THIS is the shocking moment a £3.3million Bugatti Tourbillon is smashed into by a £20,000 Volkswagen Polo during a test drive in Spain.
The ultra-rare hypercar was being put through its paces in the scorching Sierra Nevada when disaster struck on a winding mountain road.
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Footage shared on Instagram shows the Bugatti travelling behind a white Kia XCeed while a grey Volkswagen Polo follows closely behind.
The Kia suddenly stopped at a red light linked to roadworks, forcing the Bugatti driver to slam on the brakes.
But the Polo driver had little time to react after apparently following the £3.3million monster too closely.
The hatchback’s tyres can be heard squealing before it crashes into the sculpted rear of the Bugatti.
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The terrifying impact appears to have left the Tourbillon with mostly cosmetic damage, although even the slightest repair could trigger a staggering bill.
The carbon-fibre components around the hypercar’s rear end are worth a fortune compared with the Volkswagen.
The financial gulf between the two cars is nothing short of staggering.
Volkswagen Spain lists the Polo from €20,370, meaning a single expensive Bugatti component could potentially cost more than the entire hatchback.
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The wreck unfolded as the Bugatti prototype was undergoing testing at high altitude in Spain’s Sierra Nevada region.
The footage was first shared by The Supercar Blog, which reported that the Tourbillon involved was a prototype being tested by Bugatti.
The Tourbillon is one of the most ferocious cars ever produced, packing an enormous naturally aspirated 8.3-litre V16 engine supplied by Cosworth.
The mighty combustion engine produces 986 horsepower on its own.
Three electric motors then join the V16 to unleash a colossal 1,775 horsepower.
The hypercar also boasts gargantuan carbon-ceramic brakes and high-performance Michelin tyres designed to cope with its extraordinary performance.
By comparison, the Polo relies on narrower tyres and conventional steel brakes.
The brutal crash has therefore highlighted the huge difference between an everyday hatchback and a hypercar engineered for extreme performance.
The Tourbillon’s brakes are designed to haul the machine down from enormous speeds, with the car capable of stopping from 200mph in just a few seconds.
The Polo driver appeared to have little chance of avoiding the smash once the Kia stopped suddenly ahead.
The extent of the Bugatti’s damage remains unclear, but the repair bill could be eye-watering given the intricate carbon-fibre components packed into its rear end.
The crash will also leave the Volkswagen driver facing the grim prospect of explaining the incident to their insurance company.
The footage shows the Bugatti maintaining a reasonable gap from the Kia before the vehicle ahead suddenly comes to a halt.
The Volkswagen, meanwhile, appears to be travelling much closer to the Bugatti and is unable to stop before ploughing into its rear.
The spectacular Tourbillon takes its name from an 1801 watchmaking invention designed to counteract the effects of gravity and improve timekeeping precision.
Bugatti has carried that theme into the cabin, with a skeletonised instrument cluster containing more than 600 titanium, sapphire and ruby components.
Its elaborate centre console features a start/stop button that rises out of the dashboard before the V16 is finally brought roaring to life.
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Once running, the enormous engine can rev towards a breathtaking 9,000rpm.
But despite all that monstrous engineering, it was a comparatively humble Volkswagen Polo that delivered the blow in this dramatic mountain-road crash.