Bugatti hasn't confirmed a three-pedal Tourbillon. But the idea of a genuine manual gearbox is already being discussed at the top of the company — and it sounds a lot more serious than just fan wishful thinking.
At Monterey Car Week, when Road & Track asked Mate Rimac about such a car, he said: “Yes, definitely. Definitely. I agree one hundred percent. Imagine a V16 with a manual. A real manual”.
He gave no timeline or format for a potential project. But that one line has already spun into “manual Bugatti confirmed” headlines — even though, technically, that's not the case.
And here's why this isn't just about bolting a lever on instead of paddles. The Tourbillon's rear power unit combines an 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16, an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, a torque-vectoring differential and a 250-kW rear electric motor. The entire assembly weighs just 430 kg. Two more electric motors work on the front axle, and the system's combined output reaches 1,800 hp.
The V16 alone produces 1,000 hp at 9,000 rpm and 900 Nm. That means a proper manual won't be a cosmetic tweak — it will require rebuilding the whole logic: reintegrating the rear electric motor, the hybrid controls and torque distribution from scratch. This isn't about adding a clutch pedal and a lever — it's a new architecture. The current Tourbillon is limited to 250 units, priced from €3.8 million.
The brand does have a precedent, though — and a loud one. The EB110 used a genuine six-speed manual with a short-throw lever, a 3.5-liter quad-turbo V12 and all-wheel drive with a 27:73 torque split. Depending on the version, the engine produced 560–610 hp. The EB110 remains the last modern road-going Bugatti with a classic manual gearbox — nearly three decades and counting.
The most realistic scenario for now isn't a new mass-production Tourbillon variant, but a one-off project. Bugatti already runs Programme Solitaire, created specifically for unique, single-example cars. Road & Track also names this program as a possible home for a manual V16. But for now it's just a possible direction — not an announced car.
