Bugatti’s first new car in 16 years, the V16 Tourbillon, is a thing of beauty

This is the new Bugatti Tourbillon, and it’s designed to fill some pretty big shoes because it replaces the Chiron.

Unveiled now, exactly 20 years after the launch of the Veyron, the Tourbillon uses a V16 that Bugatti CEO, Mate Rimac, says will ‘be around for a while’.

It’s a tremendous engine, making the Tourbillon more powerful than the Chiron, and faster.

And the eye-watering price tag reflects that.

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The industry tends to use the expression ‘long-awaited’ a lot but, on this occasion, we reckon it’s well deserved.

Bugatti discontinued the Chiron in 2016, even though it still made a bunch of limited-edition versions since, so that means car collectors and car fans have been waiting for this car for almost a decade.

And the wait isn’t over, by the way.

The car is here now, but production is set to commence in 2026.

But it won’t be cheap, as the new Bugatti starts at around $4 million.

The V16 that powers the Bugatti Tourbillon

When Rimac acquired Bugatti, everyone assumed we’d never see a gas-powered Bugatti hypercar again, and the next one would be electric.

But Mate Rimac himself, founder of Rimac and now CEO of Bugatti-Rimac, said that was not the plan.

Then, earlier this year, Rimac proved he meant what he said when he unveiled the new V16 that would power the new car.

This new V16 is a massive 8.3-liter engine that’s almost one meter long, but it only weighs 252 kg (555 lbs) because it’s made using lightweight and composite materials.

The V16 produces 986 horsepower, but there are three Rimac electric motors, two at the front and one at the back, giving an extra 789 horsepower.

With 1775 horsepower in total, Bugatti wants to claim every record out there.

According to Mate Rimac, the new Tourbillon has a top speed of 444 km/h (276 mph) but he believes later versions will be able to go faster than 490 km/h (300 mph).

The Tourbillon should be able to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in two seconds or less.

We should also point out that the Tourbillon weighs less than its predecessor, tipping the scales at 1,995 kg (4,400 lbs).

Evolution, not a revolution

The Tourbillon looks exactly like the Chiron successor should.

Bugatti didn’t revolutionize the look because, as they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The ‘C-line’, a distinctive feature of the Veyron and the Chiron, is still there.

As are both the trademark horseshoe front grille and two-tone paint.

There is also a redesigned rear wing and Bugatti also gave the car dihedral doors.

And the best part is the company admits this is to ‘provide a dramatic sense of arrival’

Bugatti Tourbillon interior

The interior also features several elements and designs from previous cars.

You’ve got an analog-digital, three-gauge instrument cluster right in front of the driver, which is made by Swiss watchmakers with over 600 individual components.

And then, of course, there’s the signature vertical dashboard.

There’s also a small touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, but it’s hidden in the dashboard and it only deploys when the driver needs it.

Pricing and availability

Production is capped at 250 units, with a price tag of $4 million.

This is of course just the starting price because each car will be customized, making the price rise by potentially quite a lot.

Deliveries of the Bugatti Tourbillon are scheduled for 2026.