The Bugatti name stands as a benchmark for power, acceleration, luxury, and speed, but in a world that has a 300-mph capable Bugatti Chiron, extreme figures are relatively commonplace. Hell, there are even Audis now that can claim to be as quick as a Bugatti with similar output. But when you run out of four-figure horsepower ratings and ridiculous speed records, you can still wow people with design. Bugatti did just that with the reveal of the Bolide, but it was no random accident that it looks the way it does. Here's how the French carmaker designed the neck-breaking look of its latest hypercar.

Bugatti's design philosophy of "form follows performance" is clear to see, as the aggressive styling of the Bolide is not just there to wow crowds. Bugatti credits designer Nils Sajonz and his team of five with the styling of the Bolide, and he's pretty qualified, having previously worked on the Divo, the one-of-one La Voiture Noire, and the Centodieci.

He's also the Head of Special Projects at the French automaker and says that "many of the design features of the Bolide are as important as a central style point as much as they are functional. The appearance of the Bugatti Bolide invokes the so-called X-planes of aviation history and shows a clear X signature from every perspective. This also heralds back to Bugatti's track-bred heritage, with the X signature present on the front of the Bolide representing the taped 'X' that historic racing cars would use to cover headlights, preventing the spread of glass in the event of an accident. But these themes are consistent and contribute towards the overall dynamics and performance of the Bolide, which is unrivaled."

It's not difficult to see that the Bolide has managed to be born with a design that both allows for maximum performance while still paying tribute to inspirations like the Bugatti Type 35 and Type 57C Atlantic, icons of the marque's illustrious history. Of course, for regular people like you and I, who can't afford to pay for a single tire on a car like this, we'll never be able to truly appreciate the finer details of this car in person. But hey, at least Bugatti has offered us a chance to experience the Bolide, even if we're limited to the virtual world.