The last Bugatti Bolide just left the Molsheim Atelier, and it’s a bigger deal than you might think. This isn’t just the 40th example of an already rare track-only hypercar but the final machine to carry Bugatti’s iconic quad-turbo W16 in this form, closing out a chapter that started with the Veyron nearly two decades ago.
The Bolide project itself began as a concept back in 2020, showing what happens when you strip away road regulations, luxury amenities, and any pretense of practicality, then wrap that 8.0-liter W16 in the lightest carbon fiber chassis possible. The answer was a 1,578-horsepower track weapon with Formula 1-rivaling weight-to-power ratios. Bugatti stunned everyone by finally greenlighting production, albeit with a 40-unit run at $4.4 million each. And now, after four years of development and testing at circuits from Le Mans to Nardò, the final example marks both the culmination of this ambitious project and a farewell to the engine architecture that defined modern Bugatti.
A Four-Year Journey From Concept to Reality
Development kicked off in August 2021, with the team spending over four years refining everything from aerodynamics to interior stitching. Bugatti needed the Bolide to feel like a proper Bugatti, which meant matching the craftsmanship standards of a Chiron while delivering track performance that could still embarrass dedicated race cars.
The validation process included high-speed testing at Le Mans during the circuit’s 100th anniversary in 2023, where test driver Andy Wallace hit 217 mph on the Mulsanne Straight. Additional development work happened at Nardò, Goodwood, and Circuit Paul Ricard, with the engineering team working dawn to dusk to maximize track time.
True Blue
The final Bolide carries special significance as a commissioned piece for a collector who already owns a Type 35 — one of the most successful race cars in history. As such, the specification echoes that legendary racer with a tri-tone blue palette: Black Blue, Special Blue Lyonnais, and Lake Blue. These are the same shades applied to the owner’s Veyron Grand Sport, itself the final example of that model. So this last Bolide completes a trilogy spanning nearly a century of Bugatti engineering.
The attention to detail extends throughout the cabin, where Lake Blue Alcantara covers key surfaces with Light Blue Sport stitching on contact points. A French flag detail on the bodywork ties everything back to Bugatti’s racing heritage from the 1930s.
The W16 Swan Song
Under the carbon fiber bodywork sits that familiar 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16, producing 1,578hp and 1,179lb.ft of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. With a dry weight of just 3,196lbs, the power-to-weight ratio approaches Formula 1 territory. Performance figures include 0-60 time of 2.2 seconds, 0-186 mph in 11.5 seconds, and a top speed of 236 mph.
The Bolide represents the ultimate expression of this engine architecture before Bugatti transitions to the V16-hybrid Tourbillon. While the new powertrain promises incredible performance, there’s something irreplaceable about the character of that W16 — 16 cylinders, four turbochargers, and an exhaust note that’s been the soundtrack of the hypercar world for nearly two decades.
Spec Sheet
Model: Bugatti Bolide
Engine: 8.0L quad-turbo W16
Power: 1,578 hp, 1,179 lb-ft of torque
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch
Weight: 3,196 lbs (dry)
0-60: 2.2 seconds
Top Speed: 236 mph
Construction: Carbon fiber monocoque
Production: 40 units (track-only)
Price: $4.4 million
Pricing & Availability
All 40 Bolides have been allocated and delivered to their owners, with the final example completing production last month. Original pricing started at $4.4 million, though don’t expect to see many (if any) hit the secondary market anytime soon. These are most likely staying in collections.
Recap
Bugatti Bolide Hypercar Final Edition
The final Bugatti Bolide just rolled out of Molsheim, capping off production at 40 units and marking the end of Bugatti’s legendary quad-turbo W16 in this extreme track-only form. This last example — painted in heritage blues matching the owner’s Type 35 and Veyron Grand Sport — closes a four-year journey from wild concept to 1,578-horsepower reality.
