It isn’t as crazy as you might think.
A modern Bugatti with its engine in front of the driver – has the world gone mad? After experimenting with the and EB 118 concepts, the Molsheim peeps came up with the Galibier in 2005. You can also read this Top Gear about the secret Rembrandt and Atlantic concepts of the last decade. None of these cars were produced due to a variety of reasons, including the 2008 financial crisis and the Dieselgate scandal at Volkswagen Group. Bugatti continues to use the W16 mid-mounted formula with the Chiron and many derivatives. However, independent artist Rain Prisk didn’t stop him from envisioning a front engined hypercar. A sleek one.
This rendering draws inspiration from several Bugatti models, including the Centodieci minimalist headlights as well as the wheels from the record-breaking Chiron Super Sport300+ prototype. It would be possible to fit the quad-turbo, 8.0-liter engine under a front-hood. The Rembrandt mentioned above was designed with an exposed W16 so it should theoretically be possible.
The Atlantic was designed to house a smaller twin-turbo V8 to make it more affordable than the Chiron. This rendering and Bugatti’s concepts show that the brand has plenty of room for expansion, especially as electrification is imminent. The French marque could see some major changes with Rimac being involved in its future.
While a more GT-focused Bugatti would make a great addition to the range of vehicles, there are numerous reports that a second model could join the Chiron. This could be an SUV. Bugatti, McLaren and Lotus joining the sports-utility vehicle craze leaves only McLaren and Lotus, as well as very few other high-end automakers, without an SUV.