The introduction of the Mistral and Bolide will close the production door for the popular 8.0-litre W16 engine. The quad-turbo powerplant has been in production for about two decades and will never be available for any vehicle after the roadster and track-only model. So, what’s next? Instead of using the EB emblem on the Nevera and taking a rest, the newly created Bugatti-Rimac venture is building a hypercar from scratch.
Auto Express met with Mate Rimac to ask about the company’s future after the Chiron. Remarkably, Rimac initiated the creation of a petrol-powered engine two years earlier before shaking hands with Bugatti. Called a “hypercar rearranged as a hybrid,” the next hypercar will be so powerful that it will blow you away, the CEO told the media.
Mate Rimac said that the new Bugatti car would be like no other car in the current lineup. “It’s completely new, so there is not one part carried over from any car; nothing carried over from Chiron, nothing carried over from Nevera. Everything is from scratch.” Shockingly, Bugatti was thinking of killing the W16 and developing an electric SUV.
The dissimilarities between the new Bugatti and Nevera will not be limited to the powertrain. Mate Rimac said:
“The Bugatti thing is more turn up to the opera and then drive 400 km/h (249 mph) on the Autobahn. It will be more beautiful, analog instruments, kind of watch-making stuff. With Rimac, we want it to be absolutely insane, bonkers, full-electric – drifting at 60 km/h (37 mph) with a gigantic cloud of smoke behind you, autonomous drift modes, futuristic stuff.”
Before merging with Rimac, Bugatti was in a very difficult situation as Volkswagen Group thought to discontinue the French marque or sell it to a new company. “VW had several options, including killing the brand or selling it to someone else.”
Mate Rimac told Auto Express that after merging the two automakers, the new administration aborted plans to develop an SUV and decided to create a hybrid hypercar. We might get to see it in 2023. However, as the launch of the Mistral and Bolide is set for 2024, we might only be able to buy the next Bugatti in 2025.
Source and Images: Motor1