Tomorrow Bugatti will pull the curtain on what appeared to be a hypercar for the WEC. Thanks to a new teaser photo, the rumors that it would be a Le Mans Hypercar seem to be back in the trash.
A week ago, on Bugatti’s social media channels, a butt of an unknown Bugatti suddenly appeared with x-shaped lighting in it. This week then started with the cryptic hint ‘0.67’, which seems to indicate the horsepower / kilo ratio. Let that exactly match the new requirements of the WEC for the new LMH cars. The fairly low and clearly built car in question was also spotted at Circuit Paul Ricard and all in all, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Or so it seemed.
This latest teaser photo raises the doubt whether it is an LMH car. Now we see, among other things, the drivetrain, steering wheel and wheels of the crack monster. Although the steering wheel betrays the racing purpose of the car, behind the two (!) Front seats we see something that we do not expect for a WEC participation. There we see an engine that we recognize: the mighty W16 that serves in the Chiron. Partly because of its weight, the gigantic block is not a logical choice for an LMH car and in the Chiron is also much too powerful for the WEC. After all, the regulations state that the hypercars may ‘only’ deliver 670 hp, less than half the normal power of the W16.
Fortunately, tomorrow we will hear how or what, but it seems rather to be an extremely powerful hypercar that is otherwise separate from a participation in the WEC. A lighter car with the same power; who knows they mean 0.67 kilos per horsepower! 1,500 horsepower in a 1,000 kilogram car? In that case, the SSC Tuatara can already wet his chest for a new record attempt by Bugatti.