Crafting a hypercar that surpasses its legendary predecessors requires more than just raw power; it demands an intricate dance with air itself. For Bugatti, the journey to create the Tourbillon, a groundbreaking successor to the Chiron, began with a fundamental principle: to redefine aerodynamic excellence in a road car. “The Tourbillon’s predecessor, the Chiron, was already a benchmark in low-drag performance. But with the Tourbillon, our ambition was to elevate aerodynamic efficiency to unprecedented levels,” stated Paul Burnham, Bugatti’s Chief Vehicle Engineer for the Tourbillon.
Building upon the aerodynamic prowess of the Chiron, a vehicle renowned for breaking top-speed records, Bugatti embarked on a meticulous development process for the Tourbillon. Months of advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations laid the groundwork, providing initial insights into the car’s potential aerodynamic behavior. This virtual exploration paved the way for a crucial phase: physical validation in a state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility in Italy. Fifteen months before the Tourbillon’s public unveiling, Bugatti’s elite team of engineers and aerodynamicists gathered to scrutinize a meticulously crafted half-scale model.
“This wind tunnel test marked the inaugural physical validation of the Tourbillon scale-model. It was our first opportunity to evaluate various design configurations and modifications. By systematically interchanging components, we progressively refined the car’s form to optimize for high-speed performance, later transitioning to fine-tune handling efficiency and dynamic capabilities.”
David Šoštarić
Head of Aerodynamics at Bugatti Rimac
The half-scale model itself was a testament to precision engineering, comprising 250 individually 3D-printed parts. More than 100 pressure taps were strategically embedded across its panels. These sensors were critical for the Tourbillon’s aerodynamic development, meticulously measuring mass-flow, static pressure, and air velocities across the model’s surface. This data was then rigorously analyzed by Bugatti’s aerodynamic engineers, serving to correlate and validate the performance profile predicted by their sophisticated virtual simulations. The process ensured the digital predictions aligned perfectly with real-world aerodynamic behavior.
Throughout the Tourbillon’s design evolution, Bugatti’s team focused on key areas to enhance aerodynamic performance. Reducing the frontal area, integrating an advanced rear diffuser to manage airflow separation, and refining the cockpit’s glasshouse profile were all pivotal. By seamlessly merging data-driven insights with their deep expertise, Bugatti’s aerodynamicists sculpted the Tourbillon into a significant leap forward from the Chiron, optimizing airflow and minimizing drag.
The overarching goal driving the team’s efforts was clear: to minimize the drag coefficient and optimize airflow across the entire vehicle. Countless hours were invested in achieving this mission, ultimately shaping the dynamic capabilities that define the Tourbillon’s performance benchmark. This dedication has elevated Bugatti’s hyper sports car concept to unprecedented levels. Remarkably, the Tourbillon achieves its top speed with its rear wing retracted, maintaining exceptional stability.
As the intricate process of correlating simulation models with physical test results and component development progressed, the Tourbillon itself transitioned from a scale model to a full-size prototype. This evolution necessitated a move to a larger, full-scale wind tunnel facility, allowing for even more precise aerodynamic validation.
“Moving from a scale-model wind tunnel to a full-sized facility marked a natural progression in our program to validate the Tourbillon’s aerodynamic performance. Utilizing a full-scale prototype allowed us to further refine the calibration of our simulation tools, achieving an even greater degree of accuracy in our results.”
Paul Burnham
Bugatti’s Chief Vehicle Engineer for the Tourbillon
This experimental prototype phase, the culmination of years of passionate craftsmanship, reaffirmed the aerodynamic team’s meticulously crafted simulation projections. It paved the way for the creation of even more refined prototypes and, ultimately, the final realization of Bugatti’s new era hypercar – the Tourbillon.
“The Tourbillon represents a completely fresh program, a true ground-up development. We are harmonizing over a century of combustion-engine expertise with cutting-edge electric performance. The new hybrid powertrain is a significant departure from previous Bugatti models, introducing greater complexity to the cooling system. This necessitates an even more detailed examination of airflows – from the radiator channels at the front, through the iconic Bugatti C-line intakes behind the doors – ensuring our digital simulations accurately reflect the physical model and deliver sufficient cooling for the car’s immense performance. The Tourbillon is the embodiment of unwavering dedication to perfection. Every team member has been fully committed to making the Tourbillon a new industry benchmark, a testament to the passion and skill driving its development.”
Paul Burnham
Bugatti’s Chief Vehicle Engineer for the Tourbillon
The Bugatti Tourbillon stands as a triumph of aerodynamic engineering, a hypercar sculpted by air, for air, achieving unparalleled performance through meticulous design, simulation, and real-world validation. It marks not just an evolution, but a revolution in the realm of hypercar aerodynamics, setting a new benchmark for the automotive industry.
