It may be hard to confer the title of universal truth on any concept, because of how unique each person’s perspective can be. But with the new Bugatti Tourbillon, we can confidently say this hypercar is perhaps one of the best luxury automobiles of 2024 so far.
Not surprising since it’s a Bugatti. Which then begs the question: how do they do it? Just exactly how does Bugatti continue to produce autos that are frankly sexy and forever in demand, 115 years after? According to Frank Heyl, director of design at Bugatti, the luxury auto brand’s success is largely due to a set of rules the design team follows during the conception process.
Now, it does not appear that this is cast in stone (each model would have its unique variation) but below are the questions the team tried to answer as they designed the $4million+ Tourbillon, and they offer a rare insight into how truly extraordinary this hypercar is.
Form follows performance
Per Heyl, the design of the Bugatti Tourbillon is not rooted in aesthetics but rather in what the vehicle should do, which is to be smooth enough to drive at high speeds but still retain that unique quality that makes it such a joy to behold and a dream to experience.
“Bugatti is the interplay between elegance and speed … So you could say that [the Tourbillon] is shaped by speed … and the understanding of [this went] into the base architecture of the car.”
Timelessness >>> Trends
If there is anything luxury businesses know very well, it is this: trends make a brand popular, but timeless designs and products keep it relevant long after the hype has disappeared.
In creating the overall design for the Tourbillon, but especially in crafting its interior, the design team at Bugatti were faced with two paths: integrate current trends in auto design like driverless technology, large screens that double as the vehicles’ control centre, and a digital everything interior. Or, go with a style that may not incorporate all the latest trends but would still be useful in years to come.
Bugatti chose the latter.
“Our number one topic that has a big influence on all our thinking is timelessness. We need to make [our autos] relevant because they are around for such a long time. What dates a car is the technology of the time it was created in. For a car to be timeless, one cannot run after current trends. We go after preciousness. As a brand, we are about luxury. What is luxury? It is preciousness, it is rarity. It doesn’t even have to be about anything material. We think a lot about who we make all these things for and how it will be used and cherished over the decades and possibly passed on from generation to generation. So essentially, the collectible value.”
Experience drives purchase. Make it count
Ever wondered why people spend a lot of money on certain luxury goods that seemingly make no sense?
Per Heyl, how a product or service makes you feel is directly proportional to how much you’re willing to spend on it. How good your overall experience using a product is will determine if you’re willing to part with a substantial amount of cash to relive that experience over and over again.
“The experience that we create – how you feel when you sit in the driver’s seat; the haptics, the feeling when you touch the aluminium switch gear, how weighted the buttons are; when you turn a knob how oily is it? When you knock on the crystal glass, is it cool touch? The smell of the leather, the vibration, the noise of the engine. The experience to drive a Bugatti, to own a Bugatti, to live with a Bugatti is incomparable … It is this emotional aspect of things that spans our thinking throughout the design process. Our job is to create something that somebody looks at, and their heart is telling their mind that it is worth it to spend a couple of millions on that.”
In the end, it is all about the basics
By sticking to the basics for its foundation, the Bugatti Tourbillon has managed to be anything but basic, showing that the best designs, be they complicated or simple, always start with the bare fundamentals.
“What we do in the design department is not styling. What I regard as design is that you go right into the basic underpinnings … of architecture and you plan every step in the exact right way to get the proportions right, to get the stylistic appearance of the car work together with its technical necessities and the aerodynamic functionalities.”
So, if you ever wonder why you cannot get your eyes off the Bugatti Tourbillon or any other Bugatti marque, just remember that this 5-step formula is the reason behind your very temporary paralysis and the DNA of every Bugatti, be it the Bolide, the Chiron and now, the Tourbillon