Developed around Bugatti's 8-liter quad-turbo W-16 engine, the Bolide ditches street credibility and wears track-only clothing. And not just any sort of clothing, but the latest and fanciest aero technology, with a big part being played by the dimple air scoop.
Ballerstein's idea came in 2019, when he was trying to figure out how to cool 3D-printed titanium brake calipers using water. His solution was to use a pattern of round dimples inside the channels. Why? As fluid (in this case water) passes over the bumps, turbulences are created and the liquid mixes better in the channels, improving heat transfer. In other words, the temperature in the brake caliper dropped and cooling was more efficient.
This being Bugatti, though, the Bolide got an even more bonkers application of the dimple effect. The intake scoop can actually "morph" as in adjust the shape and distribution of the dimples. Here's Bugatti's explanation:
"When the vehicle is driven at a slow speed the surface of the scoop remains smooth, but at fast speeds a field of dimples bulges out. The 60 individual elements extend variably by up to 10 millimetres depending on the speed – if this benefits the driving state. From about 80 km/h upwards, air is the dominant resistance factor, and from about 120 km/h upwards the dimples significantly improve the car’s aerodynamics by reducing this resistance."
The carmaker also says that the car's aerodynamic coefficient (Cd) value decreases and the dimples also reduce the scoop's aero drag by 10-percent and are responsible for a 17-percent decrease in lift. What's more, downforce on the rear wing at 320 km/h (199 mph) reaches 1,800 kilos (3,968 pounds) while on the front wing - the one connecting the rear wing to the roof - downforce is 800 kilos (1,764 pounds). So yeah, it looks like both the devil and the Bugatti Bolide are in the details.