This is how Bugatti and Rimac go through life together

Although Porsche remains a major shareholder, Bugatti is officially no longer part of the Volkswagen Group. Instead, it belongs to Rimac, the Croatian hypercar builder that has been involved in electric hypercars since 2016. Rimac is not unique in this, but the company is exceptionally successful. Not only does it relatively well with its own models, but it also sells its knowledge and expertise to other manufacturers. What that can lead to is clear from the sale of Bugatti to the Croats. They suddenly have two hypercar manufacturers in their hands. That begs the question: how will the two differentiate themselves from each other? Will a Bugatti be nothing more than a Rimac with a different carriage in the future?

According to Mate Rimac, we don’t have to worry about that. He tells AutoExpress that Bugatti and Rimac have and keep two completely different characters. “Bugatti builds on 100 years of history. It is an aristocratic and perfectionist brand. […]. You go to the opera in a Bugatti and then drive home at 400 km/h on the Autobahn. It’s about beauty, analog gauges, like a nice watch. Rimac, on the other hand, is crazy. Fully electric, drifting at 60 km/h with a huge cloud of smoke behind you, futuristic solutions.” It is precisely those differences that must be exploited: Bugatti is moving more “in the direction of beautiful art”, while Rimac is exploring the limits of what is physically possible.

Somewhat woolly descriptions, but it does provide an image. Fortunately, there are also major differences in concrete terms. That starts with the fact that the new Bugatti under development will have nothing in common with the last Rimac, the Rimac Nevera. Also compared to the Chiron, the car is new down to the last screw and therefore different. As is known, the iconic W16 engine will also disappear. Still, Bugatti sticks to the combustion engine, albeit in hybrid form. That was already said under Volkswagen, but remains intact under the new owner. In fact, according to Rimac, the development of the new, unique combustion engine that will soon be found in the Bugatti has already started before the takeover. The new engine is described as ‘totally bonkers’ – loosely translated: ‘crazy’ – and will therefore not just be a V6, V8 or V12. What is? We will learn that next year, when Bugatti announces more about the new hybrid model.