The Only Quad Turbo Production Cars In History

Turbochargers have proven to be a bit of a game-changer over the past couple of decades in particular, with the devices pretty much singlehandedly ending the era of the naturally aspirated engine. This is because, while providing a significant chunk of extra power, they also improve engine efficiency due to utilizing normally wasted exhaust gases. With manufacturers focused on making their cars as clean and efficient as possible, turbos allow them to keep their cars powerful at the same time. Then Maserati made the first series-production twin-turbo car in 1981 with the Biturbo, forging the path for this format, used sequentially in earlier twin-turbos like the Porsche 959, but mostly parallel twin-turbo setups in modern examples like the Porsche 911 Turbo or McLaren 750S.

• Bugatti

  Bugatti was founded as an automaker by an Italian-born designer named Ettore Bugatti in Molsheim, Alsace, when the French city was a German one in 1909. Bugatti created several successful cars for road and racing, but Ettore’s death in 1947 led to the company ceasing operations in 1952 before a short-lived revival in 1963. The brand was revived again in 1987, resulting in the EB110 GT, but the company we know today only appeared in 1998, when Volkswagen Group acquired the brand. In 2005, the Veyron arrived, setting the tone for Bugatti’s contemporary era.

  Founded

  1909 (Automobiles Ettore Bugatti)

  Founder

  Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti

  Headquarters

  Molsheim, France

  Owned By

  Bugatti-Rimac

  Current CEO

  Mate Rimac

• 

  BMW

  BMW is a German luxury car and motorbike manufacturer and current owner of Mini, Rolls-Royce, and Alpina. With roots dating back to 1913 as Rapp Motorenwerke, it officially became Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1922 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. BMW’s first car was built in 1928 when it built the Austin 7 under license from Dixi, which was called the BMW 3/15. BMW grew into a manufacturer of premium and luxury automobiles, launching iconic nameplates like the 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series, and is today known as one of the leading luxury automakers in the world, while the BMW M division is hailed as a leading manufacturer of performance cars.

  Founded

  1916

  Founder

  Karl Rapp

  Headquarters

  Munich, Germany

  Owned By

  Publicly Traded

  Current CEO

  Oliver Zipse

Some marques go further than just a turbo or two though, and have created vehicles that feature three, and sometimes even four of them. Here is every vehicle ever sold that featured an engine boosted by four turbos.

Bugatti Offered A Quad-Turbo W16

When the Volkswagen Group, led by the influential Ferdinand Piëch, was working on what it hoped would be the best car in the world in the early 2000s, there were many elements it had to consider. It had to be luxurious enough to be used on normal roads, have a commanding road presence and, above all, be really fast. Utilizing the recently secured Bugatti brand, the new Veyron certainly took care of the last element.

Bugatti’s engineers developed a whopping 8.0-liter W16 engine, which was essentially two 4.0-liter W8 powerplants joined together. A set of four turbos provided aspiration to the huge unit, as they provided the grunt needed to allow the engine to produce 987 hp. Thanks to this, and the resulting Veyron’s slippery body, the car became the fastest in the world when it launched in 2005, with a top speed of 252 mph. The powerplant was particularly impressive due to its relative lack of size, being more compact and lighter than a conventional V12 engine despite featuring four extra cylinders.

Discussion

Supercharger vs. Turbo: which side is winning the forced induction battle?

Superchargers are rapidly disappearing from the automotive market, as turbochargers leap ahead in terms of efficiency, size and weight. While a few supercharged vehicles still survive, other cars such as the Volvo XC90 get the best of both worlds with twin-charging (using both a supercharger and a turbocharger).

The Chiron Took Things To Another Level

When it came time to replace the Veyron with the Bugatti Chiron, Bugatti elected to build upon the existing W16 unit rather than replace it. Other than the dimensions and pitch, the engine was completely redeveloped. Four upgraded turbochargers, which were 69 percent larger than those on the Veyron, headlined the enhancements, and the finished product produced an insane 1,500 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. Two turbo provided the boost at low revs, with the other two chiming in at 3,800 rpm to provide full thrust. A further tweaked version of the engine managed to crack 300 mph in a Chiron SS, though it was laid to rest in 2024 as Bugatti turned its attentions towards a new naturally aspirated V16 engine for its upcoming Tourbillon.

Bugatti Also Built A Quad-Turbo V12

Before Bugatti was taken over by Volkswagen in 1998, it was owned by Italian businessman Romano Artioli between 1987 and 1995. Wanting to take the fight to established supercar manufacturers like Ferrari and Lamborghini, the rejuvenated Bugatti unleashed the EB110, named to celebrate the original Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti’s age, in 1991. Like its Veyron and Chiron successors, the EB110 was produced to combine performance excellence and luxury in one unbeatable package.

Related

Audi Nearly Put A Twin-Turbocharged Diesel V12 In The R8

Audi has done many crazy things in the past, but putting a twin-turbocharged V12 diesel engine in the Audi R8 might take the cake.

To power this landmark machine, Artiolo tasked his talented engineers with developing a quad-turbo 3.5-liter V12 engine that could take the fight to the most established supercars on the planet. The finished article produced 552 hp in the middle of the EB110 Gran Turismo, and 600 hp in the upgraded EB110 Super Sport model. Part of the reason it was so powerful, aside from the four turbos, was that the V12 could rev all the way up to 8,250 rpm.

When combined with an advanced all-wheel-drive system, which could send up to 73% of the V12’s power to the rear wheels, and a lightweight carbon-fiber monocoque, the EB110 SS could hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and hit 218 mph. The EB110, and its glorious quad-turbo V12, died when the company collapsed due to financial issues in 1995.

BMW Offered A Quad-Turbo Diesel Engine In Many Of Its Higher-End Cars

In the mid-2010s, BMW produced a range of modular 3.0-liter straight-six diesel engines christened the B57. While keeping the displacement the same, the B57 could be had in single, dual and quad turbo configurations. The quad-turbo option was reserved for the brand’s premier diesel offerings in its range, for drivers wanting to save a bit of cash on fuel by not opting for gas-powered powerplants in their large vehicles. It utilizes multi-stage turbocharging, which consists of two lower-pressure turbos and two higher-pressure ones, which helps to reduce turbo lag, lower the boost threshold, and increase efficiency.

Related

The Cheapest Way To Get Into A Twin-Turbocharged V12 Sports Car

And it costs less than a new Mazda Miata.

Producing 394 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque, the quad-turbo B57 was available in the M550D and 750D sedans, as well as X5, X6 and X7 SUVs. The engine ultimately only ended up enjoying a short life, being offered from 2016 until 2020 as diesel became untenable around the world due to health concerns.

Zenvo Is Strapping A Quartet Of Turbos To Its New Supercar

Zenvo, the Danish company that built the crazy TSR with its mad active rear aero setup, is continuing to push boundaries with its latest creation, the Aurora. Set to land in 2026, the supercar will feature a quad-turbo 6.6-liter V12 developed by German engine builders MAHLE Powertrain. The wild powerplant surpasses even the EB 110s with a redline of 9,800 rpm, which helps it produce 1,232 hp on its own. This makes it the most powerful V12 engine ever fitted to a road car.

The mid-mounted V12 will also be combined with a trio of electric motors, which add a further 600 hp to the equation. With around 1,830 hp on tap in total, the Aurora will be one to watch when it’s unleashed soon.

Related

Zenvo Aurora Getting 6.6-Liter Quad-Turbo V12 Producing 1,250 HP

And it runs on synthetic fuel.

Some Zany Concepts Also Utilized Quad-Turbo Powerplants

While few production cars ever came with quad-turbo engines, there were a few more concept versions that featured the layout but never made production. One of the best-known examples is the Ford GT90, which was the spiritual successor to the legendary GT40. Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 1995, the GT90 was equipped with a 6.0-liter quad-turbo V12 that would have produced 710 hp had it been produced for the road.

The V12 was created by combining a pair of cut-down Ford Modular V8s, where two cylinders were removed from each. The GT90 was the first vehicle to display Ford’s New Edge design language, though the choice was eventually taken to leave it as a concept. The same story took place with Ford’s American rival, Chrysler, which produced a concept called the ME FourTwelve in 2004.

The sleek supercar was graced with a quad-turbocharged version of Mercedes-Benz’s 6.0-liter M120 V12 engine, the same powerplant used by Pagani in its Zondas. Producing 850 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque, Chrysler estimated that its beast could hit 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, a feat aided by a seamless-shift seven-speed automatic transmission. Chrysler wanted to put the car into production, though it’s thought tensions with Mercedes-Benz prevented the project from ever going ahead.

Sources: Bugatti, BMW, Zenvo, Ford, Stellantis.