The Bolide Bugatti was first shown to the world as a track-only vehicle, and only one year later, that concept vehicle went into production. The result is the iconic W16 Bolide Bugatti Bolide. With the Bolide, Bugatti engineers and designers created the most extreme car concept yet devised around the W16 engines potent four-turbocharger powertrain, offering the promise of Bugattis ultimate performance coup.
The development will give the Bolide the most extreme configuration level for the iconic W16 engine, making it an absolute must-have for Bugatti collectors. The Bolide would be motivated by Bugattis own W16 engine from the Chiron supercar, but with four new turbochargers designed to produce boost and horsepower at higher engine speeds. The cooling systems for the turbochargers, the W16s engines, the gearbox, and the diff were all heavily modified as well, knowing the Bolide would be hurling around not only straight, but also carrying a higher load on its sides. The new Bugatti Bolide comes equipped with a thirsty W16 engine, which is derived from Chirons base-level A Chiron.
The new Bugatti Bolide is shaping up to be one of the fastest cars to ever grace any racing circuit. Importantly, this means that the new Bolide is faster even than the SSC Tuatara, which recently crushed the Chiron Super Sport 300+s top speed record, with it being said to have done over 330mph. Importantly, it means the new Bolide is also faster than the SSC Tuatara, which recently pinched the Chiron Super Sport 300+ top speed record by reportedly doing more than 330mph. The Bolide is capable of accelerations from 0-100km/h (62mph) in just 2.2 seconds, from 0-200km/h (124mph) in just 4.4 seconds, 0-290km/h (186mph) in just 7.4 seconds, from 0-401km/h (249mph) in just 12.1 seconds, 0-501km/h (311mph) in just 20.1 seconds, with the projected maximum of over 501km/h (311mph). Combining the fact that the curb weight of The Bugatti Bolide is only 1,240 kg (2,733.7 lb ), the Bolide can accelerate from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.2 seconds, 0-200 km/h (124 mph) in 4.4 seconds, 0-299 km/h (186 mph) in 7.4 seconds, 0-401 km/h (249 mph) in 12.1 seconds, and 0-501 km/h (311 mph) in 20.1 seconds and a top speed projected of more than 501 km/h (311 mph ). The company claims the new Bugatti Bolide can do one lap around Le Mans circuit in just 7 seconds) — faster than the Le Mans-built race cars.
To build the new Bugatti Bolide, the company took mechanical bits out of a Chiron, and then cut out as much bodywork as possible, so the new car looks like more of a spaceship than ever. Its emerging hypercar concept, The Bolide, is a radically different direction for modern Bugatti. It brings us no small amount of joy to see Bugatti leaving its tweezers for luxury and going all-out, performance-focused with the Bolide. Normally, we would expect his fledgling Bolide hypercar to be going out and trying to back up its claims to a top speed above 500km/h (311mph), which also likely requires shutting down a public road, but Bugatti says that after taking the Chiron briefly above 300mph (483km/h) last year, Bugatti is done chasing speed records.
Despite the end-of-the-world performance being the raison detre of Bolide, Bugatti design director Achim Anscheidt still wanted a car that looked like the French car maker Bugatti. Bugatti engineers designed Bolide with race-spec brakes, ceramic disks, and linings, and the callipers weigh just over five pounds apiece. In addition, French Bugatti engineers worked on a drilled-out rim designed to bring the most air to the brakes and maintain their cooling throughout an endurance run. Bugatti engineers tuned the Bolide to produce higher RPMs, as well as more responsive throttle responses.
Official Bolide power output would be lower – only 1600 horsepower – as the French car maker has specified that production cars engines run on 93-octane fuel, available from roadside fuel pumps, rather than the race-spec fuel at 105-octane that concept cars are specified with. In the case of the Bolide test vehicle, the 1,850-PS power of the Bolide was achieved, among others, by using the race fuel 110 RON, while for the production vehicle, Bugatti chose the 98 RON fuel, which is available around the world, so the owners could drive the vehicle all over the world with no problems. The Bugatti Bolide would weigh in at 1,450 kg (3,197 lb) and would then have a weight-to-power ratio of 1.2 kg/kW (0.9 kg/PS; 2.0 lb/hp) if using 98 RON gas. If built, the Bolide would weigh a meager 2,733 pounds, creating a highly favourable weight-to-power ratio.
Appropriately named Bolide — French for racing car, English for meteor — this track-focused sports car would take advantage of the brutal horsepower produced by Bugattis W16 engine, encapsulated by a lightweight package built for maximum performance. With the Bolide, we are offering Bugatti enthusiasts around the world a French carmakers interpretation of the track-focused Bugatti car of modern times, exults Stefan Winkelmann. Many racing enthusiasts and French entrepreneurs may be considering investing in the car and the team in order to see the Bugatti of France, Bolide, racing in Le Mans. You can bet that there are numerous petrolhead billionaires that would gladly write a blank cheque to Bugatti in order to have one of those super-fast race cars.
For Le Mans in 1994, Bugatti engineers had to reduce their supercars power output to 600 hp, while reducing the EB 110SSs weight by more than 600 pounds.
