Bugatti’s Reliable and Powerful 16-Cylinder W16 Engine

 

President of Logistics Group International (LGI) in Houston, Texas, Stephen Patrick Day, delivers an array of transport solutions for shippers in the US, Mexico & Canada. Passionate about super and hypercars, Stephen Day follows hypercar manufacturers like Bugatti.

Bugatti models such as the Chiron, Veyron, and Divo are known for extreme power and behind this is the W16 engine. The engine features 16 cylinders arranged in a “W” configuration across four banks. Introduced in 2005, the Volkswagen Group-manufactured engine pairs eight-liter displacement with four turbochargers and four camshafts. This quad-turbo concept involves a pair of VR8 engines that share a crankshaft together and operate in tandem. It essentially doubles turbo thrust compared with most high-performance models.

Introduced with the Veyron, the model that currently puts the W16 to full use is the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+. This street-legal vehicle delivers nearly 1,600 horsepower and can exceed 300 miles per hour. Interestingly, the W16 engine is now considered to be on its “last legs” as hybrid sports cars such as the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder have pushed technology in new directions. Bugatti is itself planning a next-generation hybrid drivetrain that will continue its high-performance tradition.