Valcourt, Quebec, November 11, 2026 – BRP Inc. is proud to have built the replicas of
Gilles Villeneuve’s legendary snowmobile, used during the filming of the biographical film
Villeneuve: Rise of a Champion. Bringing together experts from the racing, design, and
engineering departments, this large-scale project highlights the expertise, ingenuity, and
passion of BRP’s teams.
“During the 1970s, the snowmobile racing industry was in full swing. The boldness of
manufacturers and racers knew no bounds, which gave rise to, among other things, Gilles
Villeneuve’s famous twin-track Alouette snowmobile, affectionately nicknamed the ‘bibitte’ in
Quebec,” said Christopher Rudwal, Vice President, Design and Innovation at BRP. “This era
shaped the snowmobile industry and led us to where we are today. As a global leader in the
powersports industry, it is an immense source of pride to honor a Quebec legend who
contributed so much to our sport.”
Gilles Villeneuve’s “bibitte” (pronounced bee-BIT)/twin-track Alouette looked nothing like a
traditional snowmobile: it featured two tracks, a steering wheel, and the driver sat inside, just
like in a car.
On the outside, BRP’s replica is authentic to the original racing machine. Under the chassis,
however, the mechanics are thoroughly modern. BRP experts used several modern-day
components, including the Rotax 600 RR E-TEC 2-stroke engine from the Ski-Doo MXZ
X-RS snowmobile. To integrate this new powertrain, the replica was designed approximately
10% larger than the original snowmobile. Other parts were custom-built, such as the skis and
the exhaust system, which was specifically tuned to replicate the iconic sound signature of
the “bibitte.” Modifications were also made to optimize vehicle safety during filming.
“It was very emotional to see our replicas run on the Valcourt ice oval for the very first time,”
added Christopher Rudwal. “The project brought together multiple teams and expertises
within BRP. It’s a remarkable team effort of which we are immensely proud.”
Villeneuve: Rise of a Champion will be in theaters across Quebec starting November 11,
2026.