Skip to main content

You may want to sit down: Bugatti’s Veyron successor could be a 1500-horsepower hybrid

The Bugatti Veyron is a groundbreaking technological achievement, but its successor may have enough power to actually break the Earth.

According to Reuters, the new Bugatti will generate an absurd 1500 horsepower by taking notes from hybrid hypercars like the McLaren P1, LaFerrari, and Porsche 918.

It will use the same 16.0-liter, quad-turbo W16 as the Veyron, but there will be an electric power source added, allowing the Bugatti to produce that monumental, ridiculous amount of thrust.

“The new model will not be less exciting than the Veyron,” said a spokeswoman for Bugatti. “Our customers have certain expectations.”

Well, there’s one applicant for the understatement of the century.

The successor to Veyron was likely designed to wrestle the title of “World’s Fastest Production Car” back from the Hennessey Venom GT, a Lotus Exige-based, 1,244-hp speedster that tops out at 270 mph. The Veyron Super sport owned that title until February 2010 with a top speed of 268 mph.

With enough grunt to change the rotation of the Earth, the Bugatti might just do it, even though will surely weigh significantly more than the 2,743-lb Venom. The luxurious Veyron weighs in at 4,162 lbs.

The hybrid powertrain is a first for the French and German company, but after the success of the P1 and its competitors, Bugatti’s executives see hybrids as the future.

“Moving to hybrid propulsion seems like a logical next step,” said Stefan Bratzel, head of Bugatti’s Centre of Automotive Management. “By curbing emissions and boosting performance, they can justify building more of these cars.”

Like the record-breaking Super Sport, the Veyron’s replacement will have an extremely limited run of around 450 units. So if you want to be a part of the record books, you’d better get your wallet ready.

Andrew Hard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more