The next Bugatti will be a V16-powered middle finger to electric hypercars

Yes, you read that right – Bugatti’s next-generation hypercar will move from a high-power 16-cylinder engine to… a high-power 16-cylinder engine.

The French hypercar maker – now majority owned by Croatian electric vehicle (EV) specialist Rimac – has confirmed its plans to unveil its successor to the Chiron in June 2024.

Its as-yet unnamed hypercar will be powered by a V16 engine with hybrid assistance, replacing the marque’s long-standing ‘W16’ quad-turbo engine which served both the Veyron and Chiron for almost two decades.

While the W16 was effectively two narrow-angle ‘VR8’ engines joined by a common crankshaft between the two banks, the V16 is closer to being two V8s mated at the ends of each block, creating a unique sound.

A video uploaded to YouTube by Bugatti lets us hear the V16 for the first time, producing a deep sound low down before rising to a scream towards the top of the rev range.

In June 2023, UK publication Autocar reported the new Bugatti would adopt a hybrid V8 powertrain, though its report has since been amended to exclude any specific engine details.

Other speculation suggested the new Bugatti could adopt an engine from the Volkswagen Group – given Porsche owns 45 per cent of the brand – though the German giant is without a V16 in its lineup, suggesting this powertrain will be bespoke to the new model.

It’s expected Bugatti’s majority owner Rimac – which produces the Nevera, the world’s fastest road-legal EV – will supply the new hypercar’s hybrid system, which replaces the Chiron’s quad-turbo technology to reduce its emissions and boost power outputs.

The new Bugatti hypercar is due to enter production in 2026, and will precede the brand’s first electric-only model, reportedly due by 2030.

Unfortunately Bugatti only produces its cars for left-hand drive markets, meaning it won’t be officially sold in Australia due to local road regulations – however a handful of previous models have made their way to the country as private imports under conditional driving provisions.

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