Every Car Powered By Bugatti's W16 Engine Ranked By Top Speed

The unusual Bugatti W16 engine is a marvelous combination of compact size and prodigious power output. The largest, most complex version of the Volkswagen Group's W8/W12/W16 engine family, the W16 was created by combining two narrow-angle V8 engines into a W configuration.

The father of the Bugatti W16 engine was engineer Ferdinand Piëch, also Bugatti-owner Volkswagen's Chairman of the Board at the time of the idea. Originally an 18-cylinder engine, it was modified to become today's W16. Piëch had sketched the engine on an envelope, but it took Bugatti engineers, developing everything from scratch, to create an engineering masterpiece – 8.0 Liters with an initial output of 987 horsepower (1,001 PS) through the use of four turbochargers. The W16 was no larger than a V12 engine and weighed just 882 lbs (400 kg).  

Over the 20 years since Bugatti first published technical details of the W16 engine, the marque has produced the Veyron and its subsequent models, followed by the Chiron and further iterations, plus limited-edition variants: the Divo, Centodieci, and Mistral. The Bolide is a dedicated track-only car built on a unique platform. 

Here, we've ranked these W16-powered Bugattis by their production-ready top speeds, and noted when speed limiters have been deactivated due to the pursuit of a speed record. Let the Bugatti W16 top speed rankings begin!

At the outset, it is important to understand that the top speed of a Bugatti (or any car, for that matter) is a function of that car's mission. For instance, the needs of a track-focused car center around generating maximum downforce while maintaining cornering agility. However, this is antithetical to the minimal drag required for achieving a land speed record. The Bugatti W16-engined cars in this article amply demonstrate both extremes of this performance spectrum — we will start low and work our way up.

The track car end of that spectrum is perfectly demonstrated by the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, added to the Bugatti lineup in 2021. The Chiron Pur Sport is uncompromisingly track-focused (but still road-legal), with increased downforce, firmer suspension, close-ratio gearbox, lightweight magnesium wheels, carbon fiber sport seats, removed sound insulation, and a huge fixed rear wing. As Bugatti states, "The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport is designed for corners; engineered for lateral acceleration and incomparable driving dynamics."

The Pur Sport's W16 engine is rated at 1,479 horsepower (1,500 PS), which produces a zero-to-60 mph run in 2.3 seconds and a low-for-a-Bugatti top speed of just 217 mph. The W16 is perfectly suited to the Pur Sport's closed-course mission. A total of 60 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sports were made.

The 2012-15 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, one of the most powerful roadsters ever made, has achieved a distinct honor — the world speed record for open-top production sports cars. While the standard Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is limited to a 233 mph top speed (375 kph) with the roof removed, Bugatti disabled the speed limiter (normally used to protect the car's tires) for the high-speed run on parent VW's Ehra-Lessien test track, in 2013. The Grand Sport Vitesse hit a top speed of 254 mph, which is very impressive for a roadster!

The Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is powered by a 1,183-horsepower (1,200 PS) version of the Bugatti W16 engine, with added help from bigger turbos and upgraded intercoolers. 

A great deal of reengineering had to be done to make the Veyron into a vehicle with a removable roof panel. As the Veyron coupe's roof is a structural part of the car, the load paths for all of the forces acting on the car had to be recalculated to maintain its safety and rigidity. A carbon plate under the transmission tunnel prevented flexing of the body, while reinforcements were made to the monocoque in several areas, with structures also built into the doors to distribute crash loads in the event of an accident.

The 2020-21 Bugatti Divo was made as a limited edition of 40 cars, of which no two are alike. First revealed two years after the 2016 premiere of the Chiron, the Divo marked Bugatti's return to its earlier tradition of coachbuilding, achieved with stunning custom body designs during the 1920s and 1930s. Shown exclusively to select Chiron owners in advance of its reveal at the Quail in 2018, the entire edition of 40 cars was pre-sold before the public first saw one. The base price was five million euros, with buyers able to customize their unique vehicles.

The Divo, named after a Bugatti racing driver who had won the grueling Targa Florio road race twice during the 1920s, was a re-bodied, more aerodynamic version of the Bugatti Chiron. The Divo's body design features a stabilizing dorsal fin on the roof, a more prominent rear diffuser, a new three-dimensional taillight, and a NACA air duct on the roof.

The Divo's W16 engine puts out 1,479 horsepower (1,500 PS) and is similar to the Chiron's engine. Just as with the Chiron Pur Sport, the Divo's chassis has been optimized in favor of agility and cornering dynamics — to paraphrase Bugatti's own words.

The 2022 Bugatti Centodieci is another limited-edition coachbuilt Bugatti, based on the Chiron chassis. Its name translates to "110" as an homage to Bugatti history and the EB110 Super Sport. It is truly limited — only ten Centodiecis were produced. The Centodieci's mission is to combine comfort and performance. The circular air intakes behind the doors, the unadorned grille with Bugatti badge applied to the hood, and the blacked-out area under the taillights are callouts to the EB110 Super Sport's distinctive styling.

The Centodieci's W16 engine comes from the Chiron Super Sport, with its spectacular output of 1,578 horsepower (1,600 PS), nearly 200 hp per liter! Limited to a top speed of 236 mph (380 kph), the Bugatti Centodieci can do zero-to-60 mph in 2.4 seconds. The W16 engine has a different sound in the Centodieci, due to the fact that it is underneath a glass window — as in the original EB110.

Each of the ten Bugatti Centodiecis were priced at eight million euros. All of them were sold before the 2019 unveiling.

The 2024 Bugatti Bolide is a technological masterpiece. It is also Bugatti's answer to the hypothetical question: "What if we made a more compact, lightweight, track-only sports car that meets the highest standards of performance and safety, while not reducing driver or passenger comfort?" The Bolide is Bugatti's no-compromise approach to designing a track car to its own high standards.

Starting with its highest-output 1,578-horsepower (1,600 PS) W16 engine as motive power, but retuned for track use, Bugatti designed the rest of the car from scratch. The Bolide has been designed to meet strictly regulated FIA motorsports standards for Le Mans race cars, with a new advanced monocoque made of Formula 1-quality carbon fiber.

The Bolide's active safety technologies include the largest carbon-carbon front brakes ever made, developed by Brembo. Inside, occupants are kept cool and comfortable by a climate control system, effective even during the hottest racing conditions. 

Initial orders for the Bolide are scheduled to deliver in 2024, with production limited to 40 units, at a starting price of four million euros apiece.

The 2005-15 Bugatti Veyron 16.4, one of the best hypercars of all time, was the first Bugatti of the Volkswagen Group era. It was created from scratch using a clean sheet of paper, with the objective of being "the fastest, most exclusive series production super sportscar in the world," according to Bugatti. 

The Veyron 16.4's W16 engine has an output of 987 horsepower, aided by four turbochargers, and is capable of zero to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, zero to 100 mph in 6.0 seconds, and zero to 200 mph in 22.0 seconds. The quarter mile flashes past in 10.8 seconds at a trap speed of 140 mph. Not bad, considering the Veyron's curb weight of 4,300 pounds.

The Veyron 16.4 also set a speed record of 253.81 mph (408.47 kph) on April 29, 2005. The Bugatti Veyron became, at that time, the world's fastest sports car in series production. 

The 2009-15 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, the first of which has already been restored, is simply the Veyron 16.4 coupe made into a roadster. The "Grand Sport" name comes from two earlier Bugatti cars from the 1920s and 1930s (Type 40 and Type 43) that first received this name. The Grand Sport is the first car to bring the open-top driving experience to the modern Bugatti era.

The mechanical specifications of the Grand Sport are identical to those of the Veyron 16.4, with the same acceleration figures and roof-attached top speed. However, maximum speed with the top off is limited to 224 mph (360 kph). So, hold on to your hat!

While the transparent roof panel is made of polycarbonate and weighs just 36 pounds, you will need a second person to remove it – and sorry, it will not fit in the car after you take it off. Instead, Bugatti provides an "umbrella" that will cover the space in the event of rain. Just remember that your speed shouldn't exceed 100 mph with the umbrella installed. 

Even though the Grand Sport weighs an additional 220 pounds more than the Veyron 16.4 coupe due to the added reinforcement required when eliminating the roof as a structural member, its 987 horsepower W16 engine will barely notice the difference. A total of 150 examples of the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport were produced during its seven-year lifespan.

The 2010-11 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is another variant of the Veyron, packing more power than the Veyron 16.4 or Grand Sport. The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, one of the fastest supercars ever made, uses four larger turbochargers and upgraded intercoolers to boost its output to 1,200 horsepower. Additional changes include two NACA ducts in the elongated roof to feed air to the engine, larger front air intakes, new front splitter, more free-flowing exhaust system, an all-carbon fiber body with improved aerodynamics, and a double diffuser at the rear. Overall, the Super Sport weighs in at about 100 pounds less than a standard Veyron, while increasing its output by 200 horsepower.

Shortly after unveiling it to the public for the first time at Pebble Beach in August of 2010, Bugatti established a new world speed record with the Super Sport. At VW's Ehra-Lessien proving ground in Germany, the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport made a two-way run (to cancel out any benefit from a tailwind), achieving an average speed of 268 mph (431 kph). Customer vehicles are limited to 258 mph (415 kph) to protect their tires.

The Super Sport hits a zero to 60 time of under 2.5 seconds, the quarter-mile in 9.7 seconds, and zero to 200 mph and back to zero in just 25.6 seconds. The World Record Edition, a series of five cars done up in orange and exposed black carbon fiber, was sold out before production started. In total there were 30 Super Sport cars produced.

The 2016-23 Bugatti Chiron is the successor to the groundbreaking Veyron 16.4 and its variants. It offers an unexpected driving experience. The Bugatti team was challenged to create a new car that improved upon the Veyron — the result is the Chiron.

The Chiron's performance and power output took a quantum leap beyond that of the Veyron, with the W16 engine upgraded to produce an incredible output of 1,479 horsepower (1,500 PS). A two-stage turbocharging system lets the car start off from rest with two turbos applying pressure, while the other two kick in as 3,800 rpm is reached. This eliminates any turbo lag and maximizes acceleration. Zero to 60 mph takes 2.4 seconds, with 100 mph coming up in 4.4 seconds, and 200 mph in 15.7 seconds. 

In the handling and ride department, the Bugatti Chiron takes advantage of Bugatti's first adaptive chassis system to control its electronic shock absorbers and rear differential, steering, chassis height, active aerodynamics, brakes, and all-wheel drive. The Chiron's new carbon-fiber monocoque uses a remarkable 3,444 square feet (320 square meters) of the material for its construction. 

To demonstrate the Chiron's capabilities, renowned racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya took a Chiron from zero to 249 mph (400 kph) and back to zero in under 42 seconds, setting a world record. Montoya used the Chiron's Top Speed Key and also activated its Launch Control mode for his record-setting run.

The 2023 Bugatti W16 Mistral marks the final appearance of the W16 engine in a Bugatti roadgoing vehicle. As the Bugatti Chiron was never intended to be converted into a roadster, the Mistral can be seen as the evolution of the Chiron into an open car, albeit a radically restyled one, aerodynamically designed to be enjoyed top-down at 261 mph.

The vertically-stacked headlights let air pass through them and then exit through the wheel arches. The larger center horseshoe grille allows for one larger radiator to handle the engine's high temperature needs, while the two side intakes handle air supply to the intercoolers. 

The W16 Mistral has the same 1,578 horsepower (1,600 PS) engine as the earlier Chiron Super Sport 300+, and is the maximum output that has been achieved with the W16 Bugatti engine. 

A total of 99 examples of the W16 Mistral will be built, with a base price of five million euros apiece. Deliveries started in 2024, with the entire run sold out ahead of time.

The 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport is the high-performance edition of the Chiron, if such a thing is imaginable. It is a reminder of what Bugatti does best. Instead of the Chiron's 1,479 horsepower W16 engine, the Chiron Super Sport received an upgraded 1,578 horsepower version. The engine's redline was also increased from 6,800 rpm to 7,100.

The modifications done to achieve Super Sport status go beyond the engine. The aerodynamically optimized carbon-fiber body panels of the Chiron Super Sport 300+ are used, complete with a longer tail. This maximizes downforce so that it cancels out lift while adding minimal drag. The nine holes at the top of each fender relieve air pressure from inside the wheel wells while adding downforce. They are also a nod to a design element of the 1990s Bugatti EB110. 

With these refinements, the Chiron Super Sport was designed to safely reach its top speed of 273 mph (440 kph). The vehicle's weight was also reduced by 51 pounds (23 kg) compared to the standard Chiron – although it still weighs 4,587 pounds.

Performance stats for the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport include zero to 60 mph in 2.2 seconds, zero to 100 mph in 4.1 seconds, and zero to 200 mph in 14.8 seconds. The quarter-mile goes by in 9.1 seconds with a speed of 161 mph.

The Chiron Super Sport 300+ is the ultimate expression of Bugatti's W16 performance and technology. In August 2019, the Super Sport 300+ reached a top speed of 304.773 mph (490.484 kph). This made it the fastest series production car ever, and the first to exceed the 300 mph barrier.

As a higher-speed evolution of the Chiron Super Sport, the Chiron Super Sport 300+ uses the same aerodynamic body enhancements as the Super Sport it is based on. To reach 300 mph and beyond, the car's aerodynamic balance was optimized for minimal drag and turbulence as it slipped through the air. The Super Sport 300+ is powered by the same 1,578 horsepower W16 engine as the Chiron Super Sport, with a unique 3D-printed titanium double-wall exhaust system.

To improve the car's aerodynamics, new air curtains were developed to guide the airflow over the vehicle, with added gills located behind the front wheels to remove air from inside the wheel arches.  

A special edition of 30 cars, finished in Bugatti's black carbon fiber and orange speed-record livery were produced to commemorate the world record breaking event. Unlike the speed-record car, customer versions will be delivered without the roll cage, but at a standard height, with a passenger seat, and to prevent any record chasing — with the speed limiter.