The Bugatti Veyron’s Successor is Going to Be Redonkulous

Bugatti did things differently with its Veyron hypercar, which came out last decade. Instead of a supercharged V8 like that in the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren or a naturally aspirated V12 a la the Ferrari Enzo, it used a W16 with four turbos and all-wheel drive.

As it aged, the Veyron continued to use that unusual power plant as other manufacturers, such as Porsche and McLaren, adopted hybrid power for their flagship offerings.

It seems that will change when Bugatti replaces the Veyron with a new model.

According to Autocar (via German newspaper Bild), VW Group head Martin Winterkorn said, “Next to the petrol model there will be a hybrid version with added performance for the first time.” Given how high development costs would be for both a hybrid and a non-hybrid engine setup, it’s unlikely the follow-up to the Veyron will have something under its hood that isn’t connected to an electric motor.

However, it should feature the turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 of the Veyron with some revisions and updates, including direct injection to reduce emissions and fuel consumption. It’s been suggested that engine development engineers are looking into bolting electric turbochargers onto the 16-cylinder giant to increase low-end torque.

A disc-shaped electric motor inside the housing for the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, in tandem with a lithium-ion battery, will help the thoroughly tweaked W16 produce approximately 1,479 bhp. For the sake of the transmission’s structural integrity and reliability, torque will likely be limited to 1,100 lb.-ft.

Those figures will power a car with a carbon fiber monocoque and a weight expected to be south of the Veyron Super Sport’s scale reading of 4,057 pounds. The body should resemble that of its predecessor. (You can see Autocar‘s best guess at its lines by hitting the appropriate link at the bottom of this post.)

A source with knowledge of early computer simulations reported that a 0-62 mph time of 2.3 seconds and a top speed of 286 mph aren’t out of the question for the Veyron replacement, although finding a long enough test track and strong enough tires might complicate proving that last figure.

Whatever Bugatti ends up calling the car that will eclipse the almighty Veyron, it will show it to the world next year and start delivering customer orders in 2017. The company will manufacture roughly 450 of them.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

via [Autocar]

photos [Bugatti]

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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