I’ve never been much of a Bugatti fanatic; sure, the Veyron was a technical marvel that smashed records, but it never made it into any of my dream car garages. It wasn’t the sort of machine I’d have plastered across my bedroom wall as a kid, nor would it be the screensaver on my computer today. I must admit, though, last night’s unveiling of the new Bugatti Tourbillon was something to remember. If you haven’t seen it, I urge you to watch it, it actually felt like an occasion. The way Bugatti orchestrates everything from their main office to the presentation, the cinematography, and the dialogue about the car—they didn’t touch on this in the video, but even the meticulous way they ensure quality control is a step above. Call me sentimental, but it was just a car launch, and yet, I was a bit moved by it. For reasons I can’t quite pin down, it felt genuinely special. Not many events these days can stir that sort of feeling. (I will link the video at the bottom)
Let’s talk about the cars now. The Veyron and Chiron, though marvels of engineering that shattered every conceivable speed and performance record, were never what I’d call “pretty.” They transformed how we perceive performance figures—suddenly, 1000hp wasn’t some unattainable milestone for a production car, and McLaren F1 speeds became a thing of yesteryear, all achieved with the luxury of a leather-clad interior. They were significant, but as James May might say, they never quite gave me “the fizz.” However, this new Tourbillon is a different beast entirely. It’s a feast for the eyes, genuinely what I’d classify as a “pretty car.” To give you an idea, think of the Lamborghini Miura, Jaguar E-Type, De Tomaso P72, Alfa Romeo Stradale 33—these are what I consider pretty cars. Lamborghini Murcielago, Countach, Koenigsegg, Pagani Zonda—all striking, but they skew more towards cool than pretty. That’s just how my mind categorizes them. So, the Chiron and the Veyron never quite hit the mark of being pretty, and if I’m honest, they didn’t even land in the ‘great-looking’ category for me—they were more like spec sheets on wheels.
The new Bugatti Tourbillon is the kind of car that makes you glad designers still have pencils and paper in their studios. We’re talking proper lines, hips, and haunches—features that give it a bit of an edge. The interior is just as stunning, with fully mechanical, skeletonized gauges that look more at home in a Swiss watch than a car. Watching their 0 to 245kph speed video, I found myself grinning like a fool. As an avid watch collector, I immediately fell in love. I took the time to pause the video to explain to my 9-year-old daughter the magic of analog in an age of digital. Screens, as I pointed out, do not typically age very gracefully, but these analog gauges will be as epic 50 years from now as they are today, just as a classic Rolex or Patek still stirs something in us today. Bugatti has gone and done it—they’ve managed to marry timeless elegance with modern madness, and it’s a stunner in every way.
They’ve also managed to make the car less chunky. It’s lower and sleeker, thanks to some nifty work around the transmission. They’ve shaved off a bit of height—about 33 mm, or 1 ¾ inches for those on this side of the pond—and while that might not sound like much, it sure looks like a lot. The Veyron and Chiron always appeared a bit pudgy, but this Tourbillon is sleek. It’s a properly pretty car, in my humble opinion. It has that centerline detail, a nod to the iconic Type 57SC Atlantic, and it’s all very, very intentional.
Now for the technical details, which, let’s be honest, are somewhat secondary these days. Virtually everything is faster than you’ll ever need, and the figures are so staggering that they often only make sense in the abstract. But the numbers for this car are as impressive as its design: a 1000 hp from a naturally aspirated V16 engine. That’s right, they’ve ditched the W16. This new engine is a bit longer but much slimmer, and shedding the four turbos has cut down on a lot of weight. Instead of turbos, there’s now an 800 hp electric drive setup, which I suspect comes from Rimac—so we can expect it to be top-notch.
The car operates in various modes: solely on the 1000 hp engine, in EV mode with 800 hp, or in a hybrid mode that unleashes a staggering 1800 hp. It accelerates from 0 to 124 mph in just 10 seconds, with a top speed of 276 mph. Sure, with cars today like the Jesko, these numbers are impressive but not unheard of. What sets the Tourbillon apart, though, is how it delivers that performance. It does it wrapped in luxury, not just a stripped-down monocoque with a thin layer of padding over carbon fiber for a seat. Even with the addition of the electric drive, the car’s weight is just under that of the Chiron; they’ve essentially swapped the mass of the turbos for the EV system, maintaining a fine balance.
Bugatti has announced that they will only produce 250 units of the Tourbillon. Unlike some other brands, we can trust their word. They promised to make 450 Veyrons, and to my knowledge, they did. They also committed to 500 Chirons, and despite producing a dozen variants, the last one sold was indeed #500. The starting price for the Tourbillon is $3.9 million USD to start so realistically, many of these will end up closer to $5 million. It will be fascinating to see how these cars fare on the second-hand market, potentially fetching $7-8 million soon after their release.
Well done, Bugatti, well done. I believe Ferdinand Piëch and Ettore Bugatti would be proud of this car.
