The Bugatti Tourbillon could have been an all-electric car, but Mate Rimac has chosen a different path - an all-new model with a naturally aspirated V16 engine and a hybrid system. The Croatian says that talks with Volkswagen about the future of Bugatti began when he and Porsche took control of the brand in 2021. At the time, the German concern was actively promoting electrification, and using the ready-made Rimac Nevera platform seemed like the fastest solution. “When we started discussing our participation in Bugatti and the future of the brand with Volkswagen, they were pressuring me to make the next Bugatti electric”, says Rimac. According to him, the Nevera already had a four-wheel drive platform, a top speed of 400 km/h and comfort for long journeys.
Instead of simply putting the Bugatti emblem on the Nevera, he chose to create a separate product. He points out that this way, customers of both brands will get a different experience, while Bugatti will retain its own identity. The interest in the Nevera played a decisive role. The electric hypercar has a power of 1408 kW, or 1914 horsepower, but according to Rimac, wealthy customers were not necessarily looking for another battery-powered car, regardless of its dynamic performance. The planned production was 150 cars, and Rimac reveals that 71 were sold.
„Based on the market reaction to the Nevera, I understood that the market was moving in a different direction. Thanks to the Nevera, we realized this very early and decided to make the Tourbillon as a V16 plug-in hybrid. "It was absolutely the right decision," he says. The Tourbillon gets a naturally aspirated V16 engine combined with three electric motors. The system was developed with the participation of Cosworth and is intended to differentiate Bugatti from Rimac Automobili, whose Nevera relies entirely on electric propulsion.
Rimac claims that Bugatti already has plans for new models over the next ten years. Along with future hypercars, the brand could also expand its range with a more practical grand tourer - an idea reminiscent of the five-door Galibier, which never made it into series production.