We won’t have to wait much longer, now: new details are finally pouring out over the Bugatti Chiron’s successor, and they’ve really whet our appetite. The new car, which may debut 2023, will boast a hybrid powertrain and will have “not one part carried over from any car,” Mate Rimac, the CEO of Bugatti-Rimac, recently said in an interview with Auto Express. Rimac went on to tell the outlet that his technology company actually started working on the engine for the Chiron successor about two years ago.
That was about the time he first entered into talks with the Volkswagen Group about striking up a joint venture with Bugatti; in July 2021, the two firms announced they’d made the Bugatti-Rimac JV official. Under the current arrangement, Rimac owns 55 per cent of Bugatti, with the remaining 45-per-cent balance taken up by Porsche. Incidentally, Porsche also has a 24-per-cent stake in Rimac itself.
The need for an all-new powerplant is obvious, especially given that Bugatti plans to retire its famous quad-turbo 8.0-litre engine. The formidable W16, introduced with the Veyron in 2005, is being phased out with the upcoming Chiron-based Mistral roadster.
Mate Rimac, CEO of the Bugatti-Rimac venture Photo by Rimac Automobili
Bugatti’s legendary quad-turbo 8.0-litre W16 engine Photo by Bugatti
The Mistral roadster, Bugatti’s send-forth for its quad-turbo W16 engine Photo by Bugatti
What is more intriguing, however, is that it was Mate Rimac who insisted on a hybrid powerplant for the Chiron replacement. Senior Bugatti executives were apparently considering an all-electric Bugatti crossover before Rimac convinced them otherwise.
That’s not all. The young CEO also confirmed that combustion engines will continue to be a part of the Bugatti brand for “the foreseeable future.” It is interesting, then, that Mate, whose company is largely known for building hypercars driven by cutting-edge EV technology, still sees value in fossil-powered engines — for now, at least.
Rimac said Bugatti could unveil the Chiron replacement as soon as next year. However, actual production is most likely years out. Just over 400 Chirons have been built out of a planned 500-unit run, and then there’s still the upcoming Mistral roadster, of which there will be 99 examples.
Tolu Akinshete
Tolu is an avid automotive writer whose passion for words is well-served by his borderline obsession with high-performance vehicles. He grew up in Nigeria and called Dubai home for many years before resettling in Canada with his family.’
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Keyword: Bugatti Chiron successor due 2023 rocking new Rimac engine