Bugatti might not be done yet.
Days after the brand unveiled its latest boundary-pushing hypercar, the jaw-dropping Tourbillon, there comes word Bugatti may already be thinking about its next model. And that vehicle could be unlike anything we’ve seen from the marque since its current iteration was established in 1998.
During the Tourbillon’s unveiling, the automaker’s design chief, Frank Heyl, talked to Autocar about one of the vehicle’s most noteworthy features, its hybrid V-16. He explained that the all-new powertrain has the flexibility to be used in different monocoques. This would allow the brand to build more than just mid-engine hypercars, like the Tourbillon and its predecessors, the Veyron and Chiron. It could, for example, use the electrified mill in a front-engine grand tourer inspired the legendary Type 57 SC Atlantic.
“I mean, look at the Type 57 SC Atlantic: it’s front-engined,” he told the magazine. “So maybe later, but for now we are super-happy that we went this way.”
Why would Bugatti want to build a modern interpretation of the GT? Because it is widely regarded as one the most beautiful automobiles ever built. Only four rolled off the line during the second half of the 1930s, and only three still survive. It’s little wonder that it is the company’s most valuable car on the secondary market, as well as the inspiration for its most expensive new vehicle, the one-off La Voiture Noire. The company’s also been toying with the idea of building a new GT for years now, even unveiling a four-door concept called the 16 C Galbier in 2009.
CEO Mate Rimac didn’t confirm the V-16-powered GT when he talked to Autocar, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that his comments left room for it. He said that hypercars like the Tourbillon are key to the brand’s identity, but also noted that, “Bugatti has not always just been sports cars.”
Whether or not a new Type 57 SC Atlantic is on the way, Heyl and Rimac’s comments make clear that the brand remains committed to the combustion engine (even with some electric help). It’s easy to see why. The Tourbillon’s powertrain—which includes an 8.3-liter V-16 and a trio of electric motors—produces an astounding 1,775 horses. That’s enough to rocket the all-wheel-drive car from zero to 62 mph in two seconds flat and to a top speed of 276 mph.
