Bugatti
Overview
Bugatti is an automobile manufacturer founded in 1909 by Italian-born engineer Ettore Bugatti in Molsheim, France. Renowned for designs bordering on works of art and overwhelming performance, it is called the "haute couture of the automotive world"; after being acquired by the Volkswagen Group in 1998, it broke production-car top-speed records with the Veyron and Chiron. It currently operates under the "Bugatti Rimac" structure, a joint venture with Croatia's Rimac.
Main Content
Founding and Early History
Ettore Bugatti sought to build not mere cars but "sculptures that run." The Type 35, which debuted in 1924, featured a lightweight body, a straight-8 engine, and innovative aluminum wheels, and won hundreds of victories in Grand Prix races, establishing the brand's reputation. The Type 41 "Royale" of 1926 was an ultra-luxurious large sedan fitted with a 12.7-liter straight-8 engine; because of its scale and price, which were beyond imagination at the time, only a very few were ever built. The Type 57 series, combining streamlined design with refined passenger-car performance, represented the 1930s.
Decline and Revival
After Ettore Bugatti passed away in 1947, the brand passed through several owners and effectively ceased to exist. In 1987, Italy's Romano Artioli bought the trademark rights and introduced the EB110, but it was not a commercial success. The decisive turning point came in 1998, when Volkswagen Group chairman Ferdinand Piëch acquired the brand. He set the goal of "a top speed of 400 km/h and more than 1000 horsepower" and ordered an unlimited-budget project; the result was the Veyron, which entered production in 2005.
Veyron and Chiron
The Veyron 16.4 combined an 8.0-liter W16 engine with four turbochargers to produce 1001 horsepower, and in 2005 it became the first production car to exceed 400 km/h. In 2010, the Super Sport version recorded 431 km/h. Its successor, the Chiron (2016), raised output to 1500 horsepower, and the derivative Chiron Super Sport 300+ achieved 490.484 km/h in 2019, setting a new production-car top-speed record. Derivative lineups also exist, such as the track-only Bolide and the circuit-focused Divo.
The Bugatti Rimac Structure
In 2021, the Volkswagen Group established the joint venture "Bugatti Rimac" with electric hypercar manufacturer Rimac; Rimac holds 55% and Porsche 45%. The goal is to combine Bugatti's traditional internal-combustion heritage with Rimac's electrification technology.
Latest Trends
In June 2024, Bugatti unveiled the Tourbillon, the successor to the Chiron and a model opening a new era. The biggest change is the switch away from the W16 engine to a hybrid powertrain combining an 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine with three electric motors. The combined system output reaches about 1800 horsepower, and 0→100 km/h acceleration is known to be around 2 seconds. The interior retains mechanical gauges while using 3D-printed titanium parts, emphasizing the "fusion of analog sensibility and cutting-edge technology." Production is limited to about 250 units, with a price set at more than 4 million euros (approximately 6 billion won). In addition, in 2024–2025, as part of its electrification strategy, the company is continuing to internalize hybrid technology and release limited-edition collection models, and the trend is clear: the final models of the existing Chiron line have sold out, bringing the W16 era to a close.
Related Topics
- [[Rimac]]
- [[Volkswagen Group]]
- [[Hypercar]]
- [[Porsche]]
- [[Ettore Bugatti]]