Nevera

Make
Rimac
Segment
Coupe

Discussions continue to take place between Croatia's Rimac Automobili and the Volkswagen Group, specifically its Porsche division, about the latter taking on a larger share of the electric vehicle hypercar brand and supplier. Porsche already owns a 15.5 percent stake in Rimac and now Mate Rimac himself stated in an interview with Germany's Automobilwoche that stake could increase to a little below 50 percent.

Porsche is currently taking part in a fundraising round to help Rimac raise between $157 million and $181 million. This should be completed within the next two to three months. Other Rimac investors include Hyundai and Jaguar, but Porsche is and will continue to be the main one.

What still remains to be seen is whether Bugatti has a future role with Rimac. A report from a few months ago claimed Rimac was interested in taking a controlling stake in Bugatti from the VW Group. Neither side has commented and Mate Rimac again refused to do so in this latest interview. But sources hint the latest Porsche deal could involve Bugatti being transferred to Rimac's control. Rimac's young founder reiterated that his company's long-term focus is not vehicle production, but rather as a technology and components supplier.

"Supercars have a limited market, the market for components is much bigger. That is why we are planning to expand our company," he said.

This expansion includes more than doubling Rimac's workforce from 1,000 to 2,500 by early 2023 and could be the ideal arrangement for Bugatti's long-term future and stability. Porsche executives have admitted Rimac and Bugatti would be a good technological fit, especially if and when Bugatti goes fully electric. Rimac has already proven itself with its own C_Two hypercar whose platform also underpins the Pininfarina Battista. That platform or a future one could help secure Bugatti's future.

But until anything is officially announced, they're simply rumors, though one thing is for certain: Rimac's and Porsche's relationship continues to strengthen and both sides will enjoy many benefits.