1931 - Bugatti Royale on 2040-cars

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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:    

Man rolls $400,000 vintage Bugatti in race, goes for a pint

One of the risks associated with vintage car racing is damaging a rare, priceless piece of automotive history, but we're pretty sure that one recent participant is just happy to be alive. Edmund Burgess, of Lavenham, UK, was participating in the Prescott Speed Hill Climb in Gloucestershire, UK when, according to Car Buzz, the brakes reportedly failed on his 1924 Bugatti Type 13 causing it to go off course and roll over.
With an open cockpit on the car, all that was protecting Burgess were a helmet, goggles and a jacket, and while the video shows that his head came very close to making contact with the wall and ground, and that he was briefly trapped under the car, he fortunately didn't suffer any serious injuries.
Too bad the same can't be said for the Bugatti. The vintage racer, worth an estimated 250,000 British pounds (about $390,000 US), was heavily damaged, but the report says that Burgess is determined to get it fixed and racing again in just eight weeks. So what does a racer do after crashing his rare sports car and live to race another day? Probably the same thing we'd all do. Grab a beer. The video of the crash is posted below.

Rimac inks deal to purchase 55% of Bugatti from VW Group

ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatian electric supercar builder Rimac is taking over the iconic French manufacturer Bugatti in a deal that is reported to be worth millions of euros. Rimac said GermanyÂ’s Volkswagen Group, including the Porsche division — which owns a majority stake in Bugatti — plans to create a new joint venture. The new company will be called Bugatti-Rimac. Rimac Automobili announced Monday that it will be combining forces with Bugatti to “create a new automotive and technological powerhouse.” Rimac has progressed in 10 years from a one-man garage startup to a successful company that produces electric supercars. Mate Rimac, who founded the company in 2009, says the venture is an “exciting moment” and calls the combination of the companies “a perfect match for each other.” Porsche will own 45% of Bugatti-Rimac while Rimac Automobili will hold the remaining 55% stake, according to Croatian media reports. Financial details of the deal were not published. Bugattis will continue to be assembled in eastern France, where the company was established in 1909. The vehicles will use engines developed and made in Croatia. “In an industry evolving at ever-increasing speed, flexibility, innovation and sustainability remain at the very core of RimacÂ’s operations," the company said. “Uniting RimacÂ’s technical expertise and lean operations with BugattiÂ’s 110-year heritage of design and engineering prowess represents a fusion of leading automotive minds." Earnings/Financials Green Bugatti Automakers Porsche Volkswagen Green Automakers Electric Supercars