Bugatti Bolide, a testament to engineering excellence
London, 11 April 2024, (Oilandgaspress): – Designed with precision and purpose, the Bolide1 represents a departure from the norm, a shift towards a completely different realm of driving that Bugatti had not yet explored in its modern-day history. Not just focused on speed, each and every aspect is finely tuned for circuit dominance.
Yet, the Bolide isn’t just about blistering lap times, it is also about accessibility. Despite its extraordinary performance capabilities, the Bolide remains approachable – even for those without race experience. In the pursuit of perfection, Bugatti’s engineers have crafted a track-only hyper sports car that invites drivers to explore their limits.
To achieve this, Bugatti lent on state-of-the-art technology, its unrivalled motorsport heritage and direction from Bugatti Pilote Officiel and legendary Triple Crown winner, Andy Wallace. His input, garnered from years of racing at the highest levels as well as involvement with the Molsheim brand since 2011, proved invaluable to Bugatti’s engineering team as they refined the Bolide’s aerodynamics, drivetrain, and handling characteristics.
Bugatti Pilote Officiel, Andy Wallace, said: “Everything about the car is on a completely different level to what I have driven before. All cars are difficult to drive at their limit, but even at the limits of its capabilities, the Bugatti Bolide remains remarkably easy to drive. When you have a car with this much capability, and this much downforce, not many people would believe that is possible. Even I found myself in a state of disbelief after my initial stint driving the Bolide.”
Key to the Bolide’s behavior on track are several technologies deployed for the first time in a Bugatti vehicle as well as technologies that are usually not available in a track car, like ABS and ESP. Built as closely as possible around the brand’s legendary 1,600 PS 8.0-liter W16 turbocharged engine, the Bolide features an ultra-lightweight advanced monocoque of the highest quality carbon fiber composite. Developed in collaboration with Dallara, this innovative structure is designed to the same demanding Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) LMH and LMDh requirements as Le Mans race cars. An entirely new seating position for Bugatti – one that is reclined into the rear of the car ensuring that the heels of the driver sit slightly raised and the passenger is optimally angled towards the nose of the Bolide – also mirrors design from some of the world’s most extreme race cars. This imparts unwavering confidence on the asphalt.
This confidence also fed into in part by the unique Brembo braking system in the Bolide. The result of two years of demanding evaluation, the carbon-carbon brakes offer stopping power that is on par with the technology that goes into both LMh/LMDh and Formula 1 machinery. Guaranteeing that the Bolide stands unrivalled on every part of the track.
Extensive simulation and testing on some of the world’s most revered racetracks allowed Bugatti to elevate the performance further, tuning the Bolide’s aerodynamic traits in a way that is usually only associated with top level motorsport. The resultant downforce it generates, in combination with all-wheel drive with electronically controlled differentials and high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport slick tires, means that the Bolide delivers unmatched levels of traction and grip on the track.
The considerable effort put into the Bolide development program paid off. Boasting a top speed of 380km/h in low-downforce configuration, the Bugatti track-only hyper sports car demonstrates aptitude on the straights exceeding that of Formula 1, where the all-time speed record hit close to 373km/h. For Bolide, the only boundary is finding at straight long enough to reach 380km/h, with straights on FIA approved tracks unable to exceed 2 km in length, with only a handful exceptions worldwide. Despite the impressive top speed, elasticity is where the Bolide truly shines.
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