Bugatti Bolide Unveiled as Insane, Track-only Hypercar Concept
What if Bugatti developed an extreme, track-focused hyper sports car with an unprecedented power-to-weight ratio? We now have the answer. Here is a brand new concept with state-of-the-art technology and performance that goes by the name « Le Bolide ».
Inspired by the Bugatti Type 35, one of the most famous race cars of all time with over 2,000 victories from 1924-1930, this modern-day monster is exclusively designed for the track. It houses the mythical 8.0-litre W16 engine, which in this application generates up to 1,825 horsepower when using 110-octane race fuel. And yet it weighs just 1,240 kilograms (2,734 pounds).
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Peak torque is rated at 1,364 pound-feet. As a result, the Bugatti Bolide is capable of a top speed well above 500 km/h and, based on computer simulations, it would lap the challenging Nürburgring Nordschleife in 5:23 minutes. That’s insane!
“Important aspects of our considerations were fine-tuning our iconic powertrain without any limitations as regards the weight-to-power ratio. These considerations resulted in the Bugatti Bolide,” explains Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “An uncompromising experiment, a thoroughbred, a Pur Sang that, in its brute exclusivity, impresses above all with high performance, low weight, and a driving experience in a whole new dimension. Driving the Bolide is like riding on a cannonball.”
In order to pull off this incredible feat, Bugatti engineers optimized the intake and exhaust systems, revised the quadruple turbochargers as well as the cooling and lubrication systems. They naturally opted for the lightest materials available now and in the future. For example, the body is entirely made of carbon fibre, while all the screw and fastening elements are made of titanium. A number of components are 3D-printed with extremely thin yet super-strong surfaces that can withstand a continuous operating temperature of up to 260 degrees Celsius.
As in Formula 1, the Bugatti Bolide decelerates using racing brakes with ceramic discs and coatings. The brake callipers weigh only 2.4 kilograms each. The forged magnesium wheels are wrapped in a very wide tire size of 340 millimetres on the front axle and 400 millimetres on the rear axle.
When it comes to aerodynamics, a world-first innovation is the transformable outer skin of the intake scoop on the roof, which provides active airflow optimisation. If the car is driven at a slow speed, the surface of the scoop remains smooth. In contrast, a field of bubbles bulges out when driven at fast speeds. At 320 km/h, the downforce is at 1,800 kilograms at the rear wing and 800 kilograms at the front wing.
The Bolide’s design is a project more technically driven than shaped by style, Bugatti says, but it still manages to preserve the brand’s DNA. The overall appearance is dominated by air ducts that are more reminiscent of aerodynamically sophisticated Formula 1 race cars than classic sports cars. Meanwhile, the X signature in the rear indirectly evokes the Bell X-1 jet aircraft which Chuck Yeager used to break the sound barrier in 1947. Only around 40 percent of the surfaces are painted—in a re-interpretation of the historic French Racing Blue.
In terms of size, the new hypercar concept is just 995 millimetres tall— or about 300 millimetres flatter than the Chiron. The wheelbase is 2.75 metres and the width is 1.99 metres. Like in an LMP1 race car, the occupants fold up the doors that are hinged at the front at an angle.
Inside, the two-seat cockpit meets all FIA safety requirements: HANS device compatibility, automatic fire extinguishing system, towing device, pressure refuelling with fuel bladder, lightweight polycarbonate windows, six-point harness system and more.
The company has not decided yet whether the Bugatti Bolide will go into series production or not. We’ll definitely keep a close eye on that one.