Porsche currently owns 45% of Bugatti Rimac, and what they most resent about Rimac is the delay in the development of the Turbillon model, for which they hold the developers and their disorganization mostly responsible. They also believe that Rimac has poor organization, as shown by the bad sales results of the Rimac Nevera hypercar. In 2023, Rimac Automobili recorded a loss of 17 million euros, which Rimac explains by investments in new models, including the Tourbillon.
Whether an agreement will be reached on the acquisition of a majority stake in Bugatti Rimac depends not only on Mate Rimac, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume and CFO Lutz Meschke, but also on the remaining shareholders. In addition to these two companies, shares in Bugatti Rimac are also owned by Hyundai, Goldman Sachs, Softbank and Investindustrial.
In an interview with Manager, Mate Rimac said that talks about a possible transaction are underway, but that besides Porsche, there are other interested parties.
The Bugatti Mistral is a really powerful and fast car, which it showed at the end of 2022 when it became the fastest convertible in the world with a 420 km/h (261 mph). However, a few days ago this model with World Record Edition specifications raised the bar by reaching a speed of 453.9 km/h on the Papenburg test track.
The Mistral is based on the Bugatti Chiron and is named after the wind that blows in the Rhone River Valley. Only 99 units were produced and all were sold before the car premiered. The car was driven by British top speed specialist and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace.
Speaking of design, the X-shaped rear lights with air vents below them are reminiscent of the Bugatti Bolide, while the design of the curved windshield, as well as the twin roof-mounted air vents for engine cooling, are reminiscent of 1930s design. Inside, the seats are upholstered in a combination of black and yellow leather with stitching. The same design can be seen on the door panels and dashboard, while the steering wheel is wrapped in black leather. The shift lever is made from one piece of aluminum and has wood inserts and amber detailing.
Mistral is powered by a centrally located turbocharged 8-liter W16 engine with 1,600 hp (1,177 kW) and 1,180 lb-ft (1,600 Nm) of torque. The same engine powers the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+. It reaches 62 mph (100 km / h) in just 2.4 seconds, 124 mph (200 km / h) in 5.8 seconds, and 186 mph (300 km / h) in about 12 seconds. Power is transmitted to all wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
In 2016, Bugatti presented one of the most powerful cars, the Chiron, which has reached its end. Now the time has come for Bugatti to enter a new era with a new model. Ladies and gentlemen, the Bugatti Tourbillon has arrived.
“This is the first completely new Bugatti in the last 20 years. The first that we at the new company Bugatti Rimac have completely developed, although we have already made models like the Mistral that were already based on the previous model with a double W16 engine. This is the first completely new , was developed in Croatia from start to finish,” said Mate Rimac.
At first glance, the Tourbillon has many similarities to the Chiron. However, it does not share any components with its predecessor. The horseshoe-shaped front grille is narrower, the C-line that divides the rear of the cabin is sharper, and the fenders are wider. It is equipped with subtle entry points at the headlights and C-line for air control, a carbon diffuser that extends under the rear half of the car allowing the rear wing to serve only as an air brake system. Also, the Tourbillon is 33 millimeters lower than the Chiron but also slightly lighter, despite having a 25 kWh battery that weighs 200 kg.
The interior, inspired by watches, leaves you breathless at first glance. Instruments such as a mechanical watch are mounted on the steering column, and the glass covering these instruments is made of polished sapphire crystal, an expensive material used by watchmakers for its scratch resistance. There is a small screen that can be folded, but also the softest leather that covers the entire cabin. All of this is customizable, and Bugatti is happy to match the Tourbillon for its customers to a specific watch or yacht they love.
“We’re trapped in the technology of our time. How do you make a car relevant to the year 2075 without looking ridiculous in a time that will have holographic displays or augmented reality contact lenses? Give the entire interior an analog way to interact,” said Frank Heyl, director of design at Bugatti Rimac.
When it comes to the powertrain, the Bugatti Tourbillon, unlike the Chiron, is powered by a naturally aspirated 8.3-liter cross-plane V-16 engine with 986 hp (735 kW) and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque combined with three electric motors (789 hp/ 588 kW) with a total power of 1,775 hp (1,324 kW). The new engine allows the hypercar to accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in two seconds, 200 km/h (124 mph) in less than 5 seconds, while the speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) reaches in less than 10 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 446 km/h (277 mph).
Rimac said that the car has much higher performance than its predecessor. “I can say that 250 units will be produced, that delivery will start in 2026 and that we are already almost sold out. There are more customers than we will produce cars because we have only now shown the car to existing customers and there is already more interest among them than we will to produce cars,” said Rimac.
