VW group boss, Martin Winterkorn has officially confirmed that the successor to the Bugatti Veyron will be released and stated it will come with a hybrid powertrain. Winterkorn is said to have revealed this information in an interview with German newspaper Bild, in which he also confirmed the launch of the long-awaited VW Group budget brand.
"Next to the petrol model there will be a hybrid version with added performance for the first time," Winterkorn told Bild. What isn’t exactly clear is if this implies separate models for hybrid and conventional engines, although development costs of two powertrains make it highly unlikely. Last year, sister publication, Autocar UK revealed that development had begun on a follow-up to the Veyron, with the firm looking to raise the lofty performance of its hypercar with a new 460kph successor.
The replacement of the Veyron is set to adopt a heavily reworked version of its predecessor’s turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 engine. The power output is expected to be somewhere around 1,479bhp. The new Bugatti is currently undergoing initial conceptual engineering tests, with an aim to unveil the car in 2016.
Senior officials at Bugatti's parent company, Volkswagen have attempted to gloss over plans for a successor to the Veyron, but sources close to Bugatti have revealed that early test mules exist and have already been put into action in an early round of testing. “Five developmental prototypes with differing powertrain combinations have been constructed up to now,” said one insider. “They are based on the existing car but use various solutions that are being considered for the new model.”
The heavily revised powertrain, which is planned to get electrical backing, is mounted to the rear bulkhead in a traditional mid-engine layout, with power delivered to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and multi-plate-clutch four-wheel drive system. The new Bugatti has been designed around a carbon-fibre monococque that provides seating for two in what is planned to be, a highly luxurious cabin, complete with all of the very latest in connectivity technology.
Read our Bugatti Veyron review