2012 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Mate Rimac dishes on Bugatti engines and a canceled Bugatti EV CUV

Bugatti Rimac CEO Mate Rimac gave Auto Express a look behind the scenes of his short time as head of the combined hypercar companies, as well as a peep into the CEO's crystal ball. The interview deserves a read because Rimac is the latest, closest thing we have to "garage car guy catapults himself into industry bigwig" — the hugely successful corporate antipode to Christian von Koenigsegg's hugely successful indie label. In 2007, at 19 years old, Rimac began converting his BMW 3 Series to an electric powertrain. Four years later, he showed the Rimac Concept One at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Ten years after that, he took the lead at Bugatti. He told Auto Express that as soon as he agreed with VW to lead the Molsheim luxury brand, which was two years before being installed as CEO, he and his team began working on a new internal combustion engine for a future Bugatti. Rimac said he'd already been working on a Bugatti project, ex-CEO Stephan Winkelmann having sought assistance on "an electric CUV similar to what the Ferrari Purosange turned out to be." We're told the idea was to rework the Rimac Nevera powertrain for the purpose. Once Rimac knew he was going to take over the joint venture company, the crossover was dead. Rimac said, "I knew exactly what I wanted the next car [after the Chiron] to be, and we started developing a combustion engine on our own." We will get a concept view of that powerplant next year, described as a "totally bonkers" hybrid in a car that doesn't share any parts with an existing Bugatti or Rimac. We'll probably be waiting until the last Chirons and Mistrals are produced before it hits the road, though.    As for the canceled Bugatti crossover, Rimac says that's not coming back. We've heard that from every supercar and hypercar maker that now has or will soon have an SUV, haven't we? Here's where we reach the gray area: Rimac isn't opposed to a four-seater car, he's opposed to an SUV. Regarding a car, he told AE, "I will never say we'll never do this sort of thing," but he hasn't found a "technical concept" that combines the proportions needed to make four people comfortable with what he expects from a hypercar. The SUV, on the other hand, received an unequivocal, "No. ... It was something we immediately stopped for Bugatti, and we will go in a slightly different direction. That is a direction we will never take." Keep an eye on that line in the sand.

Bugatti mules could signal Veyron successor in the works

The chances of a new product from Bugatti are getting closer. The tally of available Veyrons left keeps dropping, with only around 40 units to go to complete the stated 450-car production run. The supercar maker has reportedly begun development on a successor, and that is looking increasingly likely because a pair of test cars with some intriguing modifications have been spotted lapping the Nürburgring.
We recently saw the white car testing in a short video; now a new set of spy shots have given us an even better look. The car appears stock, until you notice the weird aluminum armature at the back. The wires and boxes indicate it's likely for data acquisition, and given the location, engine testing would be a good bet.
The black Veyron is wearing slightly widened bodywork and may also have a wider track. According to our spy shooters, those absolutely massive black wheels may be made from carbon fiber. Another interesting note is the panel cut out at the rear of the car behind the driver's side tire. There is clearly a radiator visible behind it. Perhaps, both cars are testing new powertrain options?

Demand for Bugatti's Chiron Pur Sport is exceeding expectations

Bugatti's handling-focused Chiron Pur Sport should have been one of the stars of the 2020 Geneva auto show, but the event was canceled at the last minute due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Although customers weren't able to see the firm's newest model in person, demand has nonetheless been exceptionally high. Geneva is a major event for brands like Bugatti because it's one of the last shows where customers go to spend money, not just to sit in cars and play around with the infotainment system. Members of the company's sales and marketing team consequently had to find other ways to present the model; some potential buyers were shown the Pur Sport online, while a handful have seen it in person as it tours Europe. All have given it a warm welcome. "Feedback from customers that have seen the car, online or in person, has been positive. It's exceeding expectations," a spokesperson for the company told Autoblog. Bugatti will continue showing the car to loyal customers in Europe, and it will soon set sail across the Atlantic to make its debut on American soil. Sixty units of the Pur Sport will be built by hand in Bugatti's Atelier in Molsheim, France. It's the latest member of the Chiron family, which also includes the standard model introduced at the 2016 edition of the Geneva show and the record-breaking Super Sport 300+ unveiled in 2019. Frank Heyl, the company's deputy design director, told Autoblog that customer requests play a big role in shaping the different directions his team takes the Chiron in.  "We have customers who really demanded a more reactive, more emotional car. This was, of course, one idea. We said, 'OK, let's do it,' and we started developing this car," he said. Heyl stopped short of telling us what's next, but his team won't run out of ideas — and customers won't run out of requests — anytime soon. In the meantime, Bugatti's team of intrepid road testers is fine-tuning the Chiron Pur Sport by putting it through its paces on various tracks, including the Nurburgring. Production is scheduled to start in the second half of 2020. Related Video: