Bugatti has announced that its new hypercar will be revealed in June this year. The bigger talking point, however, is that Bugatti will do away with the W16 engine used by the Chiron and its Veyron predecessor, and move to an all-new V16 hybrid engine. It will be the first production car in decades to use such an engine, the last being the ultra-rare Cizeta-Moroder V16T in 1991, and it will be the first hybrid powertrain from the French manufacturer.
Bugatti V16 hybrid engine details
Bugatti has not given any more details about the engine, such as its capacity or whether it has been developed in-house, but it has revealed a preview video that gives a first taste of the noise it will make.
Previously, it was thought that Bugatti would downsize its engine in light of the potential electric power boost provided by a hybrid drivetrain, and the need to accommodate a battery and electric motors, but clearly the firm has found a means to stay true its 16-cylinder lineage as it embraces electrification. It is not yet confirmed whether the hybrid drivetrain will allow for engine-off running, or whether the two propulsion systems will work in tandem for maximum power output.
No doubt the colossal engine, combined with an electric drive element, will provide the car with comparable grunt to the 1,508hp Chiron, which can do 0-100kph in 2.5sec and tops out at 420kph, even in its standard form.
The design of the car itself was signed off early last year, with designer Achim Anscheidt – who stepped down as Bugatti's design chief recently – telling our sister publication Autocar UK that it will "bring forward" Bugatti into a new era while retaining signature cues such as the horseshoe grille and crescent-shaped belt line.
