By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
The Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
    Auto ShowsShow More
    Maserati enthrals at FuoriConcorso with GT2 Stradale and MCXtrema
    May 14, 2025
    Leapmotor presents its range at Automobile Barcelona, Spain
    May 14, 2025
    Alfa Romeo sporting glory dominates “Fuori Concorso”
    May 13, 2025
    Market Art Fair Stockholm and BMW Sweden present Gregor Hildebrandt as artist for BMW Art Commission 2025
    May 13, 2025
    Driving Trade Forward: AfCFTA, AGOA,BRICS and the Tariffs – All On The Menu At Automechanika CEO Breakfast
    May 9, 2025
  • Bikes
    BikesShow More
    Desmo450 MX: Production of the first Ducati Motocross bike begins
    May 28, 2025
    25YM Honda NC750X
    May 13, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RS
    May 2, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RT
    April 30, 2025
    Honda NC750X Named Winner in 2025 Red Dot Design Award
    April 10, 2025
  • News
    NewsShow More
    Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Nissan production, sales, and exports for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Honda Production, Sales and Export Results for April, 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Škoda Auto marks 55 years since production of the Skopak began in Pakistan
    May 29, 2025
  • Concepts
    ConceptsShow More
    FIAT unveils the manifesto Grande Panda 4×4
    May 20, 2025
    Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept makes its global debut at Roland-Garros 2025
    May 16, 2025
    Hyundai Motor and Plus Unveil Concept for Autonomous Hydrogen Freight Ecosystem at ACT Expo 202
    May 2, 2025
    Hyundai Motor Unveils the new IONIQ 6 and IONIQ 6 N Line
    April 5, 2025
    Kia and LG Electronics Partner to Showcase New PBV Concepts for Work and Play
    April 4, 2025
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    Kosmas “Dudie” Mamaloukos – The Formidable Racing Talent
    May 15, 2025
    Hi-Range Safari City
    Hi-Range Safari City – The Premier outfitter for 4×4 customization
    May 15, 2025
    BEHIND THE SCENES: ARCHIE RUTHERFORD ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING THE W2RC TO SOUTH AFRICA
    May 9, 2025
    Europe and China’s automotive future in a shifting global order
    May 5, 2025
    Sourcing Guide Right-Hand Drive American SUVs and Pickup Trucks in Africa
    April 29, 2025
  • EVs
    EVsShow More
    SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
    May 29, 2025
    Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
    May 29, 2025
    All-New Nissan MICRA EV debuts ahead of European launch
    May 28, 2025
    BMW Group and Solid Power are testing all-solid-state battery cells in a BMW i7
    May 20, 2025
    Toyota Debuts Stylish, Powerful 2026 C-HR Battery Electric Vehicle
    May 18, 2025
  • Motosport
    MotosportShow More
    43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Lærke Rønn, Alexia Danielsson, Rasmus Vendelbo, Porsche Sprint Challenge Scandinavia, 2025, Porsche AG
    The schoolgirl who’s just won her debut GT race
    May 28, 2025
    Porsche with new qualifying record and ongoing points streak ahead of China
    May 28, 2025
    Nissan Formula E Team looking to reinforce championship lead in Shanghai
    May 28, 2025
    Opel Mokka GSE Rally: A New Star in Electric Rallying
    May 28, 2025
  • Trucks & Buses
    Trucks & BusesShow More
    MAN development team for autonomous driving is ‘Engineering Team of the Year’
    May 29, 2025
    Scania to start deliveries of new electric buses to northern Sweden
    May 29, 2025
    From left to right: Jens Böther, Regional Council; Nikolas Wenzel, Managing Director of MOIN; Claudia Kalisch, Mayor of Lüneburg; Alex Meier, Depot Manager; Nils Richert, Daimler Buses
    Daimler Buses builds a completely new electric bus depot for a customer for the first time
    May 28, 2025
    600 km range and superfast charging – meet Volvo’s new electric truck
    May 20, 2025
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 on a long-haul route of over 1,500 kilometers
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 
    May 18, 2025
  • Reviews
    ReviewsShow More
    GR Supra pushes performance limits with A90 Final Edition and Lightweight EVO
    May 28, 2025
    The new BMW M2 CS
    May 28, 2025
    Defender upgraded: The unstoppable 4×4 is now even more distinctive 
    May 28, 2025
    From vision to Veyron: the evolution of a Bugatti icon
    May 17, 2025
    The new Mercedes-Maybach SL Monogram Series
    May 13, 2025
  • Tech
    TechShow More
    VNC Automotive Partners with P3 to Enhance the SPARQ OS Platform
    May 29, 2025
    Artificial intelligence: Audi boosts production efficiency
    May 28, 2025
    Greater efficiency and productivity with artificial intelligence – generative AI in BMW Group Purchasing
    May 19, 2025
    Aston Martin debuts Apple CarPlay Ultra for iPhone users
    May 16, 2025
    Mercedes-Benz customers in Germany can now purchase and pay for e-Vignettes directly from their vehicle
    May 15, 2025
Hot News
SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
Latest News

BMW Group posts strong growth in the first half of 2024

Motosport

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing repeats perfect four-star finish on WRC’s toughest rally

Motosport

Nissan Formula E Team shows huge potential in chaotic season-opener

Latest News

BENTLEY ANNOUNCES STRONG HALF-YEAR FINANCIALS

Font ResizerAa
The Auto MagazineThe Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Search
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Follow US
Crafted by Intellegere Media. © 2024 The Auto Magazine. All rights reserved.
Latest News

BUGATTI BOLIDE UNDERTAKES EXTREME TRACK TESTING

Incredibly fast. Uncompromisingly extreme. A hyper sports car like no other. The vision of creating the ultimate track-only Bugatti is even closer to reality: having finalized its design and built the first prototypes, the Bolide is now proving its advanced aerodynamic capabilities during high intensity testing at some of the most dynamically challenging racetracks. The results, so far, have been breathtaking.

Itumeleng Garebatshabe
Last updated: June 8, 2023 19:06
By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
1.6k Views
8 Min Read
Share
8 Min Read
SHARE

The most ambitious endeavors are often born from the purest ideas, and in the Bolide¹ the aim has been unambiguous from the start: to create the lightest car possible, reduced to the essentials, around the iconic quad turbo 8.0-litre W16 engine. The appeal was obvious, sparking huge customer interest globally, and prompting Bugatti to produce a limited run of just 40 units. Two-and-half-years after the Bolide concept was unveiled and after countless simulated laps, the car is now being refined on real, revered racetracks as part of an uncompromising test program that focuses on realizing top motorsport levels of performance.

The tests are exhausting and relentless, as must be the case for a car of this nature, delivering 1,600 PS and a dry weight of only 1,450 kg, in the process achieving an unprecedented weight-to-power ratio. Lap after lap is being spent pushing the Bolide to the very limit in pursuit of achieving the optimum handling performance, but in line with Bugatti’s philosophy that the two-seater must be manageable for drivers of all abilities.

- Advertisement -
Ad image

Among the keys to this is ensuring the correct level of downforce, and that has been one of the priorities of Bugatti’s expert engineering team. Challenging turns and straights are providing final validation points after months of complex development work focused on the aerodynamics that saw simulations created on some of the world’s most revered racetracks – all with very different characteristics – to tune the Bolide as close as possible to its physical limits. Christian Willmann, Chief Engineer for the Bolide, explains: “This extensive aerodynamic work usually only takes place in the top level of motorsport, but has allowed us to meticulously develop the Bolide for ultimate performance and drivability.”

The effort has paid off: the demanding program, which is ongoing, is demonstrating the extreme cornering speeds the car is capable of, with up to 2.5 G possible laterally and nearly three tons of downforce generated depending on the speed – testament to the groundbreaking aerodynamics, wide track, low center of gravity and mighty 16-cylinder powertrain.

The extraordinary performance the Bolide is delivering demonstrates Bugatti’s unrelenting commitment to the bespoke treatment required for a car of this type. This is evident at the front, where a front diffuser has been developed to improve drivability. The air flowing in is compressed under the front splitter, and then expands under the diffuser, creating suction that pulls the Bolide downward. At the same time, the diffuser is also able to direct the passing air to the left and right until it exits behind the front tires.

A number of other technical innovations are also integral to the Bolide’s performance. Specially designed air curtains in front of the front wheels help the air to flow perfectly around the car, reducing overall drag. Winglets on the outer edges of the front splitter develop a spiral air flow, generating a vortex that energizes the air flow to the diffuser, helping to improve rear downforce. And the narrow cab allows ideal airflow to the side intercoolers, where large inlets and deep shafts help to ensure an optimum operating temperature for the engine. Even the wing mirrors have been precisely designed to exact specifications to divert air towards the intercoolers, increasing their efficiency.

But it’s not just the increased efficiency that led to Bugatti’s decision to incorporate a physical rear view mirror rather than a camera system. Physical mirrors allow drivers to estimate distances between other cars more quickly, which is important on a track. “It is these small but crucial details that will allow a Bugatti Bolide driver to have a holistically fulfilling circuit experience,” says Frank Heyl, Deputy Design Director at Bugatti Automobiles. “Design and technology flow into one another in the Bolide. Every technical consideration has been translated directly into an aesthetic design. The Bolide perfectly demonstrates how a symbiosis of design and technology can work in synergy and in harmony.”

The highly focused Bolide performance tests are proving crucial for assessing the hyper sport car in action in real time on the track. Many of the highly technical and innovative solutions employed on the Bolide as part of its intense motorsport-focused testing program – ensuring the car delivers outstanding peak performance – were first created and tested virtually via advanced simulation methodologies. One such example of this seamless Bugatti virtual to real-world tech development and transition process relates to the geometry of the Bolide’s front splitter, which was meticulously optimized across several design iterations during advanced simulation R&D cycles.

The challenge was to ensure that the front splitter always performs optimally in all driving conditions. This was especially the case for when the Bolide switched between varying driving environments, such as rapid straight-line driving into hard braking. The nose of the Bolide lowers when the driver brakes hard, allowing the front splitter to be even closer to the ground which in turn creates even more downforce. However, for a car of this stature to be easily controllable on track, it’s important not to create too much downforce at the front when braking in order to maintain aero balance. As with every other facet of the Bolide, meticulous attention to detail and an unrelenting strive for perfection was undertaken by the Bugatti engineering team to optimally shape and hone the front splitter until the aero balance was perfect, even under the most extreme conditions.

The same intricate process also informed the precision engineering advancement of the Bolide’s rear wing, which can be adjusted according to each track’s specific characteristics. To set the car up to the exacting needs of the driver, the Bolide’s highly focused aero package can be adjusted to the precise correct balance between downforce and drag, allowing each of the Bolide owners the unique opportunity to drive and experience a car with top motorsport level of performance on the racetracks of the world.

First deliveries of the Bolide will commence in 2024, with production limited to just 40 units at a net unit price of four million euros each.

TAGGED:BUGATTI BOLIDE

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Stay Updated! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn VKontakte Telegram Email Copy Link Print
Share
ByItumeleng Garebatshabe
Editor
Follow:
Itumeleng is the Managing Editor of The Auto Magazine. He is a tech and car enthusiast

Follow US

FacebookLike
XFollow
InstagramFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TiktokFollow
TelegramFollow
Google NewsFollow
LinkedInFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

You Might Also Like

Auto ShowsLatest News

BUGATTI BOLIDE THRILLS SPECTATORS AT GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED 2023

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
July 18, 2023
Latest News

Racing legend Andy Wallace and Bugatti Bolide: when destinies cross paths

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
March 26, 2024
Reviews

Bugatti Bolide: engineered to the highest safety standards

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
September 12, 2023

The Auto Magazine

  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
  • Bikes
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Auto Shows
  • Latest News
  • Motosport

Made by Intellegere Media. All rights reserved. 2023

Don't not sell my personal information
Join Us!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner