The boutique engine manufacturer Cosworth has been working on some of the most exclusive, high-power performance cars and supercars of the last few decades. Its modern work includes the stunning V16 powerplant tucked away in the new Bugatti Tourbillon. Now, the company has revealed more details about how it plans to keep those crazy projects alive with the help of alternate future fuel technologies.
- Base Trim Engine
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8.3-liter V16 hybrid
- Base Trim Transmission
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8-speed dual-clutch automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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All-Wheel Drive
Synthetic Fuel Needs To Be Good Enough For Cosworth’s High-Performance Engines
When developing V12 and V16 engines and the like, you want to make sure you’re putting in the best possible fuel you can. That’s why Cosworth has spent a few years working on its synthetic fuel technology in-house, to make sure it’s up to snuff when it comes to exploding in its powerplants.
“We’ve been running synthetic fuels for four or five years, and the chemists say it’s exactly the same as gasoline. Sure enough, when we put it in an engine, we can’t tell the difference,” says Cosworth commercial director Chris Willoughby.
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Usually they’re very fast and have very big turbos.
The biggest downside to synthetic fuels right now is the cost of producing them in a manner that is carbon-neutral, which is the entire point.
But for customers who can own and operate super-expensive cars like Bugattis, Willoughby says, “Price is less likely to be a limiting factor.”
Cosworth Also Has A Hydrogen Rig
The company has also been working on a hydrogen powerplant setup since 2022, which has similar combustion properties, such as a wide air-fuel ratio range, and the ability to produce comparable power outputs to traditional gasoline. But there are major downsides to hydrogen, as it requires far more storage space on the vehicle itself when compared to traditional or synthetic fuel systems.
“The adoption of hydrogen depends on lots of things outside of our control, like the development of infrastructure and supply,” Willoughby adds.
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The Bugatti Tourbillon Just Got Even More Ridiculous
Eight pipes release the V16’s sounds.
Nothing To Worry About For Now
That pretty much means we aren’t going to get a full-production hydrogen-fueled Bugatti anytime soon. Rather, the company just wants to be prepared in case the world suddenly shifts its weight behind a certain technology.
“We have to be a bit diversified and understand how our skillset maps into the market, and where it has value,” Willoughby said.
Willoughby himself says he daily drives an electric car, and Cosworth has also gone through the trouble of developing and marketing its own electric vehicle platform in recent years. He believes they are perfect for everyday applications, but engines are still good in performance models.
“I think that’s deep-rooted in the human psyche in some way. I’m not a psychologist, but I think it’s hard-coded from when tigers used to jump out on us from behind bushes – we’re coded to have a response to noise,” Willoughby said.
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The Cosworth-Powered Mid-Engine Dodge That Served As A Pace Car
In the 1980s, Dodge introduced a concept car that would have been the fastest four-cylinder-powered car if it had ever gone into production.
Source: Autocar
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