Bugatti Bolide adalah perubahan besar untuk Bugatti. Ia bukan sahaja tentang pergi laju tetapi juga prestasi di litar lumba. Dengan bantuan pakar perlumbaan Andy Wallace, Bugatti menghasilkan kereta yang mudah dipandu oleh sesiapa sahaja di trek.
Bolide mempunyai enjin berkuasa turbo 1,600PS 8.0 liter W16 Bugatti. Semuanya diletak dalam badan gentian karbon super ringan yang dibuat dengan bantuan Dallara, pembuat kereta lumba terkenal. Pemandu duduk rendah, seperti dalam kereta lumba, yang membantu mereka berasa terkawal.
Bugatti bekerja keras pada brek Bolide dengan Brembo, pembuat brek terkemuka, selama lebih dua tahun. Mereka juga menghabiskan banyak masa untuk menguji dan membetulkan bentuknya untuk menjadikannya benar-benar baik dalam melekat pada jalan. Bolide boleh mencecah 380km/j tanpa banyak seretan, yang hampir sepantas kereta Formula 1. Tetapi ia direka untuk menjadi lebih baik di selekoh dan brek, menjadikannya sempurna untuk litar lumba.
“Perasaan apabila anda keluar dari sudut, tekan minyak, dan alami lonjakan kuasa yang tiada henti itu tiada tandingannya. Anda keluar dari sudut itu pada kelajuan 100km/j, dan dari sana ke 200km/j dan kemudian 300km/j adalah pendedahan mutlak. Dalam senario khusus itu, Bolide akan pecut dari kereta Formula 1,” kata Bugatti Pilote Officiel dan pemenang Triple Crown legenda, Andy Wallace.
Walau bagaimanapun, Bugatti tidak melupakan keselesaan. Bolide mempunyai penghawa dingin dan tempat duduk yang selesa untuk pemandu, walaupun ketika mereka memandu dengan sangat laju.
Selepas banyak ujian, Bugatti bersedia untuk mula membuat Bolide untuk pelanggan. Mereka akan mula menghantarnya tidak lama lagi.
The Bugatti Bolide represents a significant departure from the brand’s usual approach, focusing not only on speed but also on circuit dominance and accessibility. Engineered with input from motorsport legend Andy Wallace and incorporating cutting-edge technology, the Bolide invites drivers of all levels to push their limits on the track.
At the heart of the Bolide is Bugatti’s legendary 1,600PS 8.0-litre W16 turbocharged engine, housed within an ultra-lightweight carbon fibre composite monocoque developed with Dallara to meet stringent FIA requirements. The seating position, inspired by extreme race cars, instills confidence and precision in drivers.
The Bolide’s Brembo braking system, developed over two years, matches the performance of top-tier motorsport machinery. Extensive testing and simulation have fine-tuned its aerodynamics, generating significant downforce and ensuring unparalleled traction and grip with all-wheel drive and high-performance tyres.
With a top speed of 380km/h in low-downforce configuration, the Bolide rivals Formula 1 cars on the straights. However, its focus on cornering, traction, and braking makes it perfectly suited to circuit driving, delivering precision and agility through every turn. “The feeling when you come out of a corner, press the throttle, and experience that relentless surge of power is incomparable. You come out of that corner at 100km/h, and from there to 200km/h and then 300km/h is an absolute revelation. In that specific scenario, the Bolide would pull away from a Formula 1 car,” said Bugatti Pilote Officiel and legendary Triple Crown winner, Andy Wallace.
Bugatti’s commitment to quality extends to the Bolide’s interior, offering amenities like air conditioning and ergonomic seating for driver comfort during exhilarating laps.
Having completed its testing phase, the Bugatti Bolide is now ready for series production, with the first customer deliveries expected in the coming months.
The Bugatti Bolide stands as a testament to automotive engineering, blending the iconic W16 engine with cutting-edge lightweight techniques to deliver an unparalleled track driving experience. At the heart of the Bolide’s performance lies its braking technology, featuring the largest carbon brake system ever produced by Brembo.
Bugatti tasked Brembo with the challenge of creating a brake system that matches the Bolide’s uncompromising nature. Over two years of rigorous testing and development, Brembo engineers collaborated closely with Bugatti to craft a brake system that pushes the boundaries of design and performance.
The Bolide’s front brakes are a marvel of engineering, boasting two eight-piston monobloc callipers with high-performance pads and massive 390×37.5 mm carbon discs. The rear brakes mirror the front setup, featuring two six-piston monobloc callipers and sizable 390×34 mm carbon discs. Despite their imposing size, the callipers are machined from aluminium alloy and nickel-coated for optimal performance.
Mario Almondo, Chief Operating Officer of Brembo Performance, expressed pride in the achievement, highlighting the engineering prowess required to develop a brake system for the Bolide. The use of carbon compounds akin to those in Formula 1 allowed for a lightweight design without compromising performance.
The lightweight design not only reduces overall system weight but also ensures exceptional thermal conductivity for superior heat dissipation during intense braking. This prevents brake fade and provides consistent performance even under extreme conditions.
The holistic approach to the brake system extends beyond callipers and discs, encompassing bespoke master cylinders and specially formulated fluid. Every component works in harmony to deliver exceptional performance on the track.
Collaboration between Bugatti and Brembo also focused on optimising brake system cooling, crucial for managing the energy unleashed by the Bugatti W16 engine. By directing airflow precisely to the discs and pads, the system ensures optimal performance during rigorous track sessions.
Through extensive testing and refinement, the brake system of the Bolide has been fine-tuned to excel in diverse conditions, including wet weather scenarios. This attention to detail ensures that the Bolide remains unrivalled, delivering outstanding performance without compromising safety or security on the track.
This year’s “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering” in Monterey will feature two unique models from Bugatti. In addition to the one-of-a-kind Chiron Super Sport Golden Era, which featured the hand-sketched vinyl, the Molsheim brand developed a colour-matching Mistral to highlight the customizability options provided by the Bugatti Sur Mesure programme.
The Bugatti Mistral was revealed to the world at the Monterey Car Week precisely one year prior, and despite its €5 million price tag, all 99 of its models were already sold out. A pricey limited-production like this is perfect for customisation, and owners have the option of getting the Bugatti Sur Mesure treatment.
When the Bugatti Chiron made its debut at the Geneva International Motorshow in 2016, it was announced that the production run would be limited to 500 units. Just over 4 years after the first deliveries to customers began in March 2017, over 460 units have been built and less than 40 build slots left to be allocated.
The final units being built or scheduled to be built are in Chiron Pur Sport and Chiron Super Sport form only. Joining the Chiron family in 2020, the Chiron Pur Sport built upon the exceptional Chiron foundation to offer customers a truly uncompromising hyper sports car that is optimized for dynamic agility and downforce.
With an entirely new aerodynamic, transmission and weight configuration, the Chiron Pur Sport effortlessly delivers thoroughbred performance. The model has a 50-kg weight reduction and firmer suspension, combined with a 1.90 metre rear wing and close-ratio transmission.
Ultimate Grand Tourisme
The Chiron Super Sport only appeared this year. As the quintessence of luxury and speed, the Chiron Super Sport has been designed to embrace supreme longitudinal speed without compromising luxury and comfort. It is regarded as the ultimate Grand Tourisme and defined by its longtail design, the Super Sport achieves extreme levels of aerodynamic efficiency, enabling the hyper sportscar to reach speeds of up to 440 km/h.
With an upgraded version of the Bugatti 8-litre W16 engine, the Super Sport has 1,600 ps, which is 100 ps more than the standard car. But even with 1,500 ps (and 1,600 Nm), the Chiron redefined the pinnacle of automotive engineering in the 2010s. Sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in a claimed 2.4 seconds, it reached 200 km/ in 6.1 seconds, with the 300 km/h mark achieved in 13.1 seconds.
A world record-setter
As would be expected, Bugatti regularly set new records with the Chiron, solidifying its position in automotive history as one of the all-time greats. Its first production car record was achieved in 2017 when a Chiron went from 0 to 400 km/h to 0 within 41.96 seconds – the fastest time ever reached and officially measured at the time.
Continuing a run of unrelenting success, just 2 years later, the hypercar reached speeds once through to be unreachable by a road car. A near production prototype derivative crossed the 300 mph limit with a speed of 304.773 mph (490.484 km/h).
No shortage of customers
Even with the astronomical prices starting from US$3 million (about RM12.5 million), there has never been a shortage of customers from the first day orders were accepted. 18 months from its initial announcement, 300 of the 500 cars had been sold. This sales momentum has continued and despite global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Bugatti has steadily been receiving orders for the Chiron. The USA has taken the most Chirons, contributing significantly to a record-breaking quarter in Q3.
“Our discerning customer base across the world consists of true Bugatti connoisseurs. They are hard-working, self-made individuals who regard owning one or multiple Bugatti masterpieces as the realization of a dream. They understand the devotion behind the pioneering design and engineering of each Chiron model. Their appreciation for the provenance and performance of our hyper sports cars comes from a genuine passion for the brand,” said Hendrik Malinowski, Director of Sales and Operations.
For a manufacturer to make a production model, the design cannot be too complex so as to not be too expensive to manufacture, and safety and emission regulations also need to be met. Designing a car for track use offer more freedom technical though safety is still important and there are also competition regulations to conform to.
Concept cars are the best then as they can do not need to meet regulations and can be have advanced technology that is still not ready for commercialisation. Typically, they show the design direction of the brand, and perhaps some new ideas being explored.
This is the case with the Bugatti Bolide, which is being presented as the answer to the question ‘what if Bugatti built a radically light vehicle around its iconic 8.0-litre W16 engine?’. The Bolide concept is a track-oriented hyper sportscar derived from production model intended to be the most extreme, uncompromising, fastest and lightest Bugatti concept car in the company’s recent history.
A ‘what if’ experiment
“Bugatti stands for the continuous quest for technological innovations – in alignment with the company’s brand values of excellence, courage, dedication. And Bugatti never stands still. We are perpetually aiming for new and exciting goals, and the question that we always keep in mind is: what if?” said Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti.
“We asked ourselves how we could realise the mighty W16 engine as a technical symbol of the brand in its purest form – with solely four wheels, engine, gearbox, steering wheel and, as the only luxury, two seats. Important aspects of our considerations were fine-tuning our iconic powertrain without any limitations as regards the weight-to-power ratio. These considerations resulted in the Bugatti Bolide.”
Powertrain designed specifically for the racetrack
Explaining the concept further, Stefan Ellrott, member of the Board of Management of Bugatti and Head of Technical Development, said that the Bolide is the ultimate answer to the question of what if Bugatti built a track-focused hyper sportscar that met the FIA’s safety requirements.
“Designed around the W16 powertrain with the minimum body structure and unbelievable performance data. The result: the smallest possible shell for a breathtaking performance vehicle that allows the W16 to truly come into its own,” he explained. “All of Bugatti’s expertise has been condensed into the Bugatti Bolide. It is therefore an innovative information source for future technologies. The Bolide is thus more than just an intellectual exercise.”
In terms of technology and organisation, the Bolide is one of the most ambitious projects for its lead engineer, Frank Gotzke. After playing a crucial role in the development of the Veyron 16.4 and the Chiron, he was given the responsibility for the technical concept of the Bolide. In only 8 months, he created a completely new sportscar around the Bugatti W16 all-wheel drive powertrain, which was highly modified for the project.
The 8-litre 16-cylinder 1,850 ps engine was engineered specifically for use on the racetrack and has an optimised engine and gearbox, especially for higher engine speeds. Among other things, there are 4 specially developed turbochargers with optimised blades in order to build up more boost pressure and power at higher engine speeds. In order to achieve optimum lubrication even under extremely high centrifugal forces, the oil circuit, oil pressure, check valves, baffles, oil tanks, oil reservoirs, and pump design of the dry sump lubrication have been optimised. The weight of the drive system is also significantly reduced.
Instead of water-to-air intercooling, the Bolide has air-to-air intercooling with water pre-cooling for optimal performance on the racetrack. Two water coolers, which are arranged in front of the front axle, provide a more effective radiator system in terms of flow than is customary even in Formula 1. Three air-cooled oil coolers for engine, transmission, and differential with water pre-cooling reduce the temperature, while newly developed and hybrid carbon titanium turbofan radial compressors ventilate and cool the high-performance racing brake system.
In order to achieve a dry weight of 1,240 kgs for that impressive weight-to-power ratio of 0.67 kg per ps, every avenue was explored, both in terms of what is currently feasible and what will be possible in the future. These included expensive features like having all the screw and fastening elements of the made completely out of titanium. In addition, hollow, thin-walled functional components made of an aerospace titanium alloy are used in many places.
A worldwide innovation is the morphable outer skin of the intake scoop on the roof, which provides active airflow optimisation. If the car is driven at a slow speed, the surface of the scoop remains smooth. In contrast, a field of bubbles bulges out when driven at fast speeds. This reduces the aerodynamic drag of the scoop by 10% and ensures a 17% reduction in lift forces. In addition, the flow onto the rear wing is optimised. At 320 km/h, the downforce is at 1,800 kgs at the rear wing and 800 kgs at the front wing.
As in Formula 1, the Bolide uses lightweight brakes with ceramic discs and coatings. The front forged magnesium rims with central lock weigh 7.4 kgs, while the rear ones weigh 8.4 kgs.
Carbonfibre monocoque
The Bugatti team developed a light monocoque made of carbonfibre around the drive. The integral front end flanged to it is also made of high-strength carbonfibres, as are the fully aerodynamically effective underbody and the monocoque itself. The rear frame is designed as a welded steel assembly made of high-strength stainless steel usually found in aviation.
With an overall height of only 995 millimetres, the Bugatti Bolide is exactly the same height as the historic Bugatti Type 35, and about 300 millimetres flatter than the Chiron. Like in an LMP1 racing car, the occupants fold up the doors that are hinged at the front at an angle, sit on a sill that is only 70 mm wide and then position their feet in the interior.
Inspired by X-1 experimental jets
The stylistic challenge was to transform the unyielding demands of aerodynamics and lightweight construction into an aesthetic that reflects the unique Bugatti DNA, but at the same time illustrates the ambition of an impressive weight-to-power ratio. The overall appearance is dominated by air ducts that are more reminiscent of aerodynamically sophisticated Formula 1 racing cars than classic sportscars.
The appearance of the Bolide invokes the so-called ‘X-planes’ of aviation history that pushed the edge of the performance envelope. It is indirectly reminiscent of the Bell X-1 jet aircraft which was flown by Chuck Yeager, who was the first person to break the sound barrier in 1947. The Bolide does not get up to that speed, of course, but it is claimed to be able to go past 500 km/h.
“For the first time, we are showing what the W16 engine is really capable of. We have freed the vehicle of all baggage and have illustrated and combined the engine with the lightest possible chassis to create the ultimate Bugatti and to ensure the ultimate driving experience. With the Bolide, we are presenting our interpretation of a Bugatti track car of modern times to Bugatti enthusiasts all over the world and finally make their most fervent wishes come true,” said Winkelmann, adding that production plans are not decided yet.
