Does the most powerful ever Bugatti Bolide have a Le Mans future?
A Bolide is a large exceptionally bright meteor that often explodes. Bolide is now also the fastest and most powerful Bugatti.
Fresh off the SSC Tartuara breaking its production car land speed record, Bugatti’s today revealed its fastest concept yet. Bolide is Bugatti’s most extreme, least compromising, fastest and lightest car yet. The track-oriented machine has an astounding 0.9 kilogram per kilowatt weight-to-power ratio. It is ‘an innovative information source for future technologies’.
Driving 1400kW BOLIDE ‘Like Riding a Cannonball’
Bugatti boss Stefan Winklemann announced, “We’re showing what out W16 engine is really capable of for the first time. Driving the Bolide is like riding a cannonball.”
The monster Bug has a 1400kW quad-turbocharged 8-litre W16 with ‘de-throttled’ intake and exhaust systems and four newly developed turbos. When it uses 110-octane race fuel. Add redesigned dry sump lubrication in a lighter drivetrain too. It weighs just 1240kg — about the same as Polo GTI.
There’s also water pre-cooled air-to-air intercooling. Add three water pre-cooled oil-coolers for the engine, transmission and differential. Carbon-titanium radial ‘turbofan’ compressor ventilate the brakes
Bolide uses a minimalist body to deliver maximum downforce on a super-tensile super-light super-stiff carbonfibre monocoque and underbody. Dramatic bodywork produces 1800kg downforce on the rear wing and 800kg on the front wing at around 200mph. An active aerodynamic roof intake scoop is smooth at low speeds. Bubbles bulge out at higher speeds to reduce drag and downforce.
Titanium pushrods, horizontal dampers
All nuts and bolts are titanium. Many hollow components are 3D printed from super-thin aerospace-grade titanium alloy. Suspension comprises welded stainless-steel control arms and titanium pushrods with horizontal dampers. Ceramic brakes feature 2.4 kg callipers. Bolide has 340 mm front and 400 mm rear tyres mounted on 7.4kg front and 8.4kg rear centre-lock forged centre-lock aluminium wheels.
The mad Bugatti concept has a theoretical top speed of ‘well above 500 km/h without compromising handling’. They say it could ‘lap Le Mans in 3 minutes 7 seconds. And the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 5 minutes 23 seconds. Bolide has and compressed-air jacking for tyre changes and FIA spec racing safety equipment.
The press material refers to the Bugatti Type 35 Tank that won Le Mans twice in the ‘30s. Bolide continues to fuel suggestion that Bugatti could soon return to the Le Mans 24 Hour…
