Cosworth creates ‘most powerful engine’ yet for Bugatti's Tourbillon hypercar

The Northampton-based engine specialist has been working on the technology for Bugatti since 2021, when they were tasked to develop a high capacity, high revving V16 capable of producing 1000hp.

This particular engine configuration, Cosworth said, hasn’t been mass produced in the automotive industry since the 1930s, with only a handful created as prototypes for niche vehicles in recent years.

It took the company 13 months to transform its initial detailed designs into the first V16 engine running on a dyno at its Northampton headquarters.

The resulting product is a 8.35-litre engine that can rev to 9000rpm, first unveiled at Bugatti’s Tourbillion launch last week (June 20, 2024).

Cosworth elected for a cross-plane crank design with 90-degree bank angles and dry sump. Weighing just 252kg in total – lighter than the naturally aspirated Aston Martin 6.0-litre V12 – steps were made to optimise weight throughout the engine, including titanium connecting rods and a carbon fibre inlet plenum.