Contoured is the last Chiron produced in history. Profiled by its name, profiled by its style, profiled by its engine – the last of the Volkswagen W16s, before the brand started from scratch. Next February 1, with Sotheby’s, Bugatti will conduct a historic auction. This will be an opportunity to offer the last copy of its hypercar: a unique version that took two years of work for the engineers. The time will also mark a big blow before turning the page.
Because Bugatti completed its transition from Volkswagen to its new joint venture with Rimac in July 2021. A period that shook up the distribution of capital. The brand could have died (the possibility was part of Volkswagen’s options), but the solution was to offer Rimac to take over the reins. Mate Rimac, the CEO of the company of the same name specializing in electric hypercars, takes control with 55% of the company to him.
By next year, a new model, or at least the information about it, will be presented. The new chapter of Bugatti.
No to 100% electric, yes to a heat engine
For its latest example, Bugatti has equipped the Chiron Profilée with 1,500 hp from the Volkswagen W16, with a gearbox with ratios 15% shorter than on a Chiron Sport. The goal: to offer a less radical Chiron body with performances close to the Pur Sport version. The 0 to 100 is shot in 2.3 seconds, and the 0 to 200 km/h in 5.5 seconds. At top speed, the Chiron Profilée reaches 380 km/h when the classic Pur Sport is limited to 350 km/h.
© Bugatti
In an interview at AutoExpress, the founder of the eponymous brand Mate Rimac explained that he intended to separate Rimac from Bugatti in strategy, philosophy and product range. Rimac will be crazy, without limits, when Bugatti will be in performance and perfectionism “a bit aristocratic”to use his words. “Of course, the performances will always be on top – but there will be this artistic approach. Rimac will strive to bend the laws of physics”he explained to separate the two brands (the Nevera is already the fastest electric car in the world).
Bugatti’s traditional approach will result in the integration of a new thermal engine block on board the future hypercar. And no, it will not be 100% electric. “Technically, we’ll still have combustion engines for the foreseeable future, and that’s more luxurious. It has to be a bit serious, too. […] We have started developing a combustion engine on our own, and what you will see next year is totally crazy”added Mate Rimac.
No elements in common with the Rimac Nevera are planned to be integrated into the new Bugatti hypercar. To tell the truth, it is difficult to understand how the new Rimac-Bugatti group intends to maintain the level of service and prestige that Volkswagen offered, in such a short development time and starting from scratch. But be it, let’s take our troubles patiently. “It will be a hypercar rearranged into a hybrid”, ended up saying Mate Rimac, to announce his future model. It will still be produced in the factories of Molsheim, in Alsace.
As for the question of electricity, nothing indicates for the moment that a motorization devoid of thermal block is in preparation. Hypothesis swept away with a backhand including on the side of hydrogen. Mate Rimac told AutoExpress: “I think hydrogen may have some uses in specific applications where batteries don’t make sense – in an airplane or heavy trucks – but for the majority of transportation I would say no.”
