Bugatti Tourbillon combines timeless elegance with cutting-edge speed

Bugatti unveils the Tourbillon hypercar with a V16 engine, hybrid system and 445 km/h top speed, blending aerodynamics, elegance and engineering heritage.

Bugatti has revealed the Tourbillon — a hypercar that merges the brand’s historic vision with twenty-first century engineering. Drawing on the legacy of the Veyron and Chiron programs, the car embodies Bugatti’s pursuit of harmony between speed and elegance.

The surbaisse concept, introduced by Jean Bugatti in the 1930s, served as a foundation. It lowered the hood, roof, and center of gravity for greater aerodynamic efficiency. In the Tourbillon, this principle has been reimagined: the cabin sits 33 mm deeper than in the Chiron, seats are mounted directly to the carbon monocoque, and both steering and pedals adjust longitudinally. Nature also played a role, with designers looking to the peregrine falcon, which folds its wings in a dive to minimize frontal area.

The body follows a teardrop shape that reduces drag while keeping cabin proportions intact. Air enters through a widened horseshoe grille, passes the radiators, and exits via a hood vent before reaching the most defining feature — the diffuser.

The Tourbillon reaches 445 km/h without deploying a rear wing. Instead, stability is secured through long diffuser channels, nearly two meters in length, starting beneath the seats and exiting tall at the rear. Exhaust gases accelerate the flow, increasing suction and producing downforce without excess drag. Visually, slim rear lighting contrasts with the technical surfaces of the diffuser, underscoring presence and width.

Power comes from an 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 developed with Cosworth, producing about 1,000 hp. It works alongside three electric motors and an 800-volt system. Combined output is around 1,800 hp, with more than 60 km of electric range. An eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox delivers power to all four wheels.

First shown in summer 2024, the Tourbillon is now undergoing road testing. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026, with production limited to 250 units. The base price is set at approximately €3.8 million before taxes and options. The model has not yet received type approval and is currently not subject to Directive 1999/94/EC.

As design director Frank Heyl notes, such achievements are only possible when strategy is defined from the very first pencil stroke. Should the Tourbillon confirm stability at its claimed top speed and deliver on the promise of its hybrid system, it may become one of the clearest expressions of Bugatti’s timeless philosophy: the union of speed and beauty.