If you thought the Bugatti Divo was an impressive track shredder, check out the brand’s latest creation, whose name is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as “a large meteor: FIREBALL, especially: one that explodes. ” Meet the production Bugatti Bolide, a race-ready coupe with a quad-turbo 8.0-liter W-16 engine that produces approximately 1,580 hp (down around 245 horses to the original show car’s 1,825-hp figure). Talk about explosive performance!
Okay, so a non-automotive bolide explodes with megatons of power when the meteor enters the atmosphere, and this news feels a bit like that, so it all works. While we expect the production Bolide to fall a bit short of the concept’s manufacturer-estimated five-minute and 23.1-second lap time around the Nürburgring, we still expect this wild-looking machine to lap the famed track at an insanely quick pace with the right driver behind the wheel.
Classical Gas
Bugatti states the production Bolide’s lesser power output is the result of its decision to feed the 16-cylinder engine lower-octane fuel rather than the 110-octane racing gas of the Bolide Concept. As such we assume much of the engineering work that went into the concept applies to the handful of Bolides that Bugatti plans to produce. This includes new turbochargers with special blades to help build up more boost pressure and power at high speeds. The concept’s turbos also featured air-to-air intercoolers with a water pre-cooling system.
Nevertheless, it’s possible the Bolide Concept’s enhanced turbochargers were left on the cutting room floor, as Bugatti simply states the car it intends to sell features modifications to the intake and exhaust systems, as well as to the cooling systems of “the turbochargers, engine, transmission, and differential”. A relatively light 3,196-pound curb weight—emphasis on relatively—ought to help the Bolide make the most of its available power.
Once again, Bugatti is mum on specifics of the Bolide it intends to sell to interested customers. Nevertheless, we wager the Bolide Concept’s special carbon monocoque, lightweight push-rod suspension system, and magnesium wheels find their way to the purchasable Bolide.
Style and Safety
The Bolide’s low-slung proportions were inspired by the X-planes of yesteryear, specifically the Bell X-1 that exceeded the speed of sound under the command of Chuck Yeager. Despite this, the track-ready Bolide packs plenty of modern safety features, including a six-point seat belt, a HANS device, an automatic fire extinguishing system, and more.
Interested in nabbing one of the 40 Bolides earmarked for production? Then prepare to write a check for just shy of $5,000,000. After that, you will need to play the waiting game, as Bugatti intends to start delivering these cars to customers in 2024.
This story was originally published on October 28, 2020.
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