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Bugatti announces a production version of the experimental Bolide vehicle, which combines engineering ingenuity with pure power.
MANDI KEIGHRAN
The name Bugatti has been synonymous with automotive luxury and performance since being founded in the early 20th century. In October 2020, however, the French brand reached new heights of power, lightness, and acceleration with the unveiling of the one-of-a-kind Bolide experimental car—and now the brand has announced a production version of the hyper sports car.
“Bugatti stands for the continuous quest for technological innovations – in alignment with the company’s brand values of excellence, courage, dedication. And Bugatti never stands still. We are perpetually aiming for new and exciting goals, and the question that we always keep in mind is: what if?” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “We asked ourselves how we could realise the mighty W16 engine as a technical symbol of the brand in its purest form – with solely four wheels, engine, gearbox, steering wheel and, as the only luxury, two seats. Important aspects of our considerations were fine-tuning our iconic powertrain without any limitations as regards the weight-to-power ratio. These considerations resulted in the Bugatti Bolide. An uncompromising experiment, a thoroughbred, a Pur Sang that, in its brute exclusivity, impresses above all with high performance, low weight, and a driving experience in a whole new dimension. Driving the Bolide is like riding on a cannonball.”
The result of a thought experiment, the Bugatti team creates a radially light vehicle around the legendary 8.0-litre W16 engine to create a racetrack-oriented sports car with minimal bodywork to create maximum downforce. It’s a beast!
“The Bolide generated a great deal of enthusiasm and intrigue last year,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “Following its presentation, a significant number of enthusiasts and collectors asked us to develop the experimental Bolide as a production vehicle.”
Of course, the limited-edition hyper sport euro track-oriented machines comes with a price to match its speed – when it comes to the market in 2024, there will be just 40 cars each available at a price of four million euros ($4.75m).
