The 8.0-liter W16 engine has been propelling Bugatti’s hyper sports cars for almost 20 years. The only 16-cylinder engine in the world to be used in a car, it is a veritable engineering masterpiece that has become an icon in its own right. This look back at the story of its evolution and development is a declaration of love to one of the most impressive powertrains ever created.

When Bugatti published the first technical details about the engine for the Veyron 16.4 in 2005, it instantly changed the game. It was sensational. Never before had a production vehicle featured an engine which was so powerful, yet so compact and able to cruise as easily as it could obliterate acceleration records. Its power output was unparalleled at the time; acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of over 400 km/h.

Bringing the engine to life required more than 3,500 individual parts, each assembled by hand, and the work monitored throughout by test computers.

Bugatti unveiled its successor, the Chiron, in March 2016. And once again achieved the unexpected. What was once thought to be an unachievable amount of power in a road car, in Veyron, was surpassed by around 50 percent in Chiron. Yes, it was an 8.0-liter W16, and yes it had four turbochargers – just like Veyron – but achieving new levels of performance meant looking at every single component afresh. Most importantly, larger turbochargers and a duplex fuel injection system with 32 injection valves was fitted, with a greater use of carbon and titanium to help offset increases in weight. With its power output of 1,500 PS initially, subsequently increased to 1,600 PS, and maximum torque of 1,600 Nm, the W16 engine changed the course of performance car history yet again.

#bugatti
Get More Great Car Videos – Subscribe: https://goo.gl/BSIaFc