Bugatti’s Tourbillon Tackles Sweden’s Deep Freeze in the Ultimate Cold Weather Test

Engineers and drivers gathered at the Colmis Proving Ground in Arjeplog, northern Sweden, for a four-week endurance test of the new Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar under the worst winter conditions possible. As they arrived, the place was a winter paradise (or nightmare), with snow piled up everywhere and temps starting at -30 degrees. Conditions were also slippery, with drivers encountering a mix of slick ice, hard-packed snow, slush, and even some asphalt, which presented some unexpected surprises. Their mission was simple: ensure that every function in the automobile worked flawlessly regardless of the weather.

At the heart of it all was a team of around 20 people, with a tiny core of six working long hours on weekends and at night. When the temperature rose somewhat during the day, the ice and slush softened, so they shifted their daytime testing sessions to after dark, when the surfaces were still frozen solid, which was ideal for collecting important data. The Chief Development Driver, Miroslav Zrnčević, emphasized the need of testing hypercars such as the Tourbillon in cold and icy conditions to ensure consistent and reliable performance for customers

First, the team focused on the brake-by-wire technology. This thing has three electric motors that generate regenerative braking, two in the front and one in the back, as well as hydraulic brakes for good measure. However, when they are stuck on low-grip terrain (such as ice), it can be difficult to get the entire system to work together in the brake pedal such that it feels natural and predictable. They also had to cope with some really dangerous events known as MU-jumps, in which you’d be stranded on beautiful hot asphalt and then abruptly encounter ice in the middle of a stop, but to their delight, the brakes, ABS, and stability control all did an excellent job of remaining calm and stable.

Next, the drivers focused on traction control and fine-tuning all-wheel drive. This beast is powered by a naturally aspirated V16 engine and electric motors that drive all four wheels. When you’re in Comfort mode, the system is basically monitoring your back and will take action early to keep the wheels in line. However, when you switch to Sport mode, the vehicle begins to behave more neutrally and the engine begins to make the sound it is designed to make. And if you switch to Track mode, you may practice controlled drifting without losing grip completely.

The team then tested the climate control to check how quickly the interior warmed up, whether the windshield wipers kept the fog away, and whether the air remained comfortable for hours on end. The drivers made their observations, then conducted some objective tests to validate their findings, all while the motor was merrily cranking out lots of heat and the HVAC unit had to keep running to keep things from becoming too sticky in the cabin.
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