Every Bugatti is outrageous in its own way. We’re not talking about Chevy Cavaliers here. It’s a Bugatti, the product of a company that (in its current incarnation) has made only multi-million-dollar cars with 16-cylinder engines for the past 20 years. The latest of those is the Tourbillon, which is over the top, as expected. The new racing-inspired Équipe Pur Sang package takes the Tourbillon even higher into the stratosphere of exotica.
The Tourbillon does away with the Chiron’s quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 in favor of a naturally aspirated 8.3-liter V16 that produces 1,000 horsepower. The Tourbillon was produced under the management of Bugatti’s newest owner, Rimac, the Croatian company known for making the all-electric Nevera, which uses its 1,914 horsepower to teleport to 62 mph in 1.81 seconds and surge to a top speed of 256 mph. Rimac’s involvement means the Tourbillon’s already ridiculously powerful engine is hooked up to three electric motors that pile on an additional 800 horses.
The Équipe Pur Sang (French for “Thoroughbred Team”) package doesn’t increase the Tourbillon’s output, but it does make it more aerodynamic and (somehow) even more distinctive than it already is. The treatment starts on the outside with a front splitter, which coordinates with a bespoke rear wing to up the Tourbillon’s ability to cheat the wind. The 20-inch front and 21-inch rear directional wheels also help by reducing turbulence while also sending up to eight percent more air to the rear radiator to keep this Molsheim megacar cool. At the rear is the Équipe Pur Sang package’s most distinctive feature: a special exhaust system that ends in eight outlets, which sit above a special diffuser that increases downforce.
Inside the Alcantara-lined cabin is a pair of Performance Seats, which were designed to be supportive in high-G turns, surrounded by something Bugatti calls “Black Poli” trim and the “Medium Carbon Fiber Interior Package.”
If a client doesn’t choose the Équipe Pur Sang option, there are still several ways of making his or her Tourbillon stand out from the rest. According to Bugatti, “From 23 new exterior colors to 20 new leather options, 10 new Alcantara choices, and 7 new carpet colors, the potential combinations are virtually limitless.” Even the instrument cluster, which consists of components made by Swiss watchmakers, can be ordered in different configurations.
Then again, no matter how a Tourbillon is spec’ed, it’ll be instantly recognizable. Bugatti is only going to produce 250 of them, each with a starting price of €3.8 million ($4.1+ million).