Bugatti’s New Hypercar Went V16 Hybrid Because VW Wanted Electric — and the Market Said No

October 23 — Volkswagen Group had originally planned to make the successor to the Bugatti Chiron a pure-electric hypercar, but Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti Rimac and founder of the Rimac Group, insisted on developing a new car from scratch, using a plug-in hybrid system built around a naturally aspirated V16 engine and electric motors.

From the Nevera’s market performance he concluded that few customers are willing to buy ultra-expensive electric hypercars, and so he opposed dropping the combustion engine from Bugatti’s next flagship.

In 2021, Rimac and Porsche jointly took over Bugatti. At the time, Volkswagen was pushing hard on electrification after the costly diesel emissions scandal. Launching an electric hypercar would have fitted group strategy and played to Rimac’s technical strength in high-performance electric powertrains.

But Rimac did not want to take the shortcut. In an interview with Automotive News Europe, he explained that simply putting a Bugatti badge on the Nevera would have been the fastest and cheapest route, but he wanted to build something completely different from his own electric hypercar.

“When we first discussed Bugatti’s ownership and future with Volkswagen, they always wanted me to make the next Bugatti electric. I had developed a pure-electric platform for the Nevera, with four-wheel drive, a top speed of 400 km/h and good long-distance comfort.”

“In theory, taking the Nevera’s platform to build a Bugatti would have worked perfectly, right? And it would have been much easier than developing a whole new car with a new combustion engine. But in the end I chose the latter, and built the Tourbillon.”

“The market feedback on the Nevera showed me that the wind had changed. Precisely because of the Nevera, we spotted the shift early and decided the Tourbillon would use a V16 plug-in hybrid system. And the decision has proved completely right.”

Weak Nevera sales made Rimac even more confident in his judgement. Although the 1,914-horsepower Nevera showed the performance limits of an electric hypercar, no matter how fast it is, wealthy buyers are not necessarily willing to buy another electric car. Rimac recently revealed that only 71 of the planned 150-unit Nevera production run were actually sold.

Rimac’s insistence on keeping a combustion engine for Bugatti’s next flagship eventually produced the Tourbillon, powered by a Cosworth V16, and kept a clear distinction between the Bugatti and Rimac brands. The Nevera pursues the ultimate in electric powertrain performance, while the Tourbillon fuses electrification with the sound, character and mechanical appeal of a 16-cylinder engine.

For the wealthy buyers of top-tier hypercars, rarity and emotional value matter as much as performance. An electric hypercar’s acceleration can be astonishing, but a purpose-built V16 delivers a completely different driving experience.

With Porsche’s exit, a chapter that began in the era of Ferdinand Piëch comes to an end. Rimac is full of anticipation for Bugatti’s future: “We have many exciting new cars planned, and we know exactly what we want to launch over the next 10 years. I’m very excited and can’t wait for the world to see what we’ve done, because what we’re doing is truly incredible — art on four wheels. Now the company has its independence, and I have the freedom to run it my own way. I believe that when these cars appear, the whole industry and car enthusiasts worldwide will take great satisfaction from them.”