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Bugatti Vision Le Mans designer's concept is ion-powered

Bugatti hasn't raced since the middle of the 1990s when Romano Artioli, its former owner, built an EB110 for the IMSA GT series and converted a second example to Le Mans specifications. The company is not actively planning a return to the track, don't expect to see a Chiron compete in 2020, but it still embraces its vast motorsport heritage, so one of its youngest designers dedicated his thesis to exploring what form a comeback could take. The Vision Le Mans concept shown in renderings puts a forward-thinking spin on the Type 35. Max Lask, a talented student who recently graduated from the Brunswick University of Art in Germany, explained his goal was not to create a retro-styled racer. That would have been too easy. Instead, he wanted to design a car that would be as advanced in 2050 as the Type 35 was when it made its debut at the 1924 Grand Prix of Lyon. There's a futuristic interpretation of Bugatti's horseshoe-shaped grille up front, but that's where the similarities between the Vision Le Mans concept and current members of the automaker's range end. The rest of the car is an ode to the principles of aerodynamics. Every wing, vent, fin, and scoop serves a specific purpose. Speculating what Le Mans-bound race cars will run on in 2050 required intense mental gymnastics. Motorsport is often at the forefront of innovation, so even 2020's most advanced technologies will look comically obsolete in 30 years. To that end, Lask envisioned a powertrain that runs on ions — and not the Saturn kind. It sounds far-fetched, but spacecraft already use xenon ion thrusters, and MIT successfully tested an ion-powered plane, so the technology exists. In his thesis, Lask opined it could sooner or later trickle down to the automotive industry. Bugatti stressed the Vision Le Mans concept is a one-off project Lask created to complete his design program, and it's not a preview of an upcoming model. While the French company is rooted in racing — the aforementioned Type 35 earned over 2,000 victories between 1924 and 1930 — the Circuit de La Sarthe isn't currently on the company's radar. Related Video:

$4.4M Bugatti Bolide moves down the track and closer to production

Unveiled in 2020, and approved for production a year later, the Bugatti Bolide is one step closer to hitting the track. The automaker just published photos of the car being put through its paces, and it released details about some of features that differentiate it from the Chiron. Writing off the Bolide as a rebodied Chiron would be an oversimplification. While the two cars share an 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged W16 engine, the list of Bolide-specific parts is long. Bugatti explains that its engineers designed the model around a new carbon fiber monocoque, and they were unfettered by the various rules and regulations that shape modern cars because the Bolide isn't street-legal. It's exclusively a track car. Changes were made to the cooling system, the suspension system, and the transmission; the suspension is notably three times stiffer than the Chiron's, and it includes uniball bearings. Several 3D-printed parts, including titanium rockers, will be used to build it. Even the engine isn't carried over; not quite. In the Bolide, the four turbochargers always provide boost because the 16-cylinder is expected to spend a lot of time at higher revolutions. In comparison, the Chiron uses a sequential setup: The two smaller turbos generate boost at up to 3,800 rpm, and the two bigger units kick in beyond that. The end result is 1,578 horsepower in a car that tips the scale at 3,196 pounds.  Slick tires designed by Michelin put the power to the ground, while a carbon-ceramic braking system keeps it in check. Interestingly, Bugatti designed new calipers that generate and absorb heat to help the brakes warm up as quickly as possible (they're less effective when cold). Bugatti will begin delivering the Bolide in 2024. Production is limited to 40 units, and the model is sold out in spite of a base price pegged at ˆ4 million excluding taxes, which represents approximately $4.39 million at the current conversion rate. If that's too much, or if you missed your chance to buy one, one alternative is a 905-piece Lego Technic kit that stretches about a foot long and that costs about $50. It's too early to tell what's next. We know that the Bolide is one of the last W16-powered Bugatti models along with the Mistral convertible and the final examples of the Chiron.

Race in a road rally | The List #0035

On this episode of The List, hosts Jessi Combs and Patrick McIntyre compete in The Great Race, a 2,000-mile road rally in which precision, not speed, is the key to victory. The race is a grueling test of endurance, restraint, and the ability to execute rigid instructions under extreme duress. The prize for first place? $50,000. Oh, and did we mention the competitor lineup consists exclusively of vintage cars? For each leg of the race, the point is not necessarily to come in first, but to arrive at your destination at a very specific, pre-determined time, down to the second. If you arrive at your destination when you're meant to, congratulations, you've aced that leg of the race! To do this, you need to be fantastic at following rules, instructions, and driving at a steady speed. "I am not good at following rules, I am not good at following instructions, I am not good at driving slow," says Jessi, pondering the requirements for success in the rally. However, regardless of confidence, our hosts set off from San Rafael, CA, in a 1927 Bugatti Type 35B on the first leg of the nine-day journey. A road trip of this length is difficult in the best of conditions, but being cramped together with another person in a two-seat, topless, slow-moving, 89-year-old car takes a special breed of human. Our hosts are up to the challenge, but the journey isn't without hardships. Will they be able to finish the race? Join us as we drive from California to Illinois to find out on this episode of The List! Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick