Bugatti Bolide: The Ultimate Driving Experience
Updated: Jan 17, 2023
The BUGATTI Bolide is the most extreme, uncompromising, fastest and lightest vehicle concept in the company’s recent history. Bugatti has announced that all 40 Bolides have been sold, costing $4.8 million each for Bugatti’s most radical model ever designed.
The BUGATTI Bolide’s incredible power-to-weight ratio of 0.67 kg per PS is made possible by the combination of the W16 engine with 1,850 PS and a vehicle weight of just 1,240 kilograms. The BUGATTI Bolide achieves values that almost approach Formula 1, its top speed is well over 500 km/h - without compromising maximum handling and agility.
EXTREME LIGHTWEIGHT, HIGHEST STRENGTH
To achieve the dry weight of just 1,240 kg, the BUGATTI team had to pull out all the stops. A completely new carbon monocoque was developed around the drivetrain. The integral stem flanged to it is made of high-strength carbon fibers, as are the underbody and the monocoque itself, which are fully aerodynamically effective. The tensile strength and stiffness of all composites - from the individual carbon fibers to the high-strength aerospace stainless steel - offer durability levels only achieved in aerospace. The extensive use of 3D-printed lightweight materials, the hollow construction of many components and the titanium bolts and fasteners are just a few examples of the high-end motorsport technology used in the BUGATTI Bolide.
AERODYNAMICS: MASTERING THE WIND
The best that BUGATTI has to offer in terms of aerodynamics has been combined in the Bolide. The combination of an athletic body inspired by the Le Mans prototypes and the extensive use of wings and flaps generates 2,600 kg of downforce at 320 km/h, 800 at the front and 1,800 at the rear. A world first is the morphable outer skin of the intake scoop on the roof, which provides active airflow optimization. At low speeds, the surface of the scoop remains smooth.
At high speeds, on the other hand, a bubble field bulges out, reducing the air resistance of the scoop by 10 percent and the lift force by 17 percent. With an overall height of just 995 millimeters, the BUGATTI Bolide is exactly the same height as the historic BUGATTI Type 35 and around 22 centimeters flatter than the Chiron.
AVIATION DESIGN
The ultra-sporty driver’s seating permits the low-slung shape of an automotive low-flying aircraft. It is therefore not surprising that the appearance of the BUGATTI Bolide is reminiscent of the so-called X-planes of aviation history, with a clear X signature from every perspective. It is indirectly reminiscent of the first jet aircraft to break the sound barrier at Mach 1.06 in 1947. The BUGATTI Bolide “X-periment” has the shape of an aerodynamically optimized, uncompromising race car and offers superlative ultra sporting performance - without a hint of luxury.