Press release4/19/2011

Bugatti displays new models at Auto Shanghai

Molsheim

Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Karl Piëch was the driving force behind one of the most audacious automotive projects in history: the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Today, on April 17, we celebrate the birthday of this remarkable visionary.

With the Veyron, Ferdinand Karl Piëch made his ambition clear: deliver the extraordinary, the unsurpassed, the ultimate.

In 1997, while on a train between Tokyo and Nagoya, Ferdinand K. Piëch sketched an idea on the back of an envelope – a vision that would lay the foundation for the legendary W16 and ultimately change the automotive world.

As in previous Bugatti models, the Tourbillon's engine is always visible and is a work of art in its own right.

The naturally aspirated V16 engine alone produces 1,000 HP at 9,000 rpm and delivers 900 Nm of torque.

The 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine is a completely new innovation and has been specifically designed to meet the extreme requirements of Bugatti's new hyper sports car.

The new mechanical powertrain of the Tourbillon is unique in the automotive world with a length of almost one meter.

The plenum, a critical component in any naturally aspirated engine, became a key point of the design process as Bugatti worked to achieve the perfect balance between performance and aesthetics.

The new mechanical heart of the Bugatti Tourbillon is handcrafted by the world-renowned engine specialists at Cosworth.

Episode 7 of ‘A New Era’ takes viewers through a significant milestone in the development of Bugatti's new V16 engine.

Countless test-runs on Cosworth's engine dynos helped the team to better understand the performance characteristics, sound quality, and overall behavior of the new engine.

Unlike conventional early-stage testing, which often begins with the construction of a single-cylinder prototype engine, Bugatti took a more ambitious approach and built an initial test engine with four cylinders.

Marco Arnoletti, Powertrain Chief Engineer at Bugatti Rimac, and Emilio Scervo, CTO of Bugatti Rimac, reflect on the history of the new naturally aspirated V16 engine.

Excellence through continuous learning. Ongoing technical training ensures every Bugatti Service Partner upholds the marque’s exacting standards.

Service Partners together with the Bugatti team in front of the Château Saint-Jean, Molsheim. A moment of pride and tradition as the service teams gather at the historic home of Bugatti for the Bugatti Customer Service Accreditation Training.

Sharing the Bugatti ethos. Dedication to craftsmanship, innovation, and attention to detail — the foundation of every Bugatti service interaction.

Hendrik Malinowksi, Managing Director at Bugatti, exchanging ideas at Château Saint-Jean during the welcoming in the Château Saint-Jean. Celebrating collaboration and commitment to continuous improvement in aftersales service.

BUGATTI Greenwich – Regional Service Partner of the Year. Recognized for outstanding service delivery and commitment to Bugatti’s core values in North America.

Bugatti Vienna – Most Improved Service Partner of 2024. A team driven by excellence, pictured with one of Bugatti's engineering masterpieces, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition.

The Bugatti Service Excellence Award 2024 – A symbol of precision, dedication, and the pursuit of perfection, awarded only to those who meet the highest standards of service.

Alexis Ploix, Director of After Sales and Customer Service, introducing the attendees to the home of the marque. Sharing insights and strategy to uphold the unmatched customer service experience.

Bugatti UAE – Global Service Partner of the Year 2024. Honored with the top accolade for setting the benchmark in customer service and operational excellence worldwide.

Power is in the small details. Hands-on expertise reflects the commitment to delivering a customer experience that’s as refined as the vehicles themselves.

Bugatti Zurich – Regional Service Partner of the Year, celebrating exceptional performance and customer service excellence in the European region.

Frank Heyl, Director of Design at Bugatti, and Jan Schmid, Chief Designer Exterior and Head of the Berlin Studio.

The new Bugatti Design Studio in Berlin is a creative space that fosters and inspires the talents of designers.

Exterior design, color and trim, and 3D modeling are the main disciplines of the Berlin design team.

Bugatti designers are using cutting-edge technologies such as virtual reality to develop the next generation of hyper sports cars.

Bugatti customers and designers have access to a virtually unlimited range of colors.

The new Bugatti Design Studio in the listed E-Werk building pays homage to the long tradition that has shaped Bugatti for more than 115 years.

A 1,100 square-meter studio was created in an industrial building of purist beauty that has stood the test of time and still reflects this today.

The new Bugatti Design Studio in Berlin connects tradition with innovation and modernity.

The four concept studies – EB 118, EB 218, EB 18/3 Chiron and EB 18/4 Veyron –immortalised in 2000 in the historic gardens of Herrenhäuser near Hanover.

The EB 118, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 1998 and marks the first milestone on the path to the Bugatti Veyron 16.4.

The Art Deco-inspired interior of the EB 218 set new standards in luxury, comfort, and craftsmanship.

Unveiled in September 1999, the EB 18/3 Chiron embodied Bugatti's first vision of a modern super sports car.

Ferdinand Piëch’s vision of a W18 engine became reality. The 555-horsepower all-wheel-drive W18 served as the foundation for all four design studies and could be admired openly from the outside for the first time in the EB 18/3 Chiron.

The EB 18/4 Veyron, presented in Tokyo in 1999, embodied a new stylistic direction under the leadership of Hartmut Warkuß. The design was penned by the young designer Jozef Kabaň.

Each concept was defined by exceptional creativity and unparalleled technical ambition, speaking its own design language – from the Grand Tourer to the luxury sedan, all the way to the mid-engine sports car.

Not only in the exterior of the EB 18/4 Veyron are some features of the later production version of the Veyron 16.4 clearly visible, but the interior also reflects many design elements that would define the final Veyron.

Ferdinand K. Piëch pursued the vision of creating a vehicle capable of reaching 400 km/h – without compromising on comfort, elegance, or usability. The four concept studies served as crucial stepping stones on the path to turning this vision into reality.

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Bugatti creates top-rate performing sports cars that are so unique in design and technique that they have been named pieces of art. The two latest masterpieces by this legendary European manufacturer will be on display at the Auto Shanghai 2011, an Asian debut for the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The Super Sport ranks as the highest performing car in existence with 882 kW (1,200 PS) and an electronically limited top speed of 415 km/h. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, whose 736 kW (1,001 PS) makes it the most powerful convertible in the world, will also be showcased by the Alsace-based luxury brand in Shanghai. But today‘s Bugattis are more than the ultimate sports cars – the Veyron 16.4 has already become an exclusive collector‘s item and a prized investment.

A special edition Grand Sport for the Auto Shanghai 2011

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport will be unveiled in Shanghai is finished in matte white, with the same tone on the roof ‘s prominent air intakes. Blue carbon elements on the vehicle‘s lower section and blue finished alloy wheels in form a striking contrast. The blue color also dominates the super car’s interior, set off to perfection by white stitching on seats, steering wheel and gear lever and an aluminum console. This vehicle has been specially built by the Bugatti customization team to its destined owner‘s exact specifications.

“This Grand Sport is an example of the versatile possibilities customers have when designing their unique Grand Sport in co-operation with the Bugatti team”, explained the President of Bugatti Wolfgang Dürheimer at the Auto Shanghai. “We will continue to expand the design possibilities for the Bugatti brand.”

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport is the most powerful and fastest convertible in the world today. Just the three telling figures 736 kW (1,001 PS), 1,250 Nm torque and a top speed of 407 km/h (limited) make it clear that amongst convertibles this car is truly in a league of its own. When opened to the skies, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport reaches top speeds of 360 km/h leaving other convertibles standing in its dust.

Accompanying the sheer thrill of driving with the top down is a quite extraordinary sonorous roar that no other automobile can match. The sounds of the 16-cylinder mid-mounted engine and the unmistakably intense inhalation from the air intakes as you release the accelerator forge an inimitable acoustic experience.

And should rain clouds appear, a textile canopy that is stowed in the trunk and functions in the same way as an umbrella can be fitted before the first drops fall. This soft top for passing showers remains securely in place up to 160 km/h. But with the transparent polycarbonate roof module back in place, the Grand Sport goes right on accelerating all the way to 407 km/h.

A Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport for China

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport presented in Shanghai comes completely in black visible carbon carbon. The details in the polished and anodized aluminum set an excellent contrast as the outer surfaces of the alloy wheels and the EB logos on wheel caps, fuel filler cap and rear lid. The interior of the Super Sport is draped in two-tone “Snow Beige” and “Beluga Black”. Carbon continues as a defining theme in the inside, sheathing the doors and inset in the central console. The rest is in highly exclusive “Snow Beige” leather. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport shown in Shanghai has already been sold to a customer in China.

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is the fastest car worldwide

The Super Sport is based on the classic Veyron 16.4 but with an output of 882 kW (1,200 PS) is 146 kW (200 PS) more powerful. Bugatti pilote officiel Pierre-Henri Raphanel last year set a new world speed record for production vehicles on the Volkswagen test track in Ehra Lessien, achieving 431 km/h and an entry into the Guinness Book of Records. The production version is electronically limited to 415 km/h to protect the tires.

The power development of the 7,993 cm3 capacity 16-cylinder engine is made possible by the four enlarged turbochargers and intercoolers. The chassis has also been extensively redesigned, in order to handle the car‘s extreme dynamism with safety. With lateral acceleration of up to 1.4 g, the improved interaction between the tyres and the intelligent all-wheel drive system enables perfect handling. At the same time all powertrain components have also been comprehensively reinforced, to transfer the acceleration of up to 1,500 Nm safely to all four drive wheels.

Instead of the air intakes above the engine, fresh air is fed in via two NACA ducts set into the roof. The Super Sport‘s front view is characterized by expanded, reshaped air intakes, with the lower one extending around the sides to the wheel arch to lend this supreme sports car an even more assured appearance. Meanwhile at the rear the Super Sport features a revised rear panel arrangement and engine cover, a new double diffuser and a centrally arranged exhaust system with two broad chrome exhaust tips. The modified rear and the redesigned roof both enhance the aerodynamics of this quintessential Bugatti.

Ettore Bugatti built the most fascinating cars of all time

The mystique of Bugatti came into being in the first half of the last century. Ettore Bugatti and later his son Jean designed vehicles which were far ahead of their time in styling and technology. Types such as the T 57 SC Atlantic or the many versions of the T 41 Royale were then, and still are, legends, and some of the most valuable automobiles ever made. But the mystique is not founded solely on those coupés, roadsters, convertibles and saloons which were driven by the beau monde of the 1920s and 1930s – it is also rooted in the racing victories of those decades.

Test driver Pierre Veyron, who between 1933 and 1937 raced at the wheel of a Bugatti 51A, earned perhaps the most renown for the marque. In this eight-cylinder compressor racer, which developed an output of 140 PS from a cubic capacity of 1,4933 and reached an epoch-making top speed of 210 km/h, Veyron and his team mates set nine international land speed records at the Montlhery circuit outside Paris. And it is in homage to this man that the first Bugatti of the modern era bears his name. Through his racing career Pierre Veyron established forever the legendary status of an automobile marque and a designer of genius: Ettore Bugatti, or simply EB.