For years, carmakers have claimed that they were bringing Formula 1 tech into road cars to increase performance, but it seems that we're finally entering the era where evidence of this can be seen.
Mercedes-AMG has supposedly managed to do it with the One, which is set to go on sale next year, but Bugatti wasn't about to let the Germans have all the fun with this concept, and has unveiled the 'Bolide'.
But before you dust off the old cheque book, it's worth noting that this Bolide is just an experimental study into how far the company could take the Chiron platform into the lightweight race car segment (for now).
Built around the iconic 8.0-litre W16 engine, Bugatti has forgone luxuries in this car, with the Stephan Winkelmann stating that it has “solely four wheels, engine, gearbox, steering wheel and, as the only luxury, two seats.”
To achieve the incredible 1.097 kW/kg power-to-weight ratio in the Bolide, a highly modified engine is combined with minimal body panels that create maximum down force.
This crazy ratio is achieved by the quad-turbo W16's outputs being pushed up to 1360kW and 1850Nm. When this is combined with a dry weight of 1,240kg, it's easy to understand how performance is similar to that of a Formula 1 car.
To keep weight low, every single screw and fastener used across the Bolide is made from titanium, the same goes for the 3D-printed aerospace titanium alloy thin-walled functional components.
After being stripped to bare necessities, the interior of the Bolide was built up with carbon fibre parts, with the seats being the only luxury present. So it's no surprise that it has been described as “the most extreme, uncompromising, fastest and lightest vehicle concept in the company’s recent history”.
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