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Bugatti-Rimac merger confirmed, legendary French brand to be electrified

Bugatti – which has been running a quad turbo W16 since its reincarnation – is all-but-certain to adopt the option of electric power with supercar specialist Rimac.


Bugatti and electric vehicle specialist Rimac have confirmed plans to merge under the name Bugatti-Rimac, with the deal set to be finalised in the fourth quarter of this year (October to December inclusive).

Porsche – which is a fellow Volkswagen subsidiary alongside Bugatti, and currently owns a 24 per cent stake in Rimac – administered the arrangement.

Rimac will hold the controlling stake in the newly-formed company with 55 per cent ownership, while Porsche will hold a 45 per cent share.

The venture will be based out of Zagreb, Croatia. However, Bugatti cars will continue to be produced at the brand's factory in Molsheim, France.

Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili, said: “This is a truly exciting moment in the short, yet rapidly expanding history of Rimac Automobili and this new venture takes things to a completely new level.

"I have always loved cars and can see at Bugatti where passion for cars can take you. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am by the potential of these two brands combining knowledge, technologies and values to create some truly special projects in the future.”

The move comes as Bugatti – which, under Volkswagen ownership, has exclusively used a quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 petrol engine to power its cars – looks to comply with ever-tightening emission regulations.

It’s expected at least some the brand’s next generation of hypercars will be share components with the new Rimac Nevera, which mates four electric motors for a total output of 1427kW/2360Nm – though don't expect a simple rebadge, nor the axing of combustion engines entirely.

"What some people expect might happen is that we take a Nevera and slam a Bugatti logo on it and call it a Bugatti. That's absolutely not going to happen. That's not what we're going to do. I'm a car guy, and while of course we want to make a profitable company, we will not just recycle what we have," Mate Rimac told media including Autocar.

"We will not just restyle or hybridise the Chiron to make a new car. We're developing a completely new product from the ground up, because we think that's the best way to go, and that product will still have a combustion engine."


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William Davis

William Davis has written for Drive since July 2020, covering news and current affairs in the automotive industry. He has maintained a primary focus on industry trends, autonomous technology, electric vehicle regulations, and local environmental policy. As the newest addition to the Drive team, William was brought onboard for his attention to detail, writing skills, and strong work ethic. Despite writing for a diverse range of outlets – including the Australian Financial Review, Robb Report, and Property Observer – since completing his media degree at Macquarie University, William has always had a passion for cars.

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