Bugatti has revealed its first plug-in <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/weekend/2023/05/26/hybrids-still-the-future-as-electric-dream-remains-out-of-reach/" target="_blank">hybrid car</a>. Called the Tourbillon, the model delivers 1,800 horsepower, with a 16-cylinder engine and a price tag of $4 million. Only 250 will be built. This is the first model in more than 20 years that is not powered by a turbocharged W16 engine. Instead, it has a 1,000-horsepower, 8.3-litre V16 petrol engine assisted by three electric motors. There is one motor in the back and two in the front that together can put out at least 800 horsepower. On a fully charged battery, the Tourbillon can travel 60km on electric power before the petrol engine turns on, but there is the option to just run the petrol engine continuously. The maximum speed target is 445kph but the speedometer reads as high as 550kph. The interior pays homage to old-fashioned machinery and was created to be “timeless”. However, unlike in other Bugattis, a large display screen with <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2022/07/01/apple-carplay-to-make-it-easier-to-buy-fuel-with-ios-16/" target="_blank">Apple CarPlay</a> is available and comes out from the dashboard to be visible upon driver command only. The company generally avoids putting screens in its vehicles as it does not want them to become outdated. The Tourbillon is named after the set of gears in a mechanical watch. The Bugatti’s instrument display is also modelled after mechanical watch dials and was created with the expertise of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/economy/2023/04/02/swiss-watchmakers-counting-the-hours-until-chinese-tourists-return-to-boost-their-sector/" target="_blank">Swiss watchmakers</a>. The speedometer display has two needles like the hands of a clock, with the long hand showing the car’s speed and the short hand registering the revolutions per minute of the 16-cylinder engine. “The Tourbillon had to be incomparable in every respect. Our philosophy has been to take any single aspect of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/motoring/2022/09/18/bespoke-bugatti-chiron-trio-storm-into-uae/" target="_blank">Chiron </a>and elevate it, looking for elegant and sophisticated engineering solutions and new technologies to deliver a timeless masterpiece,” said Emilio Scervo, chief technology officer for Bugatti Rimac. “We wanted someone to be able to take any piece of this car, from inside, outside or under the skin, and believe that it could be placed in an art gallery. "The result is a car which is beautiful inside and outside, the most powerful Bugatti to date which simultaneously elevates mechanical fascination and technical beauty to a whole new level.” Production is scheduled to begin in 2026.
