--- title: "Bugatti Chiron Successor Will Use a V16 Hybrid, Have a Listen" description: "Bugatti just teased its brand-new engine: a V16 hybrid that will replace the legendary quad-turbo W16 in the Chiron." date: "2024-02-29" modified: "2024-02-29" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/bugatti-chiron-successor-will-use-a-v16-hybrid-have-a-listen" categories: - "Bugatti News" - "News" - "News by Brand" --- # Bugatti Chiron Successor Will Use a V16 Hybrid, Have a Listen ![]() *Bugatti* While other supercar companies, like [McLaren]() and [Ferrari](), are downsizing their engines for hybrid duty, that evidently wasn't good enough for [Bugatti](). The French manufacturer of record-setting hyper-exotics has managed to hybridize its new engine without dropping a single cylinder. Bugatti's Chiron replacement won't be powered by some puny V8 or V12, but will instead feature a screaming V16 hybrid. In 2005, Bugatti stunned the world with the [Veyron](), which hit the scene as the fastest production vehicle ever. The secret to its world-beating speed was its engine: an 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged W16 behemoth with more than 1,000 horsepower. And that engine stuck around for nearly 20 years, albeit with significant updates, continuing to break speed records. Until now. Needless to say, this new V16 has big shoes to fill. Bugatti has released very few details about this new engine. Only its layout, firing order, cylinder count, valve cover and intake design, and sound are shown in a new video. A V16 might not seem all that different from a W16, but it's drastically unique in terms of packaging. Bugatti's W16 essentially acted like two V8s sharing a 90-degree crankshaft, while this V16 is more traditional, using two banks of eight cylinders. That makes the latter almost double the length and, judging by the video Bugatti released, it seems to have a narrower bank angle. The new engine also sports four gorgeous carbon fiber intake plenums, though Bugatti didn't say whether the V16 will keep the same quad-turbocharged setup as before. ![]() *Bugatti's new V16. *Bugatti* Bugatti* That drastic change in engine layout also brings a drastic change in sound. Bugatti's video gives us a taste of the new V16's song, higher pitched than the old W16's and perhaps indicative of a higher redline, too. It isn't the prettiest sound but it does have a motorsport-like rasp, making it angry and violent. I'll miss the W16's thunder, though, as it sounded like it was splitting space time. This new one is great too, but a bit more generic. Thunderous noise or not, though, Bugatti should be applauded for building another 16-cylinder engine. Large displacement, high cylinder-count engines aren't long for this world, but they apparently will live on in Molsheim a little while longer. And if it seems lame that Bugatti is going hybrid, remember that the man in charge of the brand is now Mate [Rimac](), and he seems to know a thing or two about making electrified cars go very, *very* fast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO4Q4xt8g9o *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()