Bugatti Tourbillon’s 1,775-HP V16 Hypercar Tested on Ice and Snow in Sweden

The highly anticipated Bugatti Tourbillon, featuring a 1,775-horsepower powertrain combining a naturally-aspirated V16 engine with electric motors, is undergoing rigorous winter testing ahead of its upcoming customer deliveries later this year.

Nearly two years after its unveiling as the successor to the record-breaking Chiron, the French hypercar maker recently completed a four-week winter testing program in Northern Europe. The tests, conducted at the Colmis Proving Ground in Arjeplog, Sweden, subjected a pair of Tourbillons to extreme conditions, including temperatures as low as -30°C (-22°F).

Testing on Ice, Snow, and Mixed Surfaces

While the Tourbillon’s future owners are unlikely to drive on snow, the winter testing at Colmis Proving Ground provides an ideal environment to evaluate the car’s performance in harsh conditions. The program focused on refining the hypercar’s braking system, ensuring seamless integration between traditional friction brakes and regenerative braking via a sophisticated brake-by-wire system.

Bugatti’s engineers also dedicated significant effort to calibrating the ABS and ESC systems, conducting tests on polished ice, packed snow, slush, and asphalt. The Tourbillon was evaluated in scenarios where it transitions rapidly between different surfaces, such as dry asphalt to polished ice, requiring immediate adjustments to traction levels.

Developing Driving Modes for Performance and Comfort

The winter testing also played a crucial role in fine-tuning the Tourbillon’s three driving modes: Comfort, Sport, and Track. In Sport mode, the car achieves a neutral balance, while Track mode delivers enhanced torque to the rear axle, enabling precise and sustained drifts controlled primarily through throttle input with minimal steering adjustments.

“Of course, hypercars are not really intended to be driven on snow and ice, but we do cover this quite extensively. Simply because it’s of paramount importance, to both our customers and the teams developing the car, that the Tourbillon works extremely well in all weather conditions. After all, if its capabilities are comparable to other cars, it’s no longer a Bugatti.”

— Miroslav Zrncevic, Bugatti Rimac chief development driver

Limited Production and Delivery Timeline

Bugatti plans to build only 250 examples of the Tourbillon, with the first deliveries expected to commence later this year. The hypercar’s advanced engineering and rigorous testing underscore Bugatti’s commitment to delivering a vehicle that excels in both performance and versatility, regardless of driving conditions.