Press release9/4/2009

Bugatti sets the course for the future

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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As the climax of its centenary celebration ceremonies, Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. presented customers and opinion-makers with the Bugatti 16 C Galibier concept, intended to be the most exclusive, elegant, and powerful four door automobile in the world last weekend in Molsheim. At the historic site where Ettore Bugatti once laid the cornerstone of his company, Bugatti’s current president, Dr. Ing. Franz-Josef Paefgen emphasised that the Galibier is one of several concept studies with which the company is considering for the future of the Bugatti marque.

Art - Forme - Technique: those are the brand values to which Ettore Bugatti and his son Jean oriented themselves in order to develop even more powerful engines and even more noble body designs for each new model, which were without equal in quality, handling, speed and elegance. In the process, they experimented again and again without compromise with new materials; thus was Bugatti one of the first manufacturers to use aluminium parts for bodies, engine blocks and wheels.

Art - Forme - Technique are also the brand values to which the design and engineering team of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. oriented themselves in the development of the Galibier. With this new four-door concept car, Bugatti assumes anew a leading role in the use of new material combinations. Thus the body is constructed of handmade carbon fibre parts coloured dark blue so that, when illuminated, the woven structure shimmers through strikingly. Carbon fibre not only possesses unusually great rigidity but is also especially light. The wings and doors are out of polished aluminium.

The Galibier’s design masters the challenge of uniting sportiness with the comfort and elegance of a modern four-door saloon. The basic architecture picks up on the torpedo-like character of the Type 35, which was already revived in the Veyron, and reinterprets it. With the typical Bugatti radiator grille, big round LED headlights and the clamshell running the length of the vehicle which became synonymous with the brand identity under Jean Bugatti in the Type 57, this car transports the Bugatti genes into the modern world.

Beneath the bonnet, which folds back from both sides, there resides a 16-cylinder, 8-litre engine with twostage supercharging. What makes this engine special is that it was developed as a flex-fuel engine and can optional be run on ethanol. Four-wheel drive, specially developed ceramic brakes and a new suspension design enable the agile, always-sure handling of a saloon of this size.

The interior reflects the elemental design of the exterior. The dash panel has been reduced to the essential; two centrally located main instruments keep even the rear passengers constantly informed of the actual speed and previous performance. Parmigiani, the Swiss maker of fine watches, created the removable “Parmigiani tourbillion concept” watch for the Galibier, which may be worn on the wrist thanks to a cleverly designed leather strap.

“Galibier” is not just the name of one of the most difficult alpine passes along the Tour de France but, in its time, was a version of the four door Type 57 unequalled in sportiness and elegance.