1931 - Bugatti Royale 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 has sold the last Veyron

It's the end of an era, boys and girls: Bugatti has sold the last Veyron ever to be made. And in doing so, it sets the sun on a saga dating back ten years to when production began – and even longer since Volkswagen began development of what would become one of, if not the most powerful and fastest supercars of all time. The story of the Veyron dates back to 1998 when VW bought the rights to the Bugatti name. It subsequently rolled out a series of concept cars to preview what it had in store for the storied Alsatian marque, setting upon the final design in 2001 and determining to put it into production. It would be another four years or so before the Veyron would finally be ready, but once it was, nobody cared how long it had taken. It was one of the most impressive feats of automotive engineering ever undertaken and the harbinger of a new era of million-dollar exotics. (Or $2.6 million, we should say, because that's the average price paid for a new Veyron.) Bugatti set about making 300 coupes, which it completed in September 2011, and subsequently undertook the additional production of 150 roadsters. Now that final example – the 450th and final Veyron ever to be made – has been sold to a customer in the Middle East (naturally), the news arriving hot on the heels of a similar development with another seven-figure European exotic as the Pagani Huayra has sold out its entire allotment as well. Dubbed the Grand Sport Vitesse La Finale, the final Veyron will be showcased at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Some time after that, we hope the House that Ettore Built will tell us a little more about what it has planned next. Bugatti sells the last Veyron - Bugatti president Wolfgang Durheimer: "An unprecedented chapter in automobile history has reached its climax" - World premiere for the 450th Veyron at the Geneva Motor Show - Veyron is the world's most powerful and fastest production supercar Molsheim, 23rd February 2015. Bugatti has sold the 450th and last Veyron. 16 cylinders, 1,200 PS, a maximum torque of 1,500 Nm, 0 to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and a world record speed of 431.072 km/h – these are the figures that describe the magic and uniqueness of the ultimate supercar of the modern era. The Veyron has caused a sensation across the world ever since its launch ten years ago.

You can now buy a certified pre-owned Bugatti Veyron or Chiron

Buying a used car can be a daunting experience, even if you're in the market for a W16-powered Bugatti. The company is giving customers valuable peace of mind by launching a certified pre-owned program for the Veyron and the Chiron that includes a one-year warranty plan. The firm explains that the cars eligible for the certified pre-owned label "exhibit the incomparable quality expected of the Bugatti macaron." There's no word yet on how Bugatti and its technicians decide if a car is eligible to join the certified pre-owned program, though it likely involves a series of comprehensive inspections. We've reached out to the company and we'll update this story if we learn more.  Bugatti's certified pre-owned cars come with a one-year warranty plan, but what it covers depends on the model selected. For the Chiron, it includes all parts and labor for mechanical, electrical, corrosion-, and paint-related repairs. For the Veyron, it covers parts and labor for mechanical and electrical repairs. It's valid worldwide, so you're covered if you buy a Chiron in Utah and ship it to Italy for a road trip. Enthusiasts who buy a certified pre-owned Bugatti will also receive a free annual service that needs to be performed within one year of the purchase date. And, every authorized Bugatti dealer can sell certified pre-owned cars, so the program will include a wide selection of cars. Bugatti isn't the only high-end company that offers a certified pre-owned program. Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Rolls-Royce operate similar programs. Many of these companies are sitting on a full order book, so investing in used-car sales makes sense from a business standpoint.