The Bugatti Tourbillon has very big shoes to fill when it comes to continuing Bugatti’s hypercar legacy. That’s why Bugatti set out to create something unprecedented, combining a naturally aspirated V16 engine with a hybrid system to give the Tourbillon immense power (1,800 horsepower total) and singularity worthy of the world’s finest automotive collections. In the same way that the Veyron raised the bar for hypercars in the 2000s, the Bugatti Tourbillon aims to define an echelon in the automotive world.
The journey towards achieving that has been captured in Bugatti’s “A New Era” docuseries about the creation of the Tourbillon, and the latest episode is one of the most exciting, as it sees the new Bugatti Tourbillon take on cold-weather testing in Arjeplog, Sweden. Far in the northern reaches of the Scandinavian country, Arjeplog is known for its frozen expanses of ice and snow, making it the perfect venue for cold-weather testing of Tourbillon prototype cars.
The validation prototypes took to the extreme environment to ensure that, while the hypercar is unlikely to take on such harsh conditions, the engineering is sound enough to handle the harshest of environments. The hybrid powertrain is challenged by the incredibly low temperatures, the drivetrain is challenged by low grip, and other systems like climate control, windshield defogging, and more were validated in the tough conditions. One of the most important and complex mechanisms in the car is its braking system, which is not only paramount for safety, but also is involved in the hybrid system with regenerative braking. The brake-by-wire system was thoroughly tested during the program, as well.
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A team of 20 worked tirelessly throughout the cold-weather testing program, and a core team of six remained throughout the full campaign. The team not only faced the challenges of the testing itself, but also encountered the unique aspects of their environment, being near the Arctic Circle. The documentary captures a reindeer approaching the car, and Aurora Borealis lends its ethereal glow to the surroundings. The new episode, called ‘A New Era: Extreme Conditions,’ is available now to watch on Bugatti’s YouTube channel.
Image Source: Bugatti
