Bugatti Looks to a Hybrid Future:The W16 will be around a little bit more

At the other end of life, at the other end of the universe, and at the other end of money people are actually thinking of increasing the power output of Bugatti W16 engine. You know – the one that produces 1479 horsepower for the Chiron, 1184 horsepower for the Veyron Super Sports, and 987 horsepower for the Veyron.

How to proceed? What will the future make of the famed 16-cylinder engine that was developed from that awesome Volkswagen W12? That question is occupying the great mind of Stephan Wilkenmann, Bugatti CEO, as he walks in his haute couture suits with a neverending smirk on his face.

Does it bother him? I would not say so as he just sold 40 Divos for 5.8 mil a pop even before unveiling the car. He could sell all remaining Chirons, too. Right now! However, he has to slow down and let the Chiron live its full life. That is more than 8 years.

What happens after that? The W16 will be too old, and according to Winkelmann’s talk from the Divo presentation, it already operates almost at the edge of its capacity. In other words, the W16 cannot churn much more power without sacrificing some of the reliability, or refinement. If it sacrifices any of it, it would not be a Bugatti then, would it?

WARP, ELECTRIC, HYBRID?

Obviously, Bugatti engineers will, by all accounts, have to visit some alternative means of propulsion.

Warp power? Well, maybe! All-electric power? I don’t think so! Hybrid? That is more like it.

Solidifying my thoughts of the Chiron/Divo W16 quad-turbo actually being the very last of what we will see from Bugattis powered only by an ICE are Winkelmann’s words to CarAdvice.

He actually confirmed the W16 is in its final evolution. A new propulsion system is being considered (and I’d say, even in some form of development) right now.

Winkelmann, however, did say that the W16 is everyone’s favorite:

“There is huge enthusiasm for it, everybody would like to have it forever, to continue to develop it – we will do our utmost to keep it alive… but if you want to be on the edge with advanced technology, it’s important you choose the right moment to change.”

While we will see one more iteration of the W16 engine – with even more power – maybe even in a possible four-door saloon echoing the might of the 2009 Galibier Concept, the future is actually lit in electrons.

The big issue of a hybrid system is, obviously, the weight. Even the Divo – the lightest Bugatti at the moment- is a behemoth with 4,400 lbs to tote around. That’s huge. Now, imagine it with 300 pounds of batteries (at the very least), an electric motor, and all the accompanying gear. Obviously, not very appealing. The Bugatti would become heavy and as ungainly as a Bentley overnight. And you know what? That would be a shame.

However, for all of you who plan on becoming Bugatti owners in the future – and if you are still reading this article those are your dreams – Winkelmann said that with the modern, lighter batteries, building a hybrid would be a good thing.