Bugatti made a 9,000-rpm V16 behave without killing its voice
The Tourbillon’s naturally aspirated V16 had to keep its raw mechanical voice while passing a brutally strict 72 dB homologation test.
Making a naturally aspirated V16 spin to 9000 rpm, sound genuinely wild and still pass strict homologation is almost a cruel engineering challenge. But Bugatti has completed one of the key stages in developing the Tourbillon — tuning and homologating the sound of its new engine. For the relevant test, the maximum permitted level is just 72 dB. And here is the painful part for the engineers: the microphones do not hear only the engine. Tire noise, body noise and aerodynamic elements all count toward the final result.
How do you preserve that raw, almost unfiltered Bugatti mechanical voice without suffocating it under regulations? Engineers ran thousands of intake and exhaust simulations to find the right character. The brand also deliberately rejected the familiar trick of artificially boosting engine sound through speakers. Everything the driver hears comes from the powertrain itself, while acoustic insulation merely controls how intensely that sound enters the cabin.
The real trial, however, was homologation. The final 72 dB figure is determined from several measurements, including runs at constant speed and under acceleration. Even the active rear wing can affect the result, while a simple gust of wind can invalidate an otherwise successful run. After three years of Tourbillon development, the main acoustic tests are complete. Only minor adjustments and final fine-tuning remain.
And the source of all that noise is genuinely impressive. The 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16, developed with Cosworth, produces 1000 hp at 9000 rpm and 900 N·m. Three electric motors add another 800 hp, taking the Tourbillon hybrid system to a combined 1800 hp. It is almost a paradox: one of the wildest engines of the modern era had to be taught to speak quietly enough. But no one would call this V16 a whisper.