The problems behind designing a new Hypercar Being a car designer is far from an easy job. You spend weeks, maybe even years, coming out with a shape that you think is innovative, ahead of its time, the new benchmark. You then have to translate this design through a clay model, ensuring it is aerodynamically stable yet meets the latest safety regulations. Only for you to present your model to the board, and 9 times out of 10, they reject it. You go back to the drawing boards and after several other rejections, you’ve finally come out with a design that is approved. This is the nightmare most car designers have to go through. It’s especially a nightmare for one-off hypercar makers like Bugatti. Each new model has to push the boundaries of innovation, speed, technology, and luxury. Small wonder that over the last three decades, they’ve only built three hypercars. The brilliant EB110, the game-changing Veyron, and the incredible Chiron. When it came to their latest masterpiece, the Tourbillon, dozens of proposals were rejected. Each is unique, pushing the limits of style and performance in their own way, but alas didn’t make the final cut. So how did the team conclude that the Tourbillon that was showcased was the design they wanted? The Rejected Proposals Bugatti’s current CEO, Mate Rimac, (yes the man behind the equally innovative Rimac Automobili), and his team held several meetings, carefully scrutinizing each design and then shelving it. One such design involved super-slender headlights paired with a broken-up horizontal running light. The second showcased a smaller, more angular front ‘horseshoe’ grille, a call back to Bugatti’s historic styling cues, The side skirts in this concept were ornate, adding a hint of flair and drama to an otherwise reserved design. Another design that caught the eye featured sweptback headlights reminiscent of the Bugatti Divo, the one off-track hard variant of the Chiron. While this design closely resembled the final Tourbillon in terms of structure, it carried more aggressive lighting and sharper lines. The decision to reject these designs was likely to maintain the elegance and refinement that Bugatti is known for. After all, angular grilles or excessive ornamentation already exist at Lamborghini. And due to these rejections, ultimately resulted in the sleek and powerful design of the Tourbillon. McLaren F1’s Influence on the Bugatti Tourbillon The most surprising element revealed about the Tourbillon's design process, was the appearance of a McLaren F1 on the designer’s mood board. What on earth was it doing there? Well, looking closely, you realize a lot of design elements of the Tourbillon take inspiration from what many consider hypercar royalty. Just like the F1, the Tourbillon has butterfly doors with a roof hatch. It was a first for Bugatti but a design element McLaren still uses today. Also, the engine bay design of the Tourbillon is oddly similar to the F1. With its Cosworth V16 partially exposed, contrasting the fully exposed W16s of the Veyron and Chiron. Then again, it’s not surprising that a great deal of inspiration was taken from the F1. After all, had the F1 not hit 240mph, Bugatti wouldn’t have made it the Veyron’s goal to supersede it. McLaren and Bugatti are pioneers in the world of speed and technology. Conclusion: The Final Bugatti Tourbillon The final design chosen for the Tourbillon perfectly embodies the brand’s ethos of luxury, performance, and innovation. Every curve, every element, was meticulously crafted to ensure the Tourbillon blended beauty, aggression, and aerodynamic proficiency that has made Bugatti redefine the Hypercar landscape. Mate Rimac’s vision for the Tourbillon was clear: it needed to be an evolution of everything that made Bugatti great, while also setting a new standard for hypercars. And there’s no doubt, that in this final design, this 1800 horsepower monster certainly exceeds expectations. Then again, I’m sure we all doubt nothing less from Bugatti. Source: Top Gear
