A £3.3 million (RM18.04 million) Bugatti Tourbillon prototype was involved in a costly crash in Spain after being rear-ended by a Volkswagen Polo worth around £20,000 (RM109,000) during a high-altitude test drive.
The incident happened in the Sierra Nevada region, where the ultra-rare Bugatti was undergoing testing. Footage shared online shows the Bugatti travelling behind a white Kia XCeed, with the grey Volkswagen Polo following behind.
The Kia stopped at a red light near planned roadworks, forcing the Bugatti to brake suddenly. The Polo was unable to stop in time, with its tyres heard squealing before it crashed into the rear of the Bugatti.
The impact appeared to leave the Tourbillon with mostly cosmetic damage, although the repair bill could be substantial. The hypercar uses expensive carbon-fibre components around its rear, with some individual Bugatti parts potentially costing more than the entire Polo.
The Tourbillon is powered by a naturally aspirated 8.3-litre V16 engine supplied by Cosworth, producing 986 horsepower on its own. Three electric motors take total output to 1,775 horsepower, while carbon-ceramic brakes and high-performance Michelin tyres are designed to handle its extreme performance.
Bugatti says the Tourbillon can reach speeds of up to 445km/h, while its brakes are capable of bringing the car down from 200mph in just a few seconds. By comparison, the Polo uses narrower tyres and conventional steel brakes.
The footage was first shared by The Supercar Blog, which reported that the vehicle involved was a prototype undergoing testing. The Tourbillon is limited to just 250 units, making the damaged test car particularly rare.
The Bugatti’s name comes from the tourbillon, an 1801 watchmaking invention designed to counter the effects of gravity on a mechanical watch. Its cabin features a skeletonised instrument cluster containing more than 600 titanium, sapphire and ruby components.
For the Volkswagen driver, the unusual crash could also mean a difficult conversation with their insurer — after all, this was not an ordinary rear-end collision involving an ordinary car.
