in 2022 hybrid models debut in the most famous endurance race in the world and unfortunately with a gigantic displacement of eight liters and 16 cylinders there is no room for any hybrid propulsion system.
But every now and then we must still be allowed to dream.
Technical specifications
| Bugatti Bolide | |
|---|---|
| MOTOR | |
| Architecture | 16 cylinders in W |
| Positioning | Longitudinal rear center |
| Capacity | 7993 cm3 |
| Distribution | 4 valves/cylinder, 64 valves |
| Food | 4 turbochargers |
| Power* | 1850 hp at 7000 rpm* |
| Binary | 1850 Nm between 2000-7025 rpm |
| STREAMING | |
| Traction | Four wheels: longitudinal self-locking front differential; transverse self-locking rear differential |
| Gear box | 7 speed automatic, double clutch |
| CHASSIS | |
| Suspension | FR: Double overlapping triangles, Pushrod connection with horizontal spring/damper assembly; TR: Double overlapping triangles, pushrod connection with vertical spring/damper assembly |
| brakes | Carbon-Ceramic, with 6 pistons per wheel. FR: 380 mm in diameter; TR: 370 mm in diameter. |
| Tires | FR: Michelin slicks 30/68 R18; TR: Michelin slicks 37/71 R18. |
| rims | 18″ Wrought Magnesium |
| DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES | |
| Comp. x Width x Alt. | 4.756 m x 1.998 m x 0.995 m |
| Between axles | 2.75 m |
| ground clearance | 75 mm |
| Weight | 1240 kg (dry) |
| weight/power ratio | 0.67 kg/hp |
| BENEFITS (simulated) | |
| Maximum speed | +500 km/h |
| 0-100 km/h | 2.17s |
| 0-200 km/h | 4.36s |
| 0-300 km/h | 7.37s |
| 0-400 km/h | 12.08s |
| 0-500 km/h | 20.16s |
| 0-400-0 km/h | 24.14s |
| 0-500-0 km/h | 33.62s |
| Accel. Transverse | Max. 2.8g |
| Back to Le Mans | 3min07.1s |
| Return to Nürburgring | 5min 23.1s |
| Aerodynamics Cd.A** | Config. max. Downforce: 1.31; Config. vel. max.: 0.54. |
* Power achieved with 110 octane gasoline. With 98 octane gasoline, power is 1600 hp.
** Aerodynamic drag coefficient multiplied by frontal area.
Authors: Joaquim Oliveira/Press-Inform.