Less than four years after it was first introduced as a concept, Bugatti Bolide Only a few months left until it reaches customers. Bugatti describes the car as “tuned for track domination, a fast track-only sports car that invites drivers to explore their limits.” As the French brand was completing development of the Bolide, Bugatti said that the Bolide not only outperformed Formula 1 cars but was also too fast for most Formula 1 cars. The track is approved by the FIA.
In case you need a refresher, the Bolide will be the last car Bugatti will have Twin turbocharged 8.0 liter W16 engine that was first seen in Veyron, here makes 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. Unlike most other track-only supercars, the Bolide is all-wheel drive, and it uses a carbon-fiber monocoque developed in conjunction with Dallara, which gives the Bolide a total curb weight of just 3,197 pounds. – more than 1,000 pounds lighter than a conventional car. Chiron. The supersonic jet-like body looks like nothing else, with aerodynamics providing three tonnes of downforce and helping the Bolide reach 2.5g horizontally.
The Bolide’s top speed is 236 mph in low drag configuration, 5 mph faster than the top speed record in a Formula 1 race and 1 mph faster than the overall record, both was set up by Valtteri Bottas in 2016. Bugatti says the only problem is finding a track where you can even reach that speed, as FIA-approved tracks can’t have straights longer than 1.2 miles.
Not only that, the Bolide will generally outperform Formula 1 cars. Triple Crown winner Andy WallaceWho set the McLaren F1’s top speed recordhas been an official Bugatti test driver since 2011 and has the first to break the 300 mph barrier in a production car. Here’s what he said about Bolide:
Everything about the car was on a completely different level than what I had driven before. All cars are difficult to drive at their limits, but even at the limits of its capabilities, the Bugatti Bolide is still very easy to drive. When you have a car with that much capability and that much downforce, not many people believe it’s possible. Even I found myself in a state of disbelief after my first time driving the Bolide.
The feeling when you exit a corner, hit the throttle and experience that constant surge of power is incomparable. You come out of that corner at 100km/h, and from there accelerating to 200km/h and then 300km/h is amazing. In that particular scenario, Bolide would eject from the Formula 1 car.
Despite its extraordinary abilities, the Bolide has been designed to be as accessible to the driver as possible, something the Bugatti really wouldn’t have been able to do if it were limited by LMH or LMDh regulations. The driver’s seat is in a reclining position similar to an F1 car, Bolide has air conditioning and power steering.
Only 40 Bolides will be produced at a cost of 4 million euros each, and Bugatti says the first deliveries will begin in just a few months. Hopefully once development is complete, Bugatti will achieve some lap records with the Bolide – in simulation this concept will beat Le Mans record of Toyota TS050 and come close Porsche 919 Evo Nürburgring racing time.
