Bugatti Rimac opens for business

A new era of European performance has begun with the highly publicised Bugatti Rimac joint-venture going live as of Monday (November 1), under the new ‘Bugatti Rimac’ banner.

The powerhouse venture was confirmed back in July when the Volkswagen Group handed a controlling 55 per cent share of Bugatti over to Rimac via Porsche, which in turn retained a 45 per cent stake in the French hypercar specialist and claimed a 22 per cent slice of the broader Rimac Group as part of the deal.

While the Rimac Nevera hypercar will continue to be produced in Croatia and Bugatti production will remain at Molsheim, France and the new company says Rimac Automobili and Bugatti Automobiles will “continue to grow as unique brands, with separate products”.

However, future electric models from Rimac, Bugatti and even Porsche are expected to share many technologies and Rimac founder and CEO Mate Rimac has already said that, beyond a replacement for the Bugatti Chiron, the French car-maker could produce anything from an electric SUV to a long-bonnet coupe or “something absolutely insane that no one thinks about”.

Mate Rimac has predictably been announced as chief executive of Bugatti Rimac, which will be headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia, while former Bugatti director general Christophe Piochon has been appointed chief operating officer.

In a reflection of the strong Porsche ties, the German sports car maker’s former digitalisation, new mobility, e-mobility and connected car controlling director Larissa Fleischer has been named as chief financial officer of the company, while Porsche chairman Oliver Blume and CFO Lutz Meschke have both been named as supervisory board members.

Previous Rimac chief technology officer Emilio Scervo, meanwhile, has transitioned across to the same role at the new entity.

In a statement issued yesterday, Mate Rimac said he was “honoured to be leading this new fusion of automotive minds and begin what will no doubt be a successful, revolutionary and exciting new chapter for everyone involved”.

“I am also extremely curious to oversee the profound impact Bugatti Rimac will have on the industry, and I look forward to developing innovative new hypercars and technologies,” he said.

“What each party brings to the table in terms of technical expertise, know-how and automotive history makes for an electrifying recipe.

“Rimac’s fast-paced operations and electrification skills are the perfect complement to Bugatti’s exceptional heritage and craftmanship. Stay tuned for some truly extraordinary projects in the future.”

Meantime, Porsche chief Blume described the merger as “the perfect solution”.

“Together, we are creating a high-performance automotive company,” he said.

“We have succeeded in positioning the traditional Bugatti brand with its charisma for the future in a way that creates value. Bugatti embodies fascination and passion, and Rimac has great innovative strength and tech expertise.”

Meschke added that he was convinced the company had “found the right mix of experience and know-how, innovative strength and team spirit for the management.

“That’s why I’m very optimistic. And because the project is very close to my heart, I will continue to accompany it closely and passionately in the future,” he said.