Bugatti sent its 1,578bhp Bolide around the Le Mans 24hr circuit

A while back Bugatti revealed that during simulations, its track-focused Bolide hypercar could lap Le Mans in a comfortable 3m 7.1s. Consider this year’s pole lap set by the Ferrari 499P hypercar was 3m 22.9s, and you get some idea of the speed this thing contains.

But, simulations are one thing. Hearing this thing blast around the Circuit de la Sarthe is quite another, and at last weekend’s 100th anniversary race, Bugatti rolled out its very Big Gun and sent it on a flyer.

Not a proper hot lap, but a demonstration, with none other than 1988 Le Mans 24hr winner Andy Wallace behind the wheel. It was the first time the Bolide was let loose in a public environment - very public, considering attendance was well over 350k visitors - and Wallace did his best to deliver each and every horsepower personally.

“The Bolide looks and feels like a real racing car with genuine outstanding high-performance capabilities,” Wallace said after the run. “The fact that it generates around twice its own weight in downforce at maximum speed, giving the car a very high level of grip and stability in high-speed corners is in its own right incredibly impressive.”

What’s also impressive is its 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine snuggled inside that extraordinary carbon body.

It wasn’t the only Bugatti on display: the old EB110 was rolled out, as was a Type 50S from the 1930s. “Bugatti and the 24 Hours of Le Mans have a deep and long held connection,” Bugatti boss Christophe Piochon said. “We were there at the very first race 100 years ago.”

Come on then Bugatti, be there at the next race in this Bolide.