The Bugatti Tourbillon could eventually underpin a lighter and more driver-focused car, possibly with a conventional manual gearbox. Mate Rimac raised the possibility in an interview with Top Gear published on 26 October 2026, outlining a direction that would put mechanical involvement ahead of another outright power increase.
It is an idea, not a confirmed derivative. Rimac described the existing Tourbillon as a platform with scope for further vehicles. When asked whether Bugatti might fit a proper manual transmission, he answered positively, but offered no design, production approval, timetable or specifications for such a car.
A different route for the V16
The Tourbillon currently combines a Cosworth-developed, naturally aspirated 8.3-litre V16 with hybrid assistance. Its drivetrain includes an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a 25kWh battery. Top Gear cites approximately 1,775bhp from the combined system and a kerb weight of 1,995kg. The combustion engine alone is rated at roughly 986bhp in the publication's account.
Those figures explain why an alternative layout is intriguing. Top Gear explored the hypothetical weight saving from dispensing with the hybrid hardware and heavy dual-clutch transmission, leaving the V16 to power a simpler car. That calculation should not be mistaken for a Bugatti specification sheet: Rimac has not said that electric motors will be removed or that a manual model has entered development.
His reference point is also revealing. Rather than describing another attempt to surpass the Chiron or Tourbillon through raw performance, Rimac discussed the appeal of Bugatti's pre-war machines, particularly the Type 35. A lighter car with a more direct drivetrain would offer a different experience from the immense performance and technical complexity of the current hypercar.
The comments come as Bugatti operates under a new ownership structure outside Volkswagen Group's former shareholding. Rimac presented the change as an opportunity for longer-term thinking and more adventurous projects. That freedom does not, by itself, establish what will be built.
For now, the concrete development is the manufacturer's chief publicly entertaining a manual, less complicated future for the Tourbillon platform. Whether it becomes a production derivative, a separate limited-run car or simply an engineering idea remains unknown.