Ensuring a Bugatti hypercar gets better with age

SINGAPORE – Like rare wines kept in private cellars, the Bugatti Veyron gets better with age, thanks to the continued improvements to the hypercar.

Veyrons are also becoming increasingly valuable. At an auction held in Las Vegas in October, a 2010 example was sold for US$2.2 million (S$2.9 million), which is a good return, considering that the car would have cost just over US$1 million before options.

Launched in 2005, the Veyron is the first modern Bugatti since Volkswagen Group bought the trademark to the brand in 1998.

The car is a technological tour de force, with its unique W16 cylinder, quad-turbo engine making 1,000hp. At the same time, the Veyron was luxurious enough for the driver and passenger to pull up at a red carpet event in style.

Along the way, Bugatti introduced variations of the Veyron, including the Super Sport that had nearly 1,200hp and a top speed of 415kmh.

More than a decade has passed since the 450th – and final – Veyron left the factory, but development work on the 8-litre two-seater continues.

Among the areas being looked into are the wheels and tyres.

Not many cars from Veyron’s era could go beyond 400kmh. The technology then required Bugatti’s specially developed tyres to be glued to the wheels. The alloy wheels have a limited service life and have to be replaced after a few tyre changes, no doubt at great expense and inconvenience.

To make it easier to own and maintain a Veyron, Bugatti is working on launching a new wheel and tyre combination soon that features modern technology. Also under development is an improved lifting system to help the low-slung two-seater clear speed humps more easily.

Speaking to The Straits Times on Oct 15, Bugatti’s chief executive Mate Rimac said the cars are

made to be reliable

and remain in service for decades after they leave the factory. This is even as the automotive world becomes increasingly digitalised and electrified, and technological obsolescence is never more than a few months away.

He was in

Singapore

as part of Bugatti’s year-long celebrations to mark the Veyron’s 20th anniversary, which kicked off in September at the brand’s home town of Mosheim in northern France.

Before taking on his current role, the Croatian founded Rimac as an electric vehicle (EV) company, launching the 1,914hp Nevera. His company also supplies EV technology and components to car companies, including Hyundai, Porsche and BMW.

His experience with EV technology traces back to the BMW 3-series that he owned as a 19-year-old. The combustion engine broke down, and instead of replacing it, he converted the vehicle into an electric car and began breaking world records.

Given his credentials with EVs, it came as a bit of a surprise that he actively resisted making an electric Bugatti when he took on the chief executive role in 2021. Going hybrid, he said, is as far as the brand will go.

Being an avid car enthusiast, he wanted to build Bugattis that aficionados would appreciate, while being consistent with the ideals behind the Veyron 20 years ago.

As such, among the many out-of-this-world features on the Tourbillion – the first Bugatti launched under his charge – is the 8.3-litre V16 engine that makes 1,000hp. The engine redlines at a stratospheric 9,000rpm, bringing with it all the sounds and excitement that only a high-revving engine can deliver.

Hybridisation comes in the form of three electric motors worth 800hp, giving the Tourbillion a total of 1,800hp. This translates to stupendous performance.

The car gets to 100kmh from rest in two seconds, 200kmh in under five seconds and 300kmh in less than 10 seconds – all jaw-dropping figures that befit the car’s price tag of over US$4 million.

The first Tourbillion will be delivered in 2026 and all 250 units planned have been spoken for.

When asked how Bugatti intends to keep the high-tech Tourbillion on the road in 2046, when the car would be 20 years old, Mr Rimac said the components are developed to last decades without issues.

With EV technology still evolving very quickly, he wanted to be able to upgrade the batteries and related components when better ones become available. He noted that the high value of the cars makes it a must that they remain serviceable and upgradeable.

“You can’t let these cars die. You have to keep them going.”