Exclusive: Bugatti to launch hybrid Chiron successor in 2027
Bugatti has pencilled 2027 for its first hybrid entry
Next-generation hypercar will get a smaller engine, with design that will "blow people out of the water"
Bugatti’s next all-new hypercar, set for release in 2027, will use a hybrid powertrain with a petrol engine smaller than the current W16.
It will look “different” to current Bugatti cars but will retain the essence of the brand, with an aerodynamic focus, the French marque’s chief designers have told Autocar.
It will sit on a new chassis and is expected to be leaner than the recently revealed Bugatti Mistral roadster, due to the smaller powerplant.
“It offers opportunities,” said design director Achim Anscheidt, speaking about the upcoming hybrid powertrain.
“There are opportunities to get just a bit more athletic for the shape of Bugatti in the future without losing the general gesture of generosity or sovereignty.
"It will also have its constraints, because of performance and performance needs. But we know every centimetre of our cars so well by now that we know exactly where [change] would help us and where it would create a problem.”
Bugatti is being very tight-lipped about its next outing, revealing nothing about the design bar the electrified nature of the powertrain.
Other hybrid hypercars using battery-assisted engines range from the Aston Martin Valkyrie, with its 6.5-litre Cosworth V12 engine, to the Mercedes-AMG One, which has a turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 Formula 1 engine. Expect something nearer the Aston end of the scale for the next Bugatti.
Speaking to Autocar, Bugatti deputy design director Frank Heyl said the new car will “be even more amazing” than the Mistral, asking fans to “trust us”.
He added: “It's going to be amazing, proportionally, technologically, in terms of innovation, in terms of unexpectedness. It's going to blow people out of the water completely, and it's a true joy to work on this.”
Asked if it could share any design cues with current hybrid hypercars, such as the One, Anscheidt said: “If it were to be comparable, it would no longer be Bugatti.”
Designing the car has also been a challenge, said Heyl, who has been at the marque for 15 years.
“If you compare [the Mistral] to the LaFerrari, it's actually quite a compact car for what it is, with the gearbox in between the seats, which was done for weight-balance reasons,” he said.
“But with a hybrid powertrain, you have the added weight of the batteries, so you have to reconsider the architecture of the whole car.”
The interior, however, won't be getting a dramatic overhaul, instead staying close to what the firm already delivers, Bugatti interior designer Aldo Maria Sica said.
The new car is expected to cost more than the €5 million (£4.2m) Mistral.
Next up, Bugatti will look at an electric car, Bugatti Rimac boss Mate Rimac has said previously.