Bugatti sale rumour points to EV future

September 19, 2020September 29, 2020 John Carey 4265 Views Bugatti, ev, rimac, VW Group

Bugatti is going electric, according to Autocar. The respected British title reports that Volkswagen Group, owner of Bugatti since 1998, plans to sell the brand to Rimac before the end of the year.

In the scenario outlined by expat Aussie journalist Greg Kable, VW Group will increase its current 15.5 percent stake (through Porsche) in the Croatian EV specialist to enable it to finance the purchase of the historic Bugatti brand. VW-owned Porsche would again be used to make the investment in Rimac; Rimac is already helping Porsche develop part of the hybrid system of future models, one of which is believed to be a petrol-electric version of the iconic 911.

According to Kable, one condition of the sale is that Bugatti will switch focus from ICE (internal combustion engine) to EV supercars. Rimac will supply the know-how and hardware required (Rimac is already supplying batteries for the upcoming Aston Martin Valkyrie and Koenigsegg Regera).

Rimac’s C_Two hypercar is more powerful than any of the quad-turbo 8.0-litre W16-powered monsters currently made by Bugatti.

Founded more than 110 years ago, Bugatti created some of the most successful race cars of the 1920s and 1930s. But in 2019 it sold only 82 cars.

Bugatti’s latest model, the Centodieci (110 in Italian) pictured above, is a high-power, limited-edition version of the Chiron, which replaced the Veyron in 2016. A production run of only 10 is planned, and the price in Europe is the equivalent of $13 million.

The sale of Bugatti is part of a new Volkswagen Group strategy, the Autocar story suggests. Other upper luxury brands it owns, including Lamborghini and Bentley, may also be sold to help finance the electrification of VW Group’s mainstream brands.

John Carey

Grew up in country NSW, way back when petrol was laced with lead. Has written about cars and the car business for more than 35 years, working full-time and freelance for leading mags, major newspapers and websites in Australia and (sometimes) overseas. Avidly interested in core EV technologies like motors and batteries, and believes the switch to electromobility definitely should be encouraged. Is waiting patiently for someone to make a good and affordable EV that will fit inside his tiny underground garage in northern Italy, where he's lived for the past decade. Likes the BMW i3, but it's just too damned wide...