The last Bugatti Bolide has just left Molsheim. But this is not just the 40th example of a toy for the ultra-rich, it is the final, sad and at the same time magnificent "farewell" to an engineering marvel - the W16 engine, which has defined speed for the last two decades. This is the last Bugatti Bolide.
When they are at to Bugatti When Bugatti first showed the Bolide concept in 2020, we all thought the same thing: “These French (and the Croatians in the background) have completely lost their minds.” And thank God they did. The idea was simple but brutal: what happens if we take the most complex engine in the world, the iconic 8.0-liter W16 with four turbines, and instead of building a luxury hotel on wheels around it (like the Chiron), we wrap it in the minimum amount of carbon fiber that is physically possible? Bugatti Bolide.
The answer is Bugatti Bolida. A car that knows no rules of the road, knows no comfort, and knows no mercy. And now, four years later, the last, fortieth, example has left the factory. This is the end of an era. This is the swan song of gasoline hedonism.
From concept to asphalt: When engineers get a free hand
Development began in August 2021. The Bugatti team, likely armed with unlimited amounts of caffeine and croissants, spent years with one goal in mind: to create a car that would humiliate everything else on the track, while maintaining that signature sense of quality you expect when you shell out a multi-million dollar sum for a car.
The car wasn't just made to pose in air-conditioned garages in Dubai (although most of them will end up there). It was tested at Le Mans, Goodwood and the Paul Ricard circuit. Andy Wallace, test driver and man with arguably the best job in the world, drove it on the Molsanne straight 350 km/h (217 mph). And that wasn't the final speed. That was just a "warm-up."
Numbers that make you dizzy
Let's take a look at the innards of this beast, because that's where things get really interesting. Under the hood - well, under what's left of the bodywork - beats a heart that produces an absurd 1,177 kW (1,578 horsepower). Yes, you read that right. That's enough power to move a small mountain. Torque is a whopping 1,600 Nm (1,179 lb-ft).
With the car “slimmed down” to just 1,450 kg (3,196 lbs) dry weight, the power-to-weight ratio is dangerously close to that of a Formula 1 car. Acceleration? 0 to 100 km/h (0-60 mph) in 2.2 seconds. It takes less than 12 seconds to reach 300 km/h (186 mph). Top speed? 380 km/h (236 mph).
These aren't car numbers. These are teleportation coordinates.
“If physics had a nightmare, it would be this car. But for the driver, it is the sweetest dream,” you might say.
Blue blood and a tribute to history
The latest example isn't just "another" Bolide. It's a personalized tribute to history. The client (who apparently has no problem paying his electricity bills) wanted the car to match his 1920s Bugatti Type 35 - one of the most successful racing cars of all time.
The color scheme is “True Blue”: a combination of “Black Blue”, “Special Blue Lyonnais” and “Lake Blue”. These are colors that scream heritage. The interior is upholstered in Alcantara and accented with “Light Blue Sport” stitching. Even on the bodywork you will find details of the French flag, reminiscent of the brand’s racing roots. This car thus concludes the trilogy: the owner also has the last Veyron Grand Sport in the same colors. That’s what I call collector consistency.
Below the line_ Farewell, W16 – the last Bugatti Bolide
As we draw the line under the €4 million ($4.4 million) hefty bill for this engineering masterpiece, we can't help but feel that we're witnessing the end. Bugatti is moving forward with the Tourbillon and its V16 hybrid, which will certainly be impressive, technologically advanced, and probably faster.
But let's be honest - nothing will ever sound and feel the same again. quad-turbo W16. It was an engine that defied logic, ecology, and reason. It was dinosaur in the age of electric shavers, but what a magnificent dinosaur it was! The latest Bolide is more than just a car; it is a monument to the human obsession with speed and mechanics. Although we will probably never see it on the road (because it is not allowed there by law), it is nice to know that it exists. Somewhere in a garage, this blue beast will be quietly waiting, as proof that we once knew how to make machines that had a soul.
