Bugatti's Future With Porsche Has Been Decided

Jun. 24, 2021 8:41 AM ET by Karl Furlong Industry News / 10 Comments

Finally, Bugatti's future has been decided, but not everyone will like it.

Asked to name an automotive brand that exemplifies sheer speed, many would point to Bugatti. The French automaker has broken numerous speed records through the years with models like the Veyron and the Chiron Super Sport 300+. However, on the business side, matters tend to move at a much slower rate.

For months now, rumors have swirled about who will take over ownership of Bugatti. In September, the answer to that appeared to be Rimac Automobili before a joint venture between Porsche and Rimac for the control of Bugatti was mentioned. It now seems that a final deal is about to be made following recent claims that Rimac will own a 55-percent share of Bugatti.

Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche AG and Volkswagen management board member, reportedly said on Monday that VW would soon be deciding on the future of Bugatti. This leads us to believe that an official statement from VW will clarify matters imminently. The expected venture between Rimac, the Croatian electric hypercar maker, and Porsche, would see the German brand serve as a minority partner. Either way, it appears that the transition would accelerate the development of a fully electric Bugatti to take over from the Chiron.

As seen with the Rimac Concept_One and the new Nevera, the Croatian company certainly has the expertise to help develop a true supercar that doesn't rely on an internal combustion engine.

Porsche is also a formidable EV automaker, having enjoyed a great reception to the Taycan sedan. Whether Porsche oversees the development of a new Bugatti EV by Rimac or if the two co-develop an electric Bugatti, the result should be something special.

"What we want to do is transition responsibility of Bugatti to Porsche," said Herbert Diess, VW Group boss, back in March. "And Porsche in all probability will establish a joint venture with Rimac, with a minority share of Porsche."

Hopefully, Blume's latest statement holds true and a final deal is announced sooner rather than later.