In 2021, Bugatti officially merged with Rimac Automobili to form Bugatti Rimac — a joint venture between Porsche (a major shareholder in both) and Mate Rimac, the Croatian EV wunderkind now serving as CEO of Bugatti Rimac. Bugatti continues to operate from its headquarters in Molsheim, France, and the Bugatti Tourbillon is the first car developed within this new company structure. Rimac brings its EV expertise, pushing Bugatti to cross the boundaries between petrol passion and hybrid and electric performance. The Tourbillon is the first Bugatti to combine Rimac’s electric mastery with Bugatti’s heritage of mechanical excellence. But there is an analogue twist to the bespoke cabin, with customizable options for all 250 buyers of this sold-out tour de force.
The partnership welcomes a fusion of old-world craftsmanship and next-generation innovation, with the Tourbillon serving as its manifesto. The watch-inspired name is more than meets the eye, evoking the precision of a mechanical watch in Bugatti Rimac’s cutting-edge hybrid engineering. Sure, the Tourbillon is a hybrid, but at its heart is a naturally aspirated 8.3-litre Cosworth V16 engine of 1,000bhp paired with three electric motors, delivering over 1,800 horsepower in total. They might be bursting with space-age tech today, but there has always been an inherent sense of craftsmanship in hypercars like the Bugatti Tourbillon.
Many car collectors are naturally drawn to the micro-engineering of mechanical watches, and the Bugatti design team has taken this to a new level, going against the pervasive trend of screen overload. The $5.7 million, 1,800 horsepower Tourbillon is a comfortable space to soak up the miles, and within the customizable cabin, the mechanical instrument panel is crafted like a Swiss timepiece.
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
This isn’t just nostalgia, but a deliberate rebellion against digital overload. After all, driving a Bugatti capable of 300mph is a task that requires a focused mind. Here, focusing is made easier by an old-school display of actual mechanical hands and pointers within a triple-circular aluminium binnacle. There is only a small semi-circular screen inset at six o’clock in the speedometer to show the rapidly ascending numbers as you press the accelerator, and the requisite warning lights in the “sub dials” flanking the central speedometer.
Functionally, the central dial displays speed and RPM, flanked by hybrid-powertrain data and power distribution gauges. Each of the eight hands is powered by a $600 Faulhaber motor that translates digital signals into mechanical motion. The numerals on the inner aluminium disc of the dials are laser-cut and filled with ceramic.
Within the smaller power gauge, you can also make out the fascinating gears within — never before seen in a hypercar — including the tantalizing purple pop of synthetic jewels to eliminate friction. It’s just like you would see in a mechanical watch movement, but on a much larger scale. Eight specialized engineers headed the development with Concepto, which now has a dedicated department headed by an Icelandic senior watchmaker, here demonstrating the instrument test rig in action. The result is a hypnotic, precision-watch aesthetic that replaces conventional clusters, underlining both Bugatti’s ultra-luxury ethos and Concepto’s engineering prowess.
Concepto Watch Factory remains a behind‑the‑scenes manufacturer in haute horlogerie, crafting movements and complications for over 20 top watchmakers. With Bugatti, it is redefining automotive dashboards, a first for Concepto. We asked Bugatti’s Senior Interior Designer, Alexandra Tavares, about what sparked the idea for this unlikely collaboration: “The idea came from our previous design director, Achim Anscheidt, who decided to go in this analogue direction. Taking it from there, Mate Rimac called Valerien from Concepto and asked if he was interested in the collaboration with us,” she says.
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
Achim Anscheidt left in 2023 after 19 years of overseeing Bugatti’s stylistic evolution. Tavares tells us more about how the instrument design moved on from the idea stage: “From the beginning with the first sketches it has taken a few years, followed by a lot of development with the watchmakers to make it happen, and to see what would be feasible”.
Tavares also tells us that Bugatti offers bespoke personalization of the actual instruments (like you would be able to do with a top-tier Swiss watch), including the unlikely twist of gem setting and guilloche dials: “The clients can apply stones, and different finishes, including the application of materials. I worked with Concepto to understand what I could do with these design proposals based on our renders, and we agreed on what we could apply and to which part, because — obviously, for technical reasons — some of them would add too much thickness or weight. So, it has been an exchange between Concepto and the design team at Bugatti to understand what we could do.”
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
The Bugatti Tourbillon Goes Analogue With A 300mph Top Speed
“The customisation process itself started when the first buyers signed their purchase contracts, and from April, we have had meetings in Molsheim with a few already,” Tavares continues. “This is where we show them samples and explain to them the more detailed options for the instrument cluster that are not visible in the configurator. So, they need to visit us, meet the designers, receive guidance, and view physical samples as well”
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Bugatti Tourbillon, not to mention its ability to make 300mph feel as easy and comfortable as your daily shopping run, is what this could do to spark a trend in the automotive industry. Tavares says: “This is completely new, because the trend is digital and we are going against the trend. But the analogue design is timeless, so there might be a chance that people might want to go and follow our trend.”
With the bright colours, software lag, and constant update fixation of today’s distracting screens, distilling the information into a handcrafted set of instruments brings a welcome purity to any driving experience, not to mention the ability to focus on the road ahead and the visceral experience of piloting a $ 5.7 million Bugatti.
