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In 2019, Bugatti’s then-president, Stephan Winkelmann, declared that the company would no longer pursue speed records. This announcement came shortly after Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace shattered the 300 mph record in a Chiron Super Sport 300+. Winkelmann, who is now CEO and chairman of Lamborghini, expressed satisfaction with this achievement.
“Our goal was to be the first manufacturer ever to reach the magical 300-mile-per-hour milestone. We have accomplished that,” he stated at the time. “We have repeatedly demonstrated that we create the fastest cars in the world. Moving forward, our focus will be on other aspects.”
Fast forward five years, and the new leadership is bringing a different vision. Mate Rimac, the innovative Croatian head behind the nearly 2,000-hp Rimac Nevera, took over as chief at Bugatti in 2021 and has ambitions that suggest the company is far from slowing down. The introduction of the Bugatti Tourbillon showcases a remarkable hybrid configuration, integrating a new 8.3-liter V16 engine paired with three electric motors to deliver an astounding 1,775 hp. This makes it clear that Bugatti is not easing up on its legacy of performance innovation.
So, is Bugatti stepping away from speed pursuits? I inquire during a conversation with Rimac at Monterey Car Week.
“It was. It isn’t,” he replies with a playful smile.
Later, Emilio Scervo, Chief Technology Officer at Bugatti Rimac, offers further insights.
“In the future, Bugatti will focus on high speed, but without excessive compromise. We require improved aerodynamics, a lighter vehicle, and a more emotionally engaging engine,” Scervo explains. “Our goal will be to push the performance boundaries while ensuring that the driving experience remains synonymous with Bugatti—comfortable and not intimidating. We will aim for a more refined and emotional delivery of speed.”
‘We Just Barely Made It. Barely.’
Rimac has a history of perseverance, beginning as a teenager when he transformed a 1984 BMW 3 Series from internal combustion to electric power in his garage. By age 23, he developed his first electric supercar, the Concept One, which garnered the attention of major players like Porsche while he established Rimac Automobili. Rimac’s journey hasn’t been without financial challenges, typical of many start-ups.
During the Concept One’s development, the royal family of Abu Dhabi made a lucrative offer that could have eliminated his debts and set the stage for expansion, but it entailed relocating his business to the Middle East. Rimac, a proud Croatian from the former Yugoslavia, refused the proposition and still reflects on the decision with some regret.
“Bugatti in the future for me is going to be high speed but not at heavy cost. It has to [have] better aerodynamics, with a lighter car, with a more emotional engine,” he states. “So we’re still going to pursue moving this barrier higher while ensuring it feels very Bugatti and very comfortable. It’s not a frightening high-speed experience; it’s becoming more emotional and sophisticated in its delivery.”
“Well, that was pretty stupid, to be honest,” Rimac confesses. “Looking back, doing this is hard enough; it’s incredibly challenging. And why did I make my life even more complicated by choosing to do it in Croatia? It feels like it was out of patriotism, but ultimately, I made things vastly more difficult for myself. But we are where we are now. Perhaps things would have been different if I had moved.”
Ultimately, everything turned out well for Rimac.
“You have no idea how many near-death experiences the company faced, how much struggle I endured, how many existential survival challenges arose,” he reflects. “We just barely, barely made it. Barely.”
It’s Mate’s Bugatti
With challenges behind him, Rimac now manages Bugatti at an impressive pace that might overwhelm many. The demand for innovation is high, as is the responsibility to uphold Bugatti’s storied legacy.
“There’s a lot on the line; it’s not just about [me],” Rimac emphasizes. “It concerns around two and a half thousand people. It’s about the entire industry and maintaining the heritage of a brand that has thrived for over a century. You don’t want to be the one who jeopardized that legacy out of a desire to hold onto the past.”
While he feels a sense of considerable achievement, Rimac acknowledges an internal conflict about the direction ahead.
“One path leads to continuing at full throttle, while the other suggests I should ease off a bit, considering all that has been accomplished,” he reflects. “To me, it’s either a hundred percent throttle or zero; there’s no detour.”
He cites Elon Musk as an example, noting that Musk was 37, just one year older than Rimac is now, when he became the CEO of Tesla. That was 17 years ago, and Rimac questions whether he can sustain such an intense pace for that long. Musk is among Rimac’s heroes in the industry, alongside Swedish hypercar creator Christian von Koenigsegg and inventor Nikola Tesla, whose legacy inspires Rimac. With electric vehicles being his career-long passion, he admits it’s remarkable to lead a company that revels in traditional combustion power.
‘Absolute Risk Taker’
Among the new features of the Bugatti Tourbillon, Rimac takes particular pride in its 3D-printed suspension, which he describes as “beautiful yet functional.” This innovative design is 45 percent lighter than the suspension used in the Chiron, utilizing aluminum instead of steel.
Rimac asserts that had he not been leading Bugatti, “nobody else would have the guts” to implement such a radical change. Despite Bugatti’s reputation for being conservative and risk-averse, Rimac embraces his identity as an “absolute risk taker.”
“For me, it was clear: if not in Bugatti, where else could innovative ideas be put to the test? I was determined to make it work,” he shares. “Just as with the analog instruments and the naturally aspirated V16 engine, it adds layers of complexity. To me, it symbolizes the willingness to take risks and ultimately find satisfaction in the results, as you figure it out along the way. It’s like jumping out of a plane and building a parachute while you fall.”
Figuring it out—leading one of the world’s most esteemed automotive brands is a straightforward task defined by this very philosophy. Meanwhile, the automotive world is left to speculate about Bugatti’s next speed record, as Mate Rimac remains tight-lipped about future ambitions. Will the Tourbillon make its mark at Bonneville? Only time will tell.
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