The rumors were true: Bugatti would install a V16 engine in its next hypercar. The Chiron replacement is expected to be revealed in June. To make the wait easier, the people at Molsheim released a video with the sound of the engine bathed in carbon fiber. As company officials have hinted, the combustion engine will be part of a hybrid powertrain.
Bugatti is not willing to provide additional details at this time. Previous reports suggested that the new engine was developed by Cosworth with a massive displacement of 8.3 liters. It could even be naturally aspirated, which wouldn’t be surprising since the video hints at a high-revving engine.
Some say it revs at a blistering 9,000 rpm and works with three electric motors to deliver a combined 1,800 horsepower. However, the only confirmed fact is that the powertrain is a V16 hybrid, so take these other details with a heavy dose of salt. More official information is expected to be revealed in the months leading up to the big debut in June.
It won’t be the first production car to use a V16 engine since that honor goes to the Cadillac V-16 from 1930. The American luxury brand revisited the idea in 2003 with the Sixteen concept. A year later, the Rolls-Royce 100EX concept also sported a V16. The Devel Sixteen also promised a V16, but that car is still missing. Let’s not forget that there were prototypes of a BMW 7 Series Goldfisch and a Bentley Mulsanne with a V16. Perhaps the most famous car with a V16 was the 1991 Cizeta-Moroder V16T.
