Brace Yourself: the New Bugatti Chiron Hypercar is Almost a Reality – and Rimac is Developing its Engine

Bugatti Chiron successor
Bugatti Chiron successor | Rimac

Bugatti is hard at work on the Bugatti Chiron successor hypercar – and it’s expected to be a hybrid and not an electric hypercar.

The Bugatti Chiron successor announcement by Rimac founder Mate Rimac took many in the industry by surprise due to the fact that Rimac’s namesake company was founded based on EV technology.

In a recent interview with the UK’s Auto Express, Rimac also revealed that his company started developing the engine for the Chiron successor two years ago – when he was first in talks with VW Group about taking control of Bugatti and forming the Bugatti-Rimac partnership now in place.

The need for a new engine was clear because Bugatti was planning to phase out its famous quad-turbo 8.0-liter W-16 engine. For his part, Rimac was adamant he wanted the Chiron successor to be a hybrid. 

bugatti chiron successor
The New Bugatti Chiron Hypercar is almost a reality – and Rimac is developing its engine. | Rimac

You may also like: It’s Official: The Rimac Nevera is Now the Fastest Accelerating Production Car in the World

In the interview with Auto Express, Rimac said Bugatti has been planning an electric crossover as the successor to the Chiron. He also said he had to convince senior management that a hybrid hypercar was the way to go.

“It wasn’t an easy time, but I knew exactly what I wanted the next car (after the Chiron) to be and we started developing a combustion engine on our own,” Rimac told the media outlet. “We started developing a new combustion engine two years before we took over the company, which is something I guess nobody expected.”

Going the hybrid route will differentiate future Bugattis from Rimac’s electric hypercars, he noted.

Bugatti chiron successor
Rimac’s thoughts about the electric crossover: “It wasn’t an easy time, but I knew exactly what I wanted the next car (after the Chiron) to be…” | Bugatti

According to Rimac, Bugatti will also continue to focus on craftsmanship, analog dials, and, of course, stunning design. At the same time, Rimac cars will continue on a modern route of injecting technology such as autonomous modes for drifting or running hot laps, he said.

Bugatti will likely have something to show the public next year, Rimac noted, but production of the Chiron successor could take years. That said, Rimac hinted that the Bugatti Chiron successor could have its global debut as early as next year.

Rimac described the forthcoming hybrid-combustion powertrain as “bonkers” and something that “everybody will be blown away” by due to the engine’s capabilities.

Media reports suggest the Rimac company was secretly working on a new combustion engine two years prior to its merger with Bugatti. 

Bugatti Chiron successor
Rimac’s focus: Continue on a modern route of injecting technology such as autonomous modes for drifting or running hot laps. | Credit: Photography © indiGO Auto Group/Joe Brann

A bit or Rimac history: Who is Mate Rimac? Here’s a little Timeline of His Life and His Croatian EV ‘Hypercar’ Company.

The venerable French hypercar brand initially had planned to develop an electric CUV similar to the Ferrari Purosangue.

However, after the merger, Mate Rimac stopped the project, opting to develop a hybrid hypercar instead.

The Chiron successor will be a “hypercar rearranged as a hybrid,” and the new model will be completely fresh & built from scratch, without carrying forward even a single part from either the Chiron or the Nevera, Rimac said in the interview.

The young CEO also confirmed in the interview that the combustion engines will continue to be a part of the Bugatti brand for “the foreseeable future.” Just over 400 Chirons have been built out of a planned 500-unit run.

bugatti rimac
Rimac also confirms that combustion engines will continue to be a part of the Bugatti brand for “the foreseeable future.” | Rimac

And, there’s still the soon-to-be-unveiled Mistral roadster, of which there will be just 99 examples carrying a price tag of an estimated $5 million plus.

The Mistral is an all-new model, but it shares a similar look to the Chiron. The big difference: the Mistral is a convertible. And it’s expected to be among the fastest open-top vehicles ever produced. Among other things, it features the classic Bugatti grille and four headlights stacked on top of each other.

Rimac notes that “the union of a roadster format and our W16 powertrain is absolute perfection. With the roof removed, and a pair of large air intakes directly behind your head feeding around 70,000 liters of air through the engine at full bore, driving the Mistral connects you to the intricate workings of this legendary powertrain like no other Bugatti to date.”

Rimac Nevera for sale
Keep in mind that production of the Chiron successor could take years. Fortunately, you can shop the latest Rimac inventory at indiGO Auto Group. | Credit: Photography © indiGO Auto Group/Joe Brann

Want a luxury car that’s Rimac through and through and not the Bugatti Chiron successor? Visit our Rimac dealership below.

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