Among the innovations of the Bugatti Tourbillon, which is being developed at Rimac’s new Croatian headquarters, is the fact that the car is not equipped with traditional speakers, which has sparked curiosity.
According to Top Gear, instead of using traditional speakers, the Tourbillon uses piezoelectric elements that vibrate the car’s carbon fiber structure. Therefore, the Tourbillon’s chassis essentially becomes a large speaker.
To understand how this technology is cool, we need to understand how it works. First, it is worth noting that traditional speakers use a magnet that receives an electrical signal, which in turn moves an electromagnetic voice coil back and forth.
In this way, the voice coil is attached to some type of diaphragm, usually a cone made of paper or metal, which vibrates, amplifying the sound. Remember that sound is nothing more than vibrating air.
A piezoelectric speaker, on the other hand, uses a small crystal, such as quartz, to achieve the same effect. An electrical signal sent to the crystal makes some type of diaphragm vibrate, usually a small flat piece of metal.
Some high-fidelity speakers use this technology, but more often, a piezoelectric speaker is just a small buzzer.
In the Tourbillon, the carbon fiber chassis is the diaphragm, so these piezoelectric transducers are designed to transmit vibrations directly to the body.
Rimac showed Top Gear the piezoelectric element, which is attached to the roof of the car. It is a small metal piece, much smaller and lighter than a traditional speaker, which tends to be much heavier.
“Believe me, the sound quality of that car is completely different from a Chiron. So, we save weight, space, and improve sound quality,” says Rimac.
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Photo and video: Bugatti / YouTube @TopGear. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
