Bugatti is turning its attention to a new ‘everyday’ car to join in its exclusive product portfolio, having broken the 300mph barrier with its Chiron Super Sport last September. That’s according to Bugatti CEO Stephan Winkelmann, who also hinted that the carmaker is looking towards an electric future.
In an interview with Autocar, Winkelmann said he is “convinced” that Bugatti’s next model will not be hypercar designed just “for weekends”. He added that drivers should be able to use the new model “on a daily basis” and that it must have “a different shape” and “a different mission” to the Chiron.
“If we do something outside of the hyper sports car business, there will be a car that is not in the direction of the W16. In my opinion, electrification would be the right approach”, he said.
Rather than use an electric production platform supplied by parent company Volkswagen, Winkelmann said that Bugatti would instead build its own EV architecture. He noted that VW’s existing platforms would be not be suitable for “a car with the performance of a Bugatti.”
“It is a good opportunity and could be a winner”, he said. “But I also see that a big group like VW Group has a lot of priorities. It is in the midst of an electrification revolution and it must decide where to spend its money.”
Could this be a Bugatti SUV?
Possibly. Bugatti has long been rumoured to be working on an SUV, especially as rival its rivals such Rolls-Royce and Ferrari either sell or are about to release their own utility vehicles.
During last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Winkelmann hinted that the company’s next model would take the form of a four seater and may offer some off-roading capabilities. That points to an SUV, but Winkelmann was adamant that Bugatti’s model wouldn’t be a conventional high-riding vehicle.
Given that the company could build its own production platform, rather than share the MLBevo architecture employed by the Audi Q8 and Lamborghini Urus, Bugatti’s take on an SUV could very well be a breath of fresh air in what is a somewhat oversaturated market. We’ll have to wait until the Geneva Motor Show in March for more information.
Keyword: Will Bugatti’s next model be an electric SUV?