Beasts of Bugatti

The fastest cars in the world.
On display from 10 July through 30 August 2026

From the Lamborghini Diablo in which the W16 was first tested to the Chiron Super Sport 300+ that was the first to break the 300 mph barrier. Beasts of Bugatti tells the story of an engine that changed the automotive world forever.

Central to the exhibition is the iconic 8.0 liter W16 engine. A technical masterpiece with sixteen cylinders and four turbochargers that between 2005 and 2026 formed the beating heart of the most extreme Bugattis ever built. With power outputs of up to 1,850 hp and top speeds of almost 500 km/h, this powerplant repeatedly pushed the boundaries of what was considered possible for a production car.

For the first time, nine exceptional W16 models have been brought together in the Louwman Museum. Together they tell the complete story of the modern Bugatti, from experimental prototypes and record breaking hypercars to open top versions and works of art on wheels.

Your visit begins with the W16 engine itself. Here you will discover how this unique power unit is constructed and why it has become one of the most impressive engines in automotive history.

Then continue your journey past the vehicles that brought this technology to life. From the secret Lamborghini Diablo W16 and the first Veyron prototype to the Veyron, Chiron and Mistral. Each model marks an important moment in the development of the W16 and shows how Bugatti continued for more than twenty years to strive for more power, higher speeds and new technical solutions.

Alongside performance, there is also room for art and expression. The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Bernar Venet shows how engineering and creativity come together in a moving work of art, while the Grand Sport Vitesse proves that even an open Bugatti can break records.

Together, the W16 engine and the nine vehicles form a rare, complete overview of an era that will probably never return.

Beasts of Bugatti can be visited from 10 July through 30 August at the Louwman Museum. During this period, the museum is exceptionally open seven days a week from 10:00 to 17:00. The exhibition is accessible with a regular admission ticket and at no additional cost.

Bugatti W16 engine

This is the beating heart of the 'Beasts of Bugatti', the 8.0 liter W16 engine with four turbochargers. In the Veyron the unit delivers 1001 hp, in the Bolide with special fuel even 1850 hp. It is almost hard to believe that this immense powertrain is housed in the rear of the hypercar. The powerplant itself measures only 71 cm in length and weighs 490 kg. It consists of around 3,700 components. The W16 propels the Veyron to 407 km/h, in the Chiron Super Sport 300+ you can reach no less than 440 km/h. We do not talk about fuel consumption. The engine sound drowns out the noise of the whirlpools in the tank.

Specifications:

• Type: W16 (16 cylinders)
• Composition: 2x VR8 blocks
• Engine displacement: 8.0 liters (7,993 cm3)
• Power: 1,001-1,600 hp (up to 1,850 hp with special fuel)
• Turbos: 4
• Torque: 1,250 Nm
• Length: 710 mm
• Weight: 490 kg
• Parts: approx. 3,700
• Production years: 2005-2026
• Top speed of cars: 407-440 km/h

Lamborghini Diablo W16

2000
1 in the world.
At first glance a 'standard' Lamborghini Diablo until you look at the car in detail. Many parts are not quite right. This is the test vehicle for the development of the W16 engine. The power unit is mounted centrally in the architecture. During development there was already an engine block, but no car yet. Since Lamborghini and Bugatti are sister brands, the development department took the Italian flagship model. The rear has been raised higher and the left rear light is missing to make room for a radiator. Incidentally, the first design studio models of the Veyron were also built on the basis of the Diablo.

Bugatti Veyron Prototype 1

2001
Number 1 in the world.
The first and therefore oldest Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Meet 'Prototyp 1', in which the W16 was first packaged in a Veyron body. The body design was not yet final, as later became clear, because the outlet opening behind the front wheel is not present on the production model. After numerous setbacks, such as cooling problems and disappointing test results, the design department refined the bodywork. Two years later, test sessions began with a modified prototype, after which it took another two years - in 2005, to be precise - before production started.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4

2006
Named after former test driver and racing driver from the 1930s and 40s, Pierre Veyron, the Veyron appeared in 2005. Bugatti outclassed everyone. The sports coupe was the first production car with an output of 1001 hp, a top speed of more than 400 km/h and a price of more than one million euros (excl. taxes). It resulted in a new term, the hypercar. The entire development process cost the company so much money that they only wanted to build a small number of cars to limit additional expenses. In the end, Bugatti opted for a limited run of 300 units.

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

2010
1 of 46 in the world.
The aim was to extract 1000 hp from the 8.0 W16 engine, but during the first test bench sessions the power unit squeezed out more than 1200 hp. Bugatti reduced the output for the Veyron 16.4 to 1001 hp. In 2010 the Super Sport version appeared with 1200 hp after all. Speed tests showed that the top model recorded 427.933 km/h and - in the opposite direction - 434.211 km/h. The average speed of 431.072 km/h became an official Guinness World Record! The road version, also with larger turbos, was limited to a mere 415 km/h.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Bernar Venet

2011
1 in the world.
Originally the Veyron was only planned as a coupe, but the design department soon started looking at an open version. The barchetta without a roof and with a small windscreen remained a paper dream, but the version with a removable roof panel did reach production. Originally planned as a limited edition of 50 units, Bugatti built 150 of them to recoup development costs. You leave the central roof panel at home. If it unexpectedly starts to rain, there is an umbrella that connects to the window frame and roll bars. The most expensive version left the Atelier in Molsheim as the Bernar Venet. The French artist of the same name expressed his passion for mathematical equations and scientific treatises in a three dimensional form in the shape of the open version dubbed the Grand Sport.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse WRC

2012
1 of 8 in the world.
With a top speed limited to 375 km/h no less, the Veyron Grand Sport was already the fastest open car in the world, but the Bugatti engineers took on the challenge of breaking the 400 km/h barrier. The technicians mounted the 1200 hp version of the W16 engine in the rear and made further technical adjustments. During official measurements, the open two seater reached 408.84 km/h. The more powerful version was released as the Vitesse, with eight examples as the 'World Record Car' edition (WRC), as shown here. The color scheme was the same as the record car, only the top speed was even higher: 410 km/h!

Bugatti Chiron

2016
As the successor to the Veyron, the Chiron appeared. Like its predecessor, it was named after a former Bugatti racing driver. After its sports cars, the French carmaker wanted to launch a luxurious sports saloon, but due to a design error the project was cancelled. As an alternative, another hypercar was created. With the completely new Chiron, which had a development time of four years, Bugatti once again shifted the boundaries. This time, the four driven wheels had to handle 1500 hp from the 8.0 W16 engine with four turbochargers. Bugatti built the Chiron in a limited run of 500 units and only as a coupe.

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+

2019
1 of 30 in the world.
Thanks to Koenigsegg, Bugatti launched the Super Sport 300+, because the French carmaker no longer offered the fastest hypercar on the market. The Swedish sports car manufacturer had taken the speed record. That was reason enough for Bugatti to attempt a new record. Driver Andy Wallace recorded no less than 490.4837 km/h in a modified Chiron. The test car formed the basis for the Super Sport 300+, recognizable by a 25 cm longer rear end and the addition of air vents. The name refers to the achieved speed in miles per hour, 300 and a bit. The road‑going version of the Chiron Super Sport 300+ built in a run of 30 units has a limited top speed of 440 km/h.

Bugatti W16 Mistral

2022
1 of 99 in the world.
The official line was that it was not technically feasible to make an open-top version of the Chiron. Bugatti did not add the remark that it could be done at any cost. When it turned out that enthusiasts were willing to pay five million (ex. VAT/BPM) without batting an eye, the Mistral was born. This open brother of the Chiron has a removable roof panel that only fits on top of the car, not in it. It only arrived after production of the last Chiron had stopped. Bugatti built 99 units. It was supposed to mark the end of the W16 engine. That turned out not to be the case. Based on the Mistral, Bugatti developed two one-offs, the Brouillard and the FKP Hommage.