Could Bugatti join the Hypercar class at Le Mans with its 1,600bhp Bolide?

Bugatti has shared new info about its new carbon-fibre monocoque forming the shell of the Bolide - the 1,600bhp hypercar branded ‘the most beautiful hypercar in the world’ - including the interesting nugget that it's been developed to the same demanding requirements as Le Mans race cars.

This isn’t the first time the Bolide has been associated with Le Mans. Remember that special appearance of the Bolide at the 100th anniversary of Le Mans earlier this year?

This F1-composite-based monocoque has been specially designed around the 8.0-litre W16 turbocharged engine. According to Bugatti, the FIA’s safety requirements for LMH and LMDh cars were chosen "because they are among the most stringent regulations in the world of motorsport".

Bugatti’s release describes how one of the most demanding tests requires 7,500kg to be applied to the car’s A-pillar, at which point, the maximum tolerance for any deflection is only 50mm – where some small cracks are permitted, the Bolide had none.

The Bolide has also been fitted with an automatic, military-grade fire extinguisher system. A six-point safety harness keeps both pilots safe while they experience up to 2.5G.

There's a raft of other driver safety features more suitable for road going users, but let’s face it, which car maker goes to all that trouble (and investment) if it doesn’t have any intention of entering the thing in the actual race, eh?

One can but hope. Would you like to see the Bolide take on Alpine, Lamborghini and Ferrari et al. in the hypercar class?