Form, function and the future of Bugatti design

Quick look

• Successor to the Chiron, limited to 250 units, with production scheduled to start in 2026

• Hybrid electric powertrain with 8.3-litre V16 engine and 3 motors, generating up to 1,800 ps.

• Uses brand heritage as core design DNA while applying modern engineering.

The Bugatti Tourbillon is a next-generation, mid-engine hybrid hyper sportscar that succeeds the Chiron. Scheduled for production during 2026, only 250 units will be made (and most are already booked), and each will cost more than 3.8 million euros (around RM18.2 million).

Hybrid electric powertrain
Lighter than the Chiron, the Tourbillon is powered by a new 8.3-litre naturally aspirated V16 engine paired with 3 electric motors to produce a combined 1,800 ps/1,985 Nm. With An 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, the top speed capability is 445 km/h but limited to 380 km/h without the Speed Key. To get the Speed Key will require upwards of US10,000 (around RM42,000), depending on the model.

When Jan Schmid and his team of exterior designers set out to shape the Tourbillon, they faced a challenge that defines the marque: how do you honour more than 115 years of automotive artistry while propelling the brand into a new age?

Designing the Bugatti of tomorrow
For Schmid, Bugatti’s Chief Exterior Designer, the answer lay in what he calls ‘finding that sweet spot of what a Bugatti is and what a Bugatti can be in the future’. Thus, with the Tourbillon, Bugatti’s famed design language is carried forward while being reimagined with both precision and purpose.

“It’s really about making a Bugatti recognizable as a Bugatti from every angle by incorporating our core design DNA elements,” he explained.

Every angle of the Tourbillon tells a story. The iconic horseshoe grille, lower and wider than on any Bugatti before it, anchors a face that appears to be lunging forward. But this isn’t simply sculptural. Schmid and his team shaped every millimetre with intent – even ensuring that an EU numberplate fits seamlessly within the horseshoe’s curves while maintaining aerodynamic and structural integrity.

The horseshoe is joined by the fuselage accentuation and the centreline; a feature that traces its lineage to the riveted spine of the Type 57 SC Atlantic. On the Tourbillon, this centreline flows from nose to tail, culminating in the third brake light, which is integrated into the spine itself.

The distinctive Bugatti Line, sweeping from the A-pillar around the greenhouse before flowing toward its precise return at the front of the car, creates what Schmid describes as ‘an impression of leaping forward’. That defining curve accentuates and supports the car’s side profile, where every surface seems charged with motion and ready to accelerate. Along the line’s path, it also defines the division for Bugatti’s iconic duotone colour split, a signature element that traces back to the brand’s earliest creations.

The Tourbillon’s side profile is a bold statement of form. Its pronounced ‘Coke bottle’ curvature, sweeping inward before flaring over the rear haunches, gives the car a sense of visual drama. This sculptural treatment celebrates proportion, offering a unique interplay between lightness and strength.

A closer look at the Tourbillon’s face reveals a remarkable feat of engineering. Despite sharing nearly the same footprint as the Chiron, the Tourbillon manages to accommodate more luggage space, an electric front axle and intricate aerodynamic ducting, all while sitting lower to the ground.

The headlights exemplify this philosophy. Compact yet unmistakable, they attach to what Bugatti calls the ‘flying fender’, which serves dual purposes. Visually, it accentuates the fuselage’s forward thrust. Functionally, it channels air beneath the fender and out the top, feeding the side radiators and air intakes.

The side view reveals a dynamic interplay between the precisely drawn front fender, with its long crease line flowing all the way toward the side intake, and the muscular, sculpted rear fender.

At the rear, the Tourbillon’s fender flows seamlessly into the deck, where an active rear wing deploys only when needed. Below, the open engine bay showcases the towering plenum of the naturally aspirated V16.

More than 124 individual LED elements form a single monobloc tail light that traces the rear’s contour from edge to edge, with the Bugatti script illuminating at its centre. Beneath this, air outlets draw hot air from the side-mounted radiators. The exposed rear wheels and high-mounted diffuser channel, starting behind the front seat, create a lightweight, planted appearance while accelerating air rearward with efficiency.

When asked to choose his favourite element, Schmid doesn’t hesitate: “I have to point towards the way the rear fender is shaped. It is, in fact, inspired by the proportion of the rear fender of the Veyron with its reflection-based vastness and the grandeur of the surfacing. I’m particularly happy about how it turned out and how it gives really strength and muscle to the car and enhances the overall stance and proportion.”

Bugatti redefines the hypercar with the Tourbillon