Bugatti’s quad-turbo W16 powertrain has life in it yet despite the broader trend for downsizing, according to Bugatti boss Stephan Winkelmann.
He acknowledged that Bugatti could have a pool of other engine options to choose from within owner the Volkswagen’s Group arsenal, but said that the “mission for a Bugatti is a different one” to the group’s other brands.
Talking about its hypercars, opposed to any potential second model, Winkelmann commented: “The W16 has, in my opinion, an opportunity for the future. It’s a USP which is not diminishing in value.” He added that Volkswagen Group boss Herbert Diess “knows the value of a W16 engine”.
Talking more broadly about internal combustion engines, he said: “If it lasts another decade, ICE will be the last of a kind, and the last of a kind means it is collectible.
“If there is hybridisation, the battery will be replaced but it won’t be original. The internal combustion engine is something that will grow in value. People are buying Bugattis because they want to enjoy the ultimate performance but also - and this is legitimate - because it’s an investment.
“The EB110 is skyrocketing. And Veyrons are going up. I don’t have to be a wizard to forecast that this will happen to the Bugatti Chiron and therefore, I’m committing to the fact that this is the way to go for the hyper sportscar in the next decade.”
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Head in Sand?
While you some may commend his bravery for saying this, I can't help but think that, when Bugatti finally go EV , they'll be playing catch up.....
A toy for children.
At the current rate of progress, the idea of the ultimate hypercar being anything than electric in five years time, is clearly nonsense.
Except, of course, that Bugattis go brmm brmm for the child within us all.
While he may have a point...,
...from the corner of the market that Bugatti lives in, this big monster motor is a rare thing as it is. That being the case, if the market continues to change and EV's take off as many believe, Bugatti may go from having its own niche corner, to being on an island. While this may make past sells more valuable, investment on new product becomes even more expensive due to limited economies of scale, which the VW Group seems to love! While Bugatti's customer base may have no issues buying such Boutique trinkets, it may become more difficult for the company to justify the investment for such a small brand. Lamborghini and even Ferrari are implementing different types of mild hybridization into their products, so electrification in some way may soon be, or become, "the" standard in the future. So closing the door on that possibility and pushing the W16 above all else, may return Bugatti to the the edge of extinction once again!