Bugatti W16 Engine Best Review Specs, Problems & Reliability

In general, the W16 series engine consists of two piston groups from VR-shaped 8-cylinder engines, which are located at an angle of 72 degrees in relation to each other. Thus, a power unit with 4 rows of cylinders is obtained.

Bugatti W16 Engine Review Specs Problems Reliability

However, these engines are practically not found in the automotive industry. The exception is Bugatti Automobiles SAS, which manufactures and installs W16 engines. In its Bugatti Veyron vehicles. The engines are assembled in Germany. The number of parts in the motor is 3500 units.

W16 Specifications

OPTIONSVALUE
Engine displacement7993cm3
Power (at 6000 rpm.)From 1001hp
Maximum torque (at 2200 rpm.)1250Nm
Compression ratio9
Arrangement of cylindersW-shaped (4x4)
Number of cylinders16
Number of valves per cylinder4pcs
The total number of valves64pcs
Cylinder diameter86mm
Piston stroke86.1mm
Supply systemDistributed injection
Gas distribution mechanism (4 sets)SOHC + turbine MPE MP 70
Boost pressure, bar1.24
Cylinder sequence1-14-9-4-7-12-15-6-13-8-3-16-11-2-5-10
FuelUnleaded gasoline AI-98
Fuel consumption, l / 100 km (city / highway / mixed)41.9 / 15.6 / 24.9
Weight, kg, no more400
Lubrication systemClosed loop with dry sump

The W16 engine was installed on production cars:

  • Bugatti Veyron 16.4
  • Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
  • Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport
  • Bugatti Veryron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse

The power unit with an W16 engine capacity of about 8 liters is equipped with four 16-valve gas distribution mechanisms, each containing one camshaft and a turbocharger. Due to this design, the engine is capable of developing high power (up to 1040 hp), however, in order to avoid misunderstandings, the engine manufacturer declared the power of from 1001 hp.

The operation of the connecting rod-piston groups of such power units is negatively affected by the influence of inertial moments. The developers of the W16 engine solved this problem by:

  • Increasing the camber angle between adjacent cylinder blocks to 90 degrees
  • Reducing the piston speed to 17.2 m / s

The increase in the camber angle led to an increase in the overall dimensions of the W16 engine as a whole, which ultimately amounted to 710×767 mm.

The turbocharged 8-liter engine is not too “resourceful” – full power is reached at 6500 rpm. In this case, the car accelerates to speed:

  • 100 km / h – in 2.5 seconds
  • 200 km / h – in 7.3 seconds
  • 300 km / h – 16.7 seconds

Optimum W16 engine performance at different speeds is ensured by a specially developed electronic control circuit for the gas distribution mechanism (timing), which continuously changes the valve timing. A separate massive radiator is used to cool the timing belt, which heats up strongly during fuel combustion (1.33 l / min).

Cooling System

Powerful W16 engine get very hot when driving at high speeds. Therefore, much attention has been paid to the development of their cooling systems. The W16 engine is equipped with a dual-circuit liquid cooling system, which includes:

  1. Three radiators of the main cooling circuit, located at the front of the car, where about 40 liters of coolant are poured. They keep the motor at normal temperature during normal operation.
  2. The additional cooling circuit begins to work in cases when the coolant temperature exceeds the permissible value and the engine can overheat. This happens, for example, when the car is in a traffic jam. This cooling circuit holds approximately 20 liters of coolant and has a separate water pump.
  3. In addition, the power unit is additionally equipped with small radiators through which not only coolant circulates, but also engine and transmission oil. These radiators are cooled by air currents that flow through a system of complex outdoor air flow patterns.

In general, a large number of air intakes are structurally provided in the body, designed for effective cooling of the W16 engine. They largely determine the exotic exterior of the car.

W16 Maintenance

Powertrains of the Bugatti Veyron, like all reciprocating internal combustion engines, require regular maintenance. The list of routine maintenance carried out in this case is no different from the standard list:

  • Engine oil change
  • Replacement of filters
  • Control over the level of engine oil in the oil pan
  • Monitoring the coolant level

The only difference between the maintenance of this engine and the usual one is the exorbitant price. The engine must be serviced only by an official service, otherwise the warranty will be lost.

The simplest operation, which is changing the engine oil, will cost the owner $ 21,000. If we add here the replacement of filters and other consumables and components, carried out during the year, then the annual maintenance (excluding the cost of work) will cost the owner 132,000 US dollars.

W16 Repairs

If there are malfunctions in the operation of the W16 power unit, it is thoroughly diagnosed at an official car service.

After a careful visual inspection, specially trained mechanics connect the engine to special technological equipment, according to the indications of which the general condition of the engine is determined.

In addition to the input computer diagnostics, other methods are used. For example, an endoscope is used to assess the internal state of a honed cylinder surface. However, all types of input diagnostics are preliminary, since given the structural complexity of the motor, the final diagnostics of the engine is possible only after its dismantling.

Dismantling and repairing a W16 engine requires the use of special tools and high quality parts.

W16 Tuning

There are two ways to increase the power of the torque value of the Bugatti Veyron W16 engine:

Chip Tuning

Specialists of specialized tuning studios are able, by changing the settings of the electronic engine control unit (ECM), to provide an increase in engine power up to 1150 hp. from. In this case, the amount of torque will be 1350 Nm. The cost of such a chip tuning will be at least 250 thousand rubles.

Mechanical Tuning

It is possible to significantly increase the engine power if, instead of the standard units, you install:

  • Intercoolers with higher performance
  • More powerful turbochargers
  • In addition, the exhaust system needs to be upgraded

After completing these works and correspondingly changing the ECM parameters: the engine power will increase to 1200 hp the torque will reach 1500 Nm.

Conclusion

Hypercar Bugatti Veyron with W16 engine is a unique car produced by the French car manufacturer Bugatti Automobiles SAS Founded in 1909, the company is now part of the famous German automobile concern Volkswagen AG and specializes in the production of luxury cars.

The Bugatti Veyron hypercar, which is considered the fastest production car in the world, was produced for 10 years (2005-2015). During this time, 450 cars were produced. Under the hood of this unique car, a 16-cylinder W16 engine is installed, with which the hypercar reaches speeds of up to 407 km / h.

Leave a Comment