CEO Mate Rimac reveals some juicy details about a mysterious Bugatti EV
by Amreetam Basu on June 27, 2024, 18:05Mate Rimac, the Croatian innovator and entrepreneur, is now the CEO of Bugatti Rimac. He also founded Rimac Automobili, the EV hypercar manufacturing company that unveiled the 1877-horsepower electric Nevera in August 2021. In November of that same year, Rimac Automobili merged with the iconic French automaker Bugatti, to form Bugatti Rimac. The merger saw Rimac Group, the parent company of Rimac Automobili, become the majority shareholder with a 55 percent stake. Porsche, under the Volkswagen Group, holds the remaining 45 percent stake. This partnership brought together two powerhouses in the automotive world, merging Rimac’s EV technology expertise with Bugatti’s luxury and performance heritage.
Bugatti recently debuted its latest creation, the Tourbillon, a V16 hybrid hypercar that is the successor to the iconic Chiron. During the unveiling and interview with TopGear, Mate Rimac talked about how everyone expected him just to take the chassis and powertrain technology from the Nevera and instill it into a re-badged Bugatti hypercar. In addition to that statement, he also mentioned that the previous management at Bugatti was working on a four-seater EV, before the whole Rimac Bugatti situation. With the Tourbillon, Bugatti emphasizes that the commitment to the internal combustion engine is still at its peak, and taking the EV route wouldn’t have played well. So, is there any chance of a four-door Bugatti, be it an EV or a hybrid? There is a possibility. Read on to find out why.
Did Rimac just tease a potential Bugatti EV?
In the Top Gear interview during the Tourbillion reveal, Mate Rimac stated that
"The previous management was working on a four-seater electric Bugatti. So, first, you have to determine which body-style you wanna do. Like do you wanna do an SUV, electric car, whatever...."
While the rest of the statement describes how Mate was determined to build a hypercar, the part where he states that Bugatti’s previous managing board was developing a four-seater electric Bugatti is interesting. When Mate was announced as the new CEO of Bugatti Rimac in 2021, he said,
"This is a great responsibility. We are standing on the shoulders of giants here. Bugatti defined the hypercar, and we have to make it a success not only in terms of its products but also profitable".
Now, emphasizing the word "profitable" hints at the possibility of another Bugatti that likely won’t cost four million dollars. Was it a confirmation? Well, Mate didn’t disclose anything regarding the continuation of the work that had started under his predecessor. However, a slightly cheaper Bugatti family EV could sell in much larger numbers as compared to the Tourbillion, which is destined to be limited to 250 units.
Bugatti has had four-door concept cars in the past
Believe it or not, Bugatti has a history of flirting with four-door cars, even though the carmaker is renowned for its two-door hypercars. This lesser-known side of the brand adds a layer of fascination.
Back in the ’90s, prior to Volkswagen Group’s acquisition of the company, Bugatti presented a four-door fastback concept dubbed the EB 112. It was a 450-horsepower V12-powered four-door Bugatti that got mixed reviews worldwide. However, a U.S.-based Automobile magazine called it "the most beautiful car in the world," which is a bit of a stretch. Striking to look at yes, but ’Beautiful?’, you be the judge.
Following VW Group’s acquisition, Bugatti unveiled yet another four-door car, this time a rather luxurious sedan dubbed the EB 218. It featured a rather unconventional W18 engine from Volkswagen and a permanent all-wheel drive system borrowed from the Lamborghini Diablo VT. How awesome is that?
Fast forward to 2009, and Bugatti unveiled the 16 C Galibier concept, another four-door sedan version of the Veyron. It generated a lot of buzz, and why not? It was powered by the same 8.0-liter W16 as the Veyron but had twin superchargers instead of four turbos. Bugatti even had plans to introduce it as a production car, but by September 2013, the automaker announced that it was "pulling out" of the project in favor of the Chiron, the Veyron’s successor.
The potential of a future four-door Bugatti
It’s all speculation until the real deal arrives in the future. However, if there is an all-electric Bugatti four-door vehicle, it could be the carmaker’s cash cow. Why? Unlike the Tourbillon, which is the flagship Bugatti with all the bells and whistles, a mass-market-oriented Bugatti wouldn’t have a complicated powertrain configuration nor a super unique interior inspired by watchmaking.
With Mate Rimac at the helm, Bugatti can take advantage of Rimac’s EV technology and focus on cost-cutting, like not using those sleek axial-flux e-motors from the Nevera, and instead opt for cost-effective permanent magnet ones. So in conclusion, we cannot rule out the possibility of a more practical all-electric four-door Bugatti if profitability is the French marque’s new goal.
Amreetam Basu
While Amreetam hustles during the week, free time means one thing: hitting the open road. He dreams of cruising the Alps in a German masterpiece – a Porsche 992 911 GT3 RS or an F87 BMW M2 would be ideal! This 26-year-old automotive journalist loves every part of the job. Read full bio