Mate Rimac tests what Bugatti Tourbillon Carbon Prototype V16 is like starting up and driving in electric mode
Published on Mar 20, 2026 at 11:05 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Mar 20, 2026 at 8:05 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
A YouTuber managed to capture some footage of Mate Rimac testing the Bugatti Tourbillon somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Croatia.
The Tourbillon was announced a while back, but the production model isn’t ready yet.
And this also means that what we know about this hypercar is mostly on paper.
However, the video below gave us a few interesting details about the car.
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The Bugatti Tourbillon has three key selling points
It’s a Bugatti and a hypercar, but the Tourbillon is hugely important for three reasons.
First, this is the first new Bugatti since the Bugatti-Rimac merger.
Second, it still uses a massive engine.
While other automakers are downsizing, Bugatti isn’t.
The Tourbillon uses an engine that has the same number of cylinders as the previous one (16) but is actually bigger (8.3 liters vs 8.0 liters).
Third, it’s a hybrid, which makes it the first electrified Bugatti.
It can be driven in EV mode
Two things emerge from the video captured by Car Therapy.
The clip was presumably filmed somewhere not far from the Croatian capital of Zagreb.
That’s because nearly all the cars in the video show Zagreb license plates, and it showcases a VPB (validation prototype) Tourbillon in naked carbon.
The first thing that stands out is the V16 engine noise.
It roars like an angry tiger.
But then, when Mate Rimac actually sets off, he does so in EV mode, and the car is as quiet as a whisper.
If everything goes to plan, the first ‘customer-ready’ cars are expected to roll out of the Molsheim atelier in the coming weeks and months.
So we’ll find out more soon enough.
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After beginning his automotive writing career at DriveTribe, Alessandro has been with Supercar Blondie since the launch of the website in 2022. In fact, he penned the very first article published on supercarblondie.com. He’s covered subjects from cars to aircraft, watches, and luxury yachts - and even crypto. He can largely be found heading up the site’s new-supercar and SBX coverage and being the first to bring our readers the news that they’re hungry for.
