Times are changing in the car world and it’s not just the small guys that are force to adapt. Change acts as an equalizer more often then not and when it comes to electrification, those that play in the stratospheric leagues of the industry must evolve to, well, keep playing.
Take Bugatti. The carmaker was adamant that it won’t build hybrids and instead focus on pure electric cars. When will that happen nobody knows. However, we expect Bugatti to give its ICE era a proper swan song, one that could look like the La Finale design study, envisioned with a V-12 engine instead of Bugatti’s signature W-16 powerhouse.
Bugatti and its mighty engines
The EB110, Bugatti’s supercar from the 90s, packed a 3.5-liter V-12 assisted by four turbochargers. Each cylinder had five valves and the power and torque it produced reached the ground through an all-wheel-drive setup. Depending on version, the EB110 developed between 551 and 603 horsepower (560 and 611 PS). Torque ranged from 611 Newton-meters to 650 Newton-meters (450 pound-feet of torque and 480 pound-feet of torque, respectively).
| Engine: | 3.5-liter quad-turbo V-12 engine |
|---|---|
| Horsepower: | 552 horsepower (EB110 GT) / 603 horsepower (EB110 SS) |
| Torque: | 451 pound-feet of torque (EB110 GT) / 479 pound-feet of torque (EB110 SS) |
| 0 to 60 MPH: | 4.4 seconds (EB110 GT) / 3.2 seconds (EB110 SS) |
| Top speed: | 216 MPH (EB110 GT) / 221 MPH (EB110 SS) |
Then came the paradigm-changing Veyron 16.4 and its 8.0-liter, water-cooled, quad-turbo W-16: 987 horsepower (1,001 PS), 1,250 Newton-meters (922 pound-feet) of torque, and a 0-100 kph (62 mph) sprint of 2.5 seconds.
| Engine: | quad-turbo, 8.0-liter W-16 |
|---|---|
| Horsepower: | 987 horsepower |
| Torque: | 922 pound-feet |
| 0-60 mph: | 2.8 seconds |
| Top speed: | 254 horsepower |
| Price: | $1.7 million |
| Production: | 178 |
After the Veyron, we got the Chiron. Wrapped around the same magnificent powerplant, the Chiron makes do with 1,479 horsepower (1,500 PS) and 1,600 Newton-meters (1,180 pound-feet) of twist allowing for a 0-100 kph (62 mph) blast doable in 2.4 seconds.
| Engine: | quad-turbo, 8.0-liter W-16 |
|---|---|
| Horsepower: | 1,479 horsepower |
| Torque: | 1,180 pound-feet |
| 0-60 mph: | 2.6 seconds |
| Top speed: | 261 mph |
| Price: | $3 million |
| Production: | up to 500 |
So, what’s next for Bugatti? Recent rumors talked about the Molsheim-based carmaker looking at the possibility of building an all-electric four-seater that would cost under $1 million. Apparently, Bugatti sees this second model as a more practical choice for customers, one that can be driven on a daily basis.
Before it makes the step towards electrification, Bugatti could use one last internal combustion engined supercar. Here’s where the La Finale concept fills in the gap. The work of Serkan Budur, it takes a lot of inspiration from the Type 57 SC Atalante and could win a Batmobile selection contest any day of the week.
Mind you, it’s not mid-engined, as the V-12 sits tucked in under the phallic hood, right in front of the cockpit cell.
But enough with the blabber. Check out Serkan’s wonderful renders in the photo gallery. We promise it’s time well spent.
Source: Serkan Budur via Behance
