Continental's brake control system for the Bugatti Bolide

Motorsport Continental's brake control system for the Bugatti Bolide

2025-01-15 From Continental | Translated by AI 3 min Reading Time

Continental presents a brake control system for the Bugatti Bolide. With ABS, ESC, and TCS, the 1,600-horsepower racing car becomes manageable for everyone.

Bugatti designed the Bolide model exclusively for driving on racetracks.(Image: Bugatti Automobiles) — Bugatti designed the Bolide model exclusively for driving on racetracks.
(Image: Bugatti Automobiles)

Continental has developed an electronic brake control system with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC), and traction control (TCS) for the hypersports car Bugatti Bolide, based on the "Motorsports ABS Kit by Continental Engineering Services." The motorsport brake control system makes the 1,600-hp race car manageable for both professional motorsport athletes and enthusiasts. The model is approved only for racetracks. Initially designed as a show vehicle based on the Bugatti Chiron production model, it was produced in a limited series of 40 units in 2024.

Continental's internal development and engineering service provider, Continental Engineering Services (CES), and Bugatti have been cooperating for years, especially around the Bugatti Chiron and Bugatti Veyron models. The current project stands out in the development and integration of hardware and software components, as race cars not approved for the street are primarily optimized for maximum performance in motorsport and typically do not use such complex vehicle dynamics control systems.

Christian Willmann, Bugatti's chief engineer of the Bolide, emphasizes: "Never before has an ESC system been combined with carbon/carbon brakes—until now. In the Bolide, we have mastered this challenge. The result, based on Continental's motorsport brake control system, far exceeds our expectations in terms of performance, stability, and safety."

Volker van Lier, Head of the Chassis & Brake Systems Division at CES, adds: "Making a racing car manageable not only for professional motorsport drivers but for all drivers presented a particularly interesting challenge for us."

How can a 1,600-horsepower racing car be made manageable for everyone?

The motorsport ABS kit from Continental Engineering Services is a brake control solution specifically developed for use in racing vehicles.(Image: Continental) — The motorsport ABS kit from Continental Engineering Services is a brake control solution specifically developed for use in racing vehicles.
(Image: Continental)

To make the vehicle, outstanding in terms of its dynamic capabilities, manageable for everyone, acceleration and braking forces must be regulated so that the vehicle can be safely steered and guided despite its 1,600 hp. The vehicle dynamics control functions ensure this. The traction control regulates the 1,600 hp power so that maximum propulsion is enabled in every situation. The anti-lock braking system provides the best possible braking performance, regardless of external conditions. The electronic stability control keeps the vehicle stable on course even during demanding maneuvers.

How can a vehicle simultaneously meet the high demands of professional race car drivers while remaining safely accessible for less experienced drivers? The solution was to develop a brake control system where the individual vehicle dynamics functions can be selectively activated or deactivated. It was advantageous for the companies in the development process that one of the engineers from Continental Engineering Services involved is an active race car driver with a racing license. Together with the manufacturer's factory drivers, the control systems were optimally tuned for use on racetracks.

The brake control system of the Bolide offers five different driving modes for the anti-lock braking system as well as for the combination of electronic stability control and traction control. These modes range from pure racing mode to the gradual activation of vehicle dynamics control to the comprehensive use of electronic assistance. The different driving characteristics can be adjusted directly on the steering wheel during driving, depending on the track layout, weather conditions, or tire conditions. When the brake balance between the front and rear axles is adjusted, the flexible system from CES can handle it particularly well. This allows achieving the best braking performance at any time—whether the tires are cold or have already reached optimum tire temperature during a lap on the racetrack.

Challenging aerodynamics and extreme decelerations

The hypersports car weighs 3,527 lbs. During braking, decelerations of up to 0.0882 oz, which is more than twice as much as in a street-legal car. The aerodynamic downforce at high speeds also had to be incorporated into the control strategies of the motorsport brake control system: The 236 mph fast vehicle puts more than twice the load on the wheels at high speeds compared to when stationary.

To meet these extreme requirements, the CES experts adapted and expanded the in-house software package of the base motorsport ABS. The algorithms of the control functions were further developed to tame the extraordinary dynamics of the Bolide. Thanks to these optimizations, the systems also unleash their performance in conjunction with racing components such as the carbon/carbon braking system and special endurance slick tires.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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The inconspicuous brake control system does not reveal the result of this cooperation. It is capable of safely maneuvering a 1,600 hp hypercar through tight hairpin turns and precisely regulating brake pressure even at top speeds of up to 236 mph. It weighs less than two kilograms and is the size of a brick. Speed was also crucial during development: CES realized the exclusive control system from the first meeting to the final driving test in just one year.