Storied French-German automaker Bugatti just dropped a doozy of a teaser video for its next vehicle, due out in June. The star of the 25-second clip is a 16-cylinder engine with a lovely carbon fibre intake manifold and an exhaust note that will haunt your soul. But unlike the engines powering the Chiron and the trend-setting Veyron before it, the new powerplant in the yet-to-be-named Bugatti model that will clothe it forgoes the ‘W’ configuration in favour of a traditional ‘V’.
That sound is sensational, but look a little closer and this V16 clearly sports four individual throttle bodies. They suggest that this future Bugatti is an apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree, as the engine could should have four turbochargers to feed that intake, like in the quad-turbo Veyron. However, what’s really impressive is Bugatti’s hint that this engine will be mated to a hybrid powertrain.
Odds are this electrified setup will be similar to the party tricks found in the Ferrari SF-90, ensuring the next Bugatti can slow-roll on any street in the EU and the UK. But the similarities are likely to end there, as any Bugatti, even a hybrid one, is designed with the most amount of power and performance possible from an OEM.
While the new, V-shaped engine marks a deviation from VW Group’s past insistence on ‘W’ cylinder configurations, the passion present in that video makes it clear the new Bugatti-Rimac joint venture is paying homage to the Veyron and Chiron, icons that made the brand relevant for the 21st century. Bugatti dates back over 100 years, and it’s clear this V16 hybrid powerplant is the start of something special for the next hundred.
