The Revolutionary Design of the Bugatti Tourbillon
The Bugatti Tourbillon redefines aerodynamics, blending cutting-edge engineering with visionary design for ultimate performance.
In June 2024, the Bugatti Tourbillon made its highly anticipated global debut at the marque’s home in Molsheim. Designed to push the boundaries of what is possible, this extraordinary automobile exemplifies cutting-edge aerodynamic innovation.
In the latest episode of A New Era, Bugatti’s team of world-class engineers and aerodynamic specialists unveil the meticulous process of developing a hyper sports car that seamlessly harnesses the power of air.
The journey towards crafting one of the most aerodynamically advanced road cars began with a bold ambition: to surpass even the masterpieces that came before it.
“The Tourbillon’s predecessor, the Chiron, was already a low-drag car. But with the Tourbillon, we need to do better than that,” - Paul Burnham, Bugatti’s Chief Vehicle Engineer for the Tourbillon
Building upon the aerodynamic excellence of the record-breaking Chiron, Bugatti’s design and engineering teams embarked on an intensive development process. Months of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations provided initial insights into the Tourbillon’s performance potential. Then, fifteen months before the car’s official unveiling, a team of Bugatti’s finest engineers and aerodynamicists gathered at a state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility in Italy. There, they conducted rigorous tests on an intricately crafted half-scale model of the Tourbillon.
Credit: Bugatti
This precision-engineered model, composed of 250 individually 3D-printed components and fitted with over 100 pressure taps across its body panels, played a crucial role in fine-tuning the vehicle’s aerodynamics. Every data point relating to mass-flow measurements, static pressure distribution, and air velocities was meticulously analysed to validate the expected performance profile, refined through advanced virtual simulations.
Key aerodynamic advancements included reducing the car’s frontal area, integrating a highly sophisticated rear diffuser, and optimising the glasshouse profile for enhanced airflow. By combining data-driven insights with industry-leading expertise, Bugatti’s engineers achieved a significant evolution from the Chiron’s design.
Credit: Bugatti
Throughout the Tourbillon’s development, the team remained focused on a clear goal: to optimise drag coefficient and airflow across the entire vehicle. The result of countless hours of research, testing, and refinement is a hyper sports car capable of reaching its top speed without deploying its rear wing while maintaining exceptional stability.
As the process of correlating virtual simulations with real-world testing progressed, the Tourbillon evolved from a scale model to a full-sized prototype, necessitating increasingly sophisticated wind tunnel facilities. This painstaking development process, shaped by years of dedication and engineering excellence, reaffirmed the accuracy of the aerodynamic team’s simulations. Ultimately, it paved the way for the next generation of Bugatti’s hyper sports cars, setting a new benchmark in automotive performance.
