The 40th and final example of the Bugatti Bolide, the hypercar brand’s track-only weapon, has finally left the building. This has been a special yet challenging project for the company, as building a lighter, track-focused monster with the iconic W16 engine represented a massive shift in thinking from the likes of the Chiron. The fact that production of this car was confirmed over four years ago and that it’s taken that long to complete all 40 units also underlines the brand’s famously meticulous engineering and quality standards.
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A Difficult Concept To Perfect
Bugatti Bolide and Bugatti Type 35
Bugatti aimed to tick multiple boxes in one car with the Bolide. It had to appeal to the gentleman racer and seasoned professional alike. It had to push the boundaries of peak performance on a track, yet embody the excellence and craftsmanship inherent in every Bugatti model.
“We were developing the Bolide as a project that demanded a very high level of performance,” said Emilio Scervo, chief technology officer at Bugatti. “The idea of being a perfect track car for both gentlemen and professional drivers is not so easy to translate into driving attributes, but it’s essential to what makes it a Bugatti.”
The 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine in the Bolide delivers 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of just 2.2 seconds. Blasting from 50 to 75 mph takes 2.2 seconds, too, and the car has a top speed of 236 mph.
With a dry weight of 3,197 pounds, the Bolide is over 1,000 lbs lighter than a Chiron—including the more agile Chiron Pur Sport. Many aerodynamic tweaks and fine-tuning resulted in a car with a performance envelope that extended far beyond Bugatti’s reputation for building grand tourers with incredible straight-line speed.
The Final Bolide
Bugatti Bolide Bugatti
With a starting price said to be in the region of $4.7 million, it comes as no surprise to hear that the final Bolide was commissioned by a collector and friend of the Bugatti marque. This last model draws inspiration from the owner’s classic Bugatti Type 35 race car, which first went into production in the 1920s. This can be seen in the vibrant blue paintwork, which has been used throughout Bugatti’s history on competition cars. The Bolide’s owner also owns a Veyron Grand Sport with the same colorway. Inside, there’s a Lake Blue Alcantara interior with Light Blue Sport stitching.
The delivery event itself was as much a spectacle as the car, with the lucky customer taking possession of the car in Molsheim.
Along with the Mistral, the Bolide is the last of Bugatti’s models to use the legendary W16 engine. However, the Mistral is the final road-going car with this engine. The company is set to continue its legacy of epic powertrains with the Tourbillon next year, which will feature a naturally aspirated V16 engine paired with three electric motors.
