UPDATE – Bugatti seemingly confirms W16 engine for newest hypercar
After initial speculation Bugatti's new hypercar could be electrified, images released overnight suggest the brand's iconic W16 internal combustion engine will be resurrected.
UPDATE 28/10/20: The newest teaser images from Bugatti suggest the upcoming model will be powered by the brand's W16 internal combustion engine, leaving us to once again ponder what the cryptic "0,67" might mean.
In the Veyron this engine develops 736kW, while the updated Chiron variant produces 1103kW.
It is possible the new model – slated for launch later today – will be offered with multiple powertrains options, however the limited production run makes this unlikely.
Bugatti’s upcoming hypercar could potentially be a reskinned variant of the all-electric Rimac Concept One, according to a new online clue.
The Bugatti website last week teased obscured images of the new model’s X-shaped tail-lights, but these have now been replaced with the text “0,67.”
Analysis of the Rimac website suggests the 2014 Concept One (shown below) weighs 1850kg, and produces 913kW from its four electric motors.
That gives it a power to weight ratio of 0.49kW per kg or, converted to horsepower (PS), 0.67.
This theory is bolstered by recent reports suggesting Rimac is looking to discreetly acquire the Bugatti marque from Volkswagen.
Such a deal would almost certainly involve the integration of existing electrified drivetrains in new Bugatti models.
The Concept One – built in Croatia – has an electronically-limited top speed to 340km/h, and the instantly-accessible 1600Nm of torque help it accelerate from zero to 100km/h in just 2.5 seconds.
The new Bugatti – which is yet to be publicly named – is set to officially launch later this week.
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