Bugatti unveils jaw-dropping $4 million Tourbillon

MOLSHEIM: Bugatti unveiled its latest model, the Tourbillon, with a staggering price tag of $4 million on Friday. What sets this car apart from previous Bugatti models? Is its high price justified?

As per the company’s own website, the Tourbillion marks a “departure from tradition” with its “innovative design” and engineering. The latest offering from the high-end carmaker is named after a celebrated watchmaking tool that revolutionised the watch industry.

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Bugatti boasts that the Tourbillon embodies the company’s commitment to “uniqueness and timeless beauty”. Unlike its predecessors that were powered by the W16 engine, the Tourbillon reportedly integrates a new 8.3-liter V16 engine without turbocharging and advanced electric motors.

This makes the car have a horsepower of over 1,800. The hybrid powertrain ensures not only high speeds but also offers a “all-electric range” exceeding 60 kilometers. A hybrid powertrain combines both an internal combustion engine (like gasoline) and an electric motor with a battery. Such as setup improves fuel efficiency while also reducing emissions by utilising electric power for low-speed and acceleration.

The Tourbillion can go up to speeds of 400 km/h. Bugatti says the latest model drew inspiration from its older models such as the Type 57SC Atlantic and Type 35. The new car features elements from the previous models such as the horseshoe grille and a more modernised two-tone colour scheme.

Coming to the Tourbillion’s interior, the company stated that the car’s interiors were designed to offer a more traditional driving experience. Bugatti said it created a highly detailed instrument cluster (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and other warning lights) designed and built by Swiss watchmakers.

The center console is made of crystal glass to add a “touch of sophistication” to the cabin. The company used expensive, rare or high-end materials such as titanium, carbon fiber, and leather to make the interior as luxurious as possible while still ensuring functionality.

Bugatti claims to have achieved all this without negatively affecting the car’s weight or performance.

The car was built on a new T800 carbon composite structure, a lightweight and strong material for better performance and efficiency. The $4 million car was built with a lightweight design and “aerodynamic efficiency”, helping the car’s body to reduce air resistance and thereby, improved speed while still being fuel efficient.

The car’s body is made up of modern, lightweight parts for smoother rides and has a “brake-by-wire system” that is basically an electronic braking for precise control.

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The car is equipped with the Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tyres, known for their high-performance, for better handling and to complement the car’s high-performance engine.

Bugatti intends for the Tourbillon to epitomise the pinnacle of “automotive engineering and luxury”. Only 250 units of the car will be produced and sold worldwide, to maintain its exclusivity. The car is priced at €3.8 million (roughly $4 million)