Haven't we all wondered how our cars and sports cars built after 2010 and equipped with numerous digital helpers could ever become classic cars without failing due to some irreparable control modules?
Schmohl AG presented two new products in Zurich on July 4: the new Bugatti Tourbillon and a new Bugatti showroom to go with it. Even though there is space for three cars on 350 square meters, the new Tourbillion with its incredible 1800 hp system performance is likely to be the star of the show for the time being. It is the first Bugatti in 20 years not to be named after famous Bugatti racing drivers of the past; a decision that was probably the subject of much internal debate. Alternatively, the names of sections of famous race tracks were also on the list of name candidates.
A nod to the past
In the end, however, the name Tourbillon clearly won the race and, according to Bugatti, is the perfect embodiment of the character of this car. Tourbillon is a French word that alludes to Bugatti's French heritage and its home town of Molsheim. On the other hand, the name refers to the watchmaking invention of Abraham-Louis Breguet, a Swiss-born genius who moved to France in 1801.
This incomparably original creation, as complex as it is beautiful, makes it possible to compensate for the effects of gravity on the watch to ensure more uniform timekeeping. Even today, over 200 years later, it is still revered as the pinnacle of watchmaking.
Timeless
This sense of mechanical timelessness was a key element in the development of the Bugatti Tourbillon. For a car that will be competing in concours meetings this century and for centuries to come, technology can easily become outdated - especially large digital screens. That's why it's important to use as many timeless components as possible.
The Tourbillon therefore uses a range of design and construction techniques that will never age, including a fully analog combined instrument, crafted by Swiss watchmakers with the same care and attention to detail as the world's finest timepieces. Just as these become heirlooms over generations, the Tourbillon is designed to be a car for the ages.
Without a turbocharger, but with many design features
The superlative 1800 hp car - a good 1000 hp of which comes from the new V16 naturally aspirated engine without any turbocharging - is now starting its test phase.
The first thing that catches the eye is the significantly flatter design compared to its predecessors, the Veyron and Chiron - including the front and radiator section. Jascha Straub, Manager Individualization from the design department, explains this evolution with a historical role model: a Type 57 SC also had the ambition to be even more streamlined and at the same time more elegant than the basic Bugatti 57C model.
Other interesting design elements with historical references include the spine, which has been famous since the legendary Atlantic model and was riveted at the time due to the material, centrally across the entire roof and, of course, once again the side arch accentuated with contrasting paintwork, which is also flatter - and also less rounded, i.e. somewhat more masculine. At the rear, the designers refer to powerful-looking rear tire treads in a "naked bike" look that are largely exposed and visible from the rear, which also brought with it a new rear light design that is slightly reminiscent of McLaren sports cars in its sweep.
The high Bugatti standard for automobile development "Unique or not at all" is, however, undoubtedly achieved in full. Not only are new standards set in performance and design; even the current taste of buyers and the spirit of the times seem to have been kept in mind without creating a fashionable car. On the contrary; the Tourbillon looks as if it could easily mutate into a timeless and sought-after classic car - and survive technically.
The first prototypes are already on the road in preparation for delivery to customers from 2026. A total of 250 units will be built at a starting price of 3.8 million euros net; however, the majority of production has probably already been sold. Manual assembly will take place in the Atelier in Molsheim, where the Bugatti Bolide & Mistral models have already been built.
Information and the exact specifications of the Bugatti Tourbillon can be found on the Bugatti website.
