Key Takeaways

• Bugatti's new V16 engine successor to the Chiron will not have forced induction, confirms CEO.
• The new V16 engine will measure nearly 40 inches in length, which is longer than the iconic W16 engine.
• The engine will be hybrid and exceed 1,000 horsepower, promising a unique and lavish experience for buyers.

Anticipation is building for the reveal of the Chiron successor next month, and Bugatti is revealing more information: CEO Mate Rimac has confirmed that there will be no forced induction for this novel V16 engine. Speaking in an interview at the Financial Times Future of the Car conference in London - where he also teased the possibility of non-electric Rimac hypercars - the Bugatti-Rimac boss confirmed that the Chiron's replacement is neither turbocharged nor supercharged, something that the first official teaser video strongly suggested.

As reported by Autocar, Mr. Rimac also announced that the 16-cylinder engine will measure a full meter in length, or just under 40 inches long. That makes it 400 millimeters longer than the legendary W16 engine that has filled every Bugatti engine bay since the Veyron entered production in 2005.

The Confirmed Facts

With a lot of speculation swirling ahead of the launch of one of the most exciting machines in the world, it's important to stay focused on what we can confirm, and Bugatti has given us very little to work with. Spy shots of the new Bugatti have confirmed that the styling will be different from the Chiron but still carry a close familial link to that car, just as was the case with the Chiron when it replaced the Veyron.

We also know that the engine will carry a hybrid component and deliver more than 1,000 horsepower comfortably. This news came not from an official Bugatti press release but from a comment on one of Mate Rimac's Facebook posts. Thereupon, the Croatian was told by a compatriot that fans would expect 1,000 hp from the engine and another thousand from electric components developed by Rimac Automobili, to which Mate simply replied, "You are good." That's hardly confirmation of an exact figure, but it is proof that the next big Bug will be riveting. As the CEO pointed out at the same conference, ultra-luxury buyers demand more than just numbers these days; the wealthy want a rich experience.

The Unconfirmed Rumors

There are several rumblings in various reports that have been making waves on the web, but nothing that follows has been officially confirmed by anyone at Bugatti. That being said, these claims seem sound. The first is that this car will be even more exclusive than either of its W16-powered predecessors, with The Supercar Blog claiming that the new Bugatti will halve the Chiron's production run at 250 cars. The Veyron, for the record, was limited to 450 (the W16 Mistral is a special edition limited to 99 units).

The same publication also claims that each will cost more than $5 million, while others say the engine is being developed by Cosworth, has 8.3 liters of capacity, and revs beyond 9,000 rpm. See? All sound claims. As the June reveal date draws ever closer, we should get more info dribbling out of Molsheim with increasing frequency in the coming weeks.

Sources: Autocar, The Supercar Blog