BUGATTI

Bolide: the configuration made for excessively rich customers enters the final testing phase

Although Bugatti has completed production of the road-going Chiron and its special versions such as the Mistral, the brand's future remains exciting. Because there is still a version left to manufacture: the Bolide, a configuration made for excessively wealthy customers, who want a hypercar for any good 'track day'. Now, the French manufacturer has just released the first official images of the production version of the Bolide, stating that it has moved on to the next stage of development and that its objective remains to deliver the first units in 2024.

For now, the manufacturer has not given details on what has changed in this definitive version of Bolide compared to the model presented in 2020. But looking carefully at the images, we can appreciate the redesigned airfoil at the rear, with an inclination between the two fins on the edges.

Also, the air intake in the ceiling seems to have become larger. Unfortunately, Bugatti has not released images of the rear, so we don't know if the diffuser and central four-pipe exhaust remain as they were.

On the other hand, what Bugatti has commented is that the Bolide has undergone important mechanical changes, instead of simply being a Chiron with another design. The suspension, transmission and cooling system have been updated, not only to improve performance, but also to better adapt to the Bolide's bodywork. Facing the curves as quickly as possible was the priority in the development of the 'hypercar', and for that the company claims that almost all components were analyzed and redesigned to maximize performance and reduce weight. For now, the objective remains to obtain 1,600 hp from the W16 engine with four turbos, which will propel a car that will weigh around 1,450 kg, approximately.

“The Bolide is a new challenge for Bugatti,” said Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti. "Never before has such a powerful engine been combined with an ultra-lightweight design to create a circuit car that delivers racing-level performance." When Bugatti announced the production version of the Bolide in 2021, the French manufacturer said that only 40 copies would be manufactured, each costing 4 million euros.

The development of the Bolide continues according to the schedule foreseen by the company, and continuing like this, the first deliveries will take place in 2024, with the last car based on the Chiron and using the W16 engine. We know that its successor will be a model with electrified propulsion.

Autonews