Bugatti Bolide : Form Follows Performance

“For the first time, we are showing what the W16 engine is really capable of. We have freed the vehicle of all baggage and have illustrated and combined the engine with the lightest possible chassis to create the ultimate Bugatti and to ensure the ultimate driving experience. With the Bolide, we are presenting our interpretation of a Bugatti track car of modern times to Bugatti enthusiasts all over the world and finally make their most fervent wishes come true,”

Stephan Winkelmann, President, Bugatti

The Bugatti Bolide, with a ratio of 0.67 kg/HP, is the most extremely uncompromising, quickest and lightest vehicle in recent history. The W16 engine with 1.850 PS per vehicle weight, and the vehicle weight only 1.240 kilograms per vehicle, is making that possible. Without compromising maximum handling and maximal agility the Bugatti Bolide reaches figures nearly equal to Formula 1, while its top speed is well over 500 km/h. A Le Mans lap takes the Bolide 3.07.1 minutes and the Nordschleife 5:23.1 minutes. 

The Design 

For Achim Anscheidt, Director of Design at Bugatti, the experimental research of the Bugatti Bolide is a highly special project. The Bolide’s design is drastically adapted to the idea of lightweight construction, with the overarching objective of creating a remarkable weight-to-power ratio of 0.67 kilograms per PS as the design principle. 

“It is the very first time that my team had the freedom of creating an absolutely minimalistic design around the W16 engine. The result is the most provocative proportion of a modern Bugatti ever and the distilled quintessence of our Bugatti design ethos that form follows performance,” says Anscheidt. “The Bugatti Bolide, however, is a project more technically driven than shaped by style.” 

The creative challenge was to translate the relentless demands of aerodynamics and lightweight construction into an appearance that reflects Bugatti’s unique DNA while also demonstrating the ambition of a significant weight-to-power ratio. Air ducts dominate the overall appearance, which are more akin to aerodynamically sophisticated Formula 1 racing vehicles than traditional sports cars. The half-open front end, which appears filigree, is a stunning illustration of how air duct expertise, lightweight construction needs, and aesthetic dynamism come together. 

The aerodynamically advantageous overall height of only 995 millimeters demonstrates the remarkable influence of the overall proportions. The low-slung shape of an automotive low-flying aircraft is made possible by the driver’s ultra-sporty seating. As a result, it’s no surprise that the Bugatti Bolide’s appearance evokes the so-called X-planes of aviation history and displays a distinct X signature from every angle. It bears a passing resemblance to the Bell X-1 jet plane, which broke the sound barrier at Mach 1.06. The Bugatti Bolide “X-periment” is shaped like an aerodynamically optimized, uncompromising racing car, and it delivers ultra-sporty, exceptional performance — without a trace of luxury. 

The Bugatti design team used a color split in the Bolide, as it does in previous Bugatti automobiles. The proportion of visible carbon pieces has grown by up to 60% when compared to previous models. Only around 40% of the surfaces are painted, in a reimagining of the old French Racing Blue. 

The Bugatti Bolide is a track-focused super sports car with an unrivalled technological concept. The weight-to-power ratio is remarkable because to the combination of 1,850 PS and 1,240 kilos dry weight. This places the Bolide and its W16 engine at the peak of combustion engines employed in vehicle engineering. 

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