Bugatti has confirmed that the successor to Veyron hypercar will get a hybrid powertrain. It is speculated that the new car will be named the 'Chiron' after Monaco-born race driver Louis Chiron. Its test mules have already been spotted on test in Europe.
VW group boss, Martin Winterkorn, has officially confirmed this saying, "Next to the petrol model there will be a hybrid version with added performance for the first time." We can expect the manufacturer to rework their huge 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine to couple it with an electric motor powering this car. The combined output is expected to be 1,500bhp, with power sent to all the wheels. The seven-speed DSG will continue to come mated to the mill.
There are reports that of up to five developmental prototypes with differing powertrain combinations have been constructed till now. They are based on the existing car but use various solutions that are being considered for the new model. The initial conceptual engineering tests might have completed by now so that the company can unveil the new Bugatti in early 2016.
The fastest production car in the world for a long time, the Bugatti Veyron, was developed on the back of heavy investment programme. The costs incurred were so high that the company till the end of the car's life cycle made a loss on every model that they sold despite a million pound price tag. Needless to say, with the introduction of the hybrid powertrain in the Chiron, the successor of the Veyron is definitely going to be an expensive car.
