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Porsche to decide soon on Bugatti future

WEISSACH, Germany — Volkswagen will soon decide on the future of its luxury brand Bugatti, Oliver Blume, Volkswagen management board member and CEO of Porsche AG, said on Monday. Last week, Reuters reported that Bugatti was working on a strategic partnership with Rimac, which will likely result in a joint venture between Porsche and Rimac, with Porsche as a minority partner, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said in March. "The future of Bugatti is an issue that will be decided on a group level," Porsche said in a statement, declining to comment further. Porsche boss Oliver Blume earlier this year said intense discussions on Bugatti's future were ongoing and that Rimac could play a role as the brands were a good technological fit, adding that a decision was expected in the first half of 2021.  

Rimac reportedly planning stock IPO as it draws closer to Bugatti

FRANKFURT — Croatian electric hypercar maker Rimac is exploring several options for its future, a spokesperson for the group said in response to a report outlining plans for an initial public offering next year. Germany's Manager Magazin reported that Rimac, in which Volkswagen's Porsche unit owns a 24% stake, was planning an IPO in 2022 at a valuation of 5 billion euros ($6.1 billion), without disclosing where it obtained the information. "As for going public, we're considering different options, but it hasn't been decided which direction we'll go in," the Rimac spokesperson said. Rimac has developed an electric supercar platform which it supplies to other carmakers, including Automobili Pininfarina. It is currently working on a strategic partnership with Volkswagen unit Bugatti, which will likely result in a joint venture between Porsche and Rimac, with Porsche as a minority partner, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said in March. "The future of Bugatti is an issue that will be decided on a group level," Porsche said in a statement, declining to comment further. Porsche boss Oliver Blume earlier this year said intense discussions on Bugatti's future were ongoing and that Rimac could play a role as the brands were a good technological fit, adding that a decision was expected in the first half of 2021. Earlier this month, Rimac revealed the 1,914-horsepower Rimac Nevera. Related video: Featured Gallery 2022 Rimac Nevera, official images View 35 Photos Earnings/Financials Green Bugatti Coupe Electric Performance Supercars Rimac Mate Rimac

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport revealed as a long-tail, high-speed grand tourer

Bugatti is done setting speed records, but it's proud of what it accomplished in the years it spent chasing the crown. It channeled some of the lessons it learned into a new, high-speed-focused Chiron variant called Super Sport. While the Super Sport is instantly recognizable as a member of the Chiron family, it wears a more streamlined body than other variants (like the handling-focused Chiron Pur Sport) characterized by a redesigned front splitter, air curtains on either side of the front bumper, and a rear end that has been extended by nearly 10 inches. The rear air diffuser has a new look, too. These changes improve aerodynamic efficiency while creating the high level of downforce required to keep the Chiron firmly planted to the ground at the triple-digit speeds it's designed to reach. Even the smaller tweaks seen on the Super Sport weren't made strictly in the name of design. Bugatti explained the nine holes above each front wheel create downforce by releasing air pressure from the wheel wells. On a secondary level, they also create a visual link between the EB110 (which also wore the Super Sport designation) and the limited-edition Centodieci. Model-specific five-spoke wheels add a finishing touch to the function-over-form design.  Bugatti developed the Super Sport as a grand tourer, so giving it a stripped-out, race car-like interior was out of the question. The cabin blends timeless materials, like leather and aluminum, with carbon fiber components that hint at the car's lightweight construction. Buyers can customize nearly everything inside, including the upholstery. Power for the Super Sport comes from Bugatti's prestigious W16 engine, an 8.0-liter unit fitted with four turbos. It develops 1,577 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque in this application. Engineers made changes to the turbos, to the engine oil pump, and to the cylinder head in order to increase the 16-cylinder's redline to 7,100 rpm (a 300-rpm bump) and to make the full torque output available across a much broader spectrum. The engine still spins the four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, though the seventh gear is longer.  Helped by a 50-pound weight reduction, the Super Sport takes 5.8 seconds to reach 124 mph (200 kph) from a stop. Keep it floored, and the speedometer shows 186 mph (300 kph) in 12.1 seconds. Its top speed lies in the vicinity of 273 mph.

Bugatti reveals the final version of the one-off La Voiture Noire

Bugatti is ready to deliver the La Voiture Noire, a one-of-a-kind model introduced at the 2019 edition of the Geneva auto show. Based on the Chiron, the coachbuilt coupe meets the same quality standards as a series-produced car. Making the La Voiture Noire a reality took two years because it underwent a long list of tests before Bugatti signed it off. As we've previously reported, it was blasted with thousands of gallons of water to ensure it's watertight and was driven flat-out on a track, among other evaluations. Over 65,000 engineering hours were invested into the project, a number that underlines the significant differences between the La Voiture Noire and the Chiron it's related to. And yet, Bugatti managed to keep the show car's lines and finer design details intact during development. While the quad-turbocharged, 1,479-horsepower 8.0-liter W16 engine comes from the Chiron, all of the carbon fiber exterior panels are new and the wheelbase is slightly longer. Bugatti also notes each headlight features 25 individually-milled elements, and that the grille was 3D-printed. Overall, the La Voiture Noire wears a purer, more touring-oriented design than the aforementioned Chiron and the Divo. It's not fitted with a rear wing, for example. Interior photos haven't been released, but we're told the seats are upholstered in Havana Brown leather. It creates a classic ambience that matches the turned aluminum inlays scattered across the cabin, like on the center console. There is but a single example of the La Voiture Noire, and Bugatti's not taking bids. The coupe is already sold to an anonymous collector, who paid 11 million euros (about $13.4 million at the current conversion rate) for it before taxes enter the equation. Time will tell if the new owner reveals his or her identity, drives the car, or keeps it tucked away in a private collection. In the meantime, the French firm will work on bringing the Centodieci to production. Perhaps inspired by Bugatti's success, some of the other luxury carmakers have started breathing new life into the long-lost tradition of coachbuilding during the past few years. Rolls-Royce notably created a yacht-inspired, one-of-a-kind convertible called Boat Tail for an anonymous couple that reportedly paid approximately $28 million for it. What's in a name? La Voiture Noire literally translates to "The Black Car" in French. It's entirely black, but there's more to it than paint and trim.

Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Review | It's the slowest but the quickest

Apparently, even some Bugatti owners consider the real-world ramifications of a $3.6-million, 1,500-horsepower car. The Chiron Pur Sport is proof. Somewhere, perhaps between the helipad and the superyacht, Bugatti prospects are realizing they’ll never have the opportunity or skill to reach 300 mph, or 261 mph — the respective top speeds of the Chiron Super Sport 300+ and standard Chiron. The Pur Sport squeezes a mere 217 mph from its own 8.0-liter, 16-cylinder, quad-turbo engine. But Bugatti says the Pur Sport is the quickest Chiron at any speed between zero and 217 mph. ItÂ’s also the lightest, sharpest-cornering, least-insulated version — optimized for a driverÂ’s sensory stimulation, versus the largely psychological bragging rights of top speed. Consider it the high-performance version of one of historyÂ’s highest-performing cars. After driving the Pur Sport in Connecticut, with three-time 24 Hours of Daytona-winner Butch Leitzinger riding shotgun, IÂ’ll say itÂ’s definitely the one you want. “You” here would refer to Powerball winners, a payback-minded Melinda Gates, or silver-spooners who scoop up one of 60 Pur Sports, among 500 Chirons scheduled for production through about 2023. Leitzinger explains how it all works, as we walk around a Pur Sport in striking Atlantic Blue paint. Tasteful copper trim adorns the BugattiÂ’s signature C-shaped line that shelters doors ahead of the side inlets for turbo air and their intercooler radiators. Front wheel-arch vents extract more air. Less-tasteful is the optional number "16" emblazoned on the Pur SportÂ’s widened horseshoe grille, as if anyone could forget the unsurpassed cylinder count. Ditto for giant "Bugatti" lettering on the Pur SportÂ’s angled, 74-inch-wide rear wing. Add a Bugatti pillow, and it could double as a sunbathing deck. (As with everything Bugatti, the jersey number and lettering are entirely a matter of choice.) The fixed wing is tasked solely with downforce, replacing the electro-hydraulic wing/air-brake on other Chirons that adjusts to trim drag for record-setting acceleration runs. Its stanchion and a massive diffuser form a cool X-shape, atop an artfully thin-walled, 3D-printed titanium exhaust, its temperature-resistant outlets seemingly large enough to service a nuclear reactor. The view-blocking wing saves 22 pounds, among 110 pounds of total weight savings versus a Chiron.

Bugatti begins testing the most expensive new car ever sold

Bugatti has started testing the La Voiture Noire, a stunning one-off unveiled at the 2019 edition of the Geneva auto show. The coupe will be street-legal, so it needs to go through the same tests as a regular-production model. Photos posted on social media show what looks like a La Voiture Noire prototype undergoing a series of evaluations. It's getting sprayed by thousands of gallons of water to ensure it's water-tight, and it's being put through its paces at high speeds on a test track. Bugatti said it has invested over 65,000 engineering hours into the project. The effort put into fine-tuning the La Voiture Noire shows it's much more than merely a rebodied Chiron. While the two cars are mechanically related, the La Voiture Noire wears a specific design penned as a tribute to the Type 57 SC Atlantic built between 1936 and 1938, and all of its exterior panels are new. And yet, it needs to meet the same quality standards as a series-produced car, which explains why putting it on the road is easier said than done. That's also why an anonymous collector paid nearly $19 million including taxes and other fees for the right to own it. One of the Chiron-sourced bits underneath the body is Bugatti's mighty, 8.0-liter W16 engine. It relies on four turbos to develop 1,479 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque, and it spins the four wheels via a 7-speed automatic transmission. Performance specifications haven't been released yet, but there's no doubt it will be damn quick. Bugatti began delivering the Divo in 2020. It will send the La Voiture Noire to its enigmatic new home in 2021, and Centodieci deliveries are scheduled to start in 2022. Executives have often stated their intention to jump-start the coachbuilding industry, so we're hoping the brand releases additional one- and few-off projects in the coming years. Related Video: Bugatti Chiron Sport Les Legendes du Ciel revealed

Watch a Bugatti Chiron Sport race a French Navy fighter jet

Bugatti is done chasing speed records, but it's finding other ways to demonstrate what the Chiron's mighty W16 engine is capable of. It brought a Sport model to a naval base in France and put it head-to-head against a jet. On paper, the comparison is hardly fair. Driven by Pierre-Henri Raphanel, a former pilot who is now Bugatti's official driver, the Chiron Sport is powered by a quad-turbocharged engine rated at 1,500 horsepower. Made by Dassault, the Rafale jet boasts about 5,700 horsepower, though its dry weight checks in at around 22,700 pounds. And yet, after the flag drops, the Chiron races ahead of the Rafale for the first few hundred yards. Its lead doesn't last long; Raphanel explained the Rafale quickly caught up and took off. Looking at the plane's specifications sheet reveals it begins to leave the ground at 161 mph after sprinting for approximately 450 yards. Once it's airborne, it's gone. It's capable of reaching the speed of sound (Mach 1.6; 1,227 mph). Even with 16 cylinders, the Chiron isn't quite that fast; test driver Andy Wallace set a land speed record in 2019 by driving a longtail model to 304.7 mph. Slowing down both machines is easier said than done. The runway the Chiron and the Rafale raced on was relatively short, so Raphanel began braking at over 217 mph after accelerating for about a mile. The air brake integrated into the rear end helps scrub off speed without undue drama. Landing the Rafale safely requires a complex system that includes 10 pistons, a special anti-skid system, heat shields to protect the wheels, and nitrogen-filled tires. It approaches the runway at about 155 mph and comes to a full stop in around 150 yards. Bugatti brought the recently-introduced Les Legendes du Ciel version of the Chiron to the race. It's a limited-edition model that highlights the little-known link between some of the firm's earliest race cars and aviation with special graphics and specific trim pieces, among other details. While it initially looks like the sketch of a plane on the door panel is all that joins the Rafale and the Chiron, the connection is a little deeper: the jet's brakes were developed by Messier-Bugatti, a company now known as Safran Landing Systems that shares common roots with the carmaker.

Bugatti Centodieci prototype caught running the 'Ring in new spy photos

Bugatti's Centodieci prototype is evidently ready for the Nurburgring. Spies caught the development vehicle for the upcoming EB110 tribute being put through its paces on the Nordschleife and surrounding public roads. The 1,600-horsepower Centodieci supercar has been in development for a couple of years. It was originally announced at Pebble Beach in 2019, and Bugatti announced earlier this year that it had completed work on the first full-body prototype. Here it is. Bugatti hasn't bothered to disguise the Centodieci, so we can plainly see how faithful it is to the concept.  That said, there are signs that this prototype is still a long way from being showroom-ready. The body may be complete, but up close, it's a bit rough around the edges. The side blade inserts lack the more dramatic depth of the parts that were fitted to the concept, and may well be placeholders for testing purposes. Tape and wire is visible on elements of the front and rear bumpers and exhaust finishers, suggesting the presence of sensors sending telemetry to the prototype's data recorder.  The Centodieci's 16-cylinder sends its power to all four wheels through a seven-speed DCT. The EB110 it honors made do with a quad-turbo, 3.5-liter V12 making "just" 560 horsepower and putting that to the ground with a simple six-speed manual and permanent all-wheel drive. Bugatti claims a 0-60 time of approximately 2.4 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 236 mph. That may seem low, especially since this is ostensibly a Chiron successor, but Bugatti is no longer in the top-speed-record game. All 10 examples of Bugatti's new Chiron-topping exotic are reportedly spoken for. 

Bugatti unveils a $300,000 pool table that stays level on a yacht

Bugatti has solved a problem many of us didn't know existed: How to play pool on a yacht when the sailing isn't as smooth as you'd like it to be. It developed a luxurious pool table made with carbon fiber that can be optionally upgraded with gyroscopic self-leveling technology to prevent the balls from rolling, even on the high seas. Part of the company's Lifestyle Collection, the limited-edition pool table was created through a partnership with carbon fiber expert IXO. Its exposed outer shell is made with the composite material and finished to look like the French carmaker's unique breed of hypercars, while its frame is built with machined aluminum and titanium. Bugatti proudly notes its pool table meets the standards of the equipment that professionals use during tournaments. The self-leveling technology relies on a gyroscopic sensor to keep the table steady on a yacht. According to Bugatti, each leg can move individually to compensate for the movement of a ship. The system makes silent, vibration-free adjustments in five milliseconds. Bugatti charges extra for this technology. It's a must if you want to play while sailing, but buyers who plan to put the table in their house hopefully won't need it. Each table comes with carbon fiber pool cues that have aluminum ends inspired by the buttons found in Bugatti's cars, a wall-mounted cue support with a 13-inch touchscreen that lets users keep track of the score, a dimmable LED ceiling light, a chalk box, a cleaning brush, and a suitcase upholstered with Bugatti leather to carry the balls. Buyers will also receive a USB drive with photos and videos taken during their table's production process. Bugatti will begin delivering its pool table in June 2021. Production is limited to 30 units, and pricing starts at 250,000 euros including all accessories, a sum that represents around $300,000 at the current conversion rate.

UPDATE: Porsche could raise its stake in Rimac, and Rimac weighs in

CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this Reuters story said Porsche could raise its stake in Rimac to nearly 50%, but Rimac reached out to Autoblog to say that's not so. Here is a statement from Mate Rimac: "We have a very strong partnership with Porsche that is key for Rimac Automobili. Porsche is a shareholder in Rimac since 2018 with 15.5% ownership currently, accumulated over several rounds of investment. While it is true that we are discussing further expansion of this collaboration that will lead to increase of Porsche's stake in Rimac Automobili, some media have mistakenly reported that Porsche would take over 50% or nearly 50% of the company.   We are very happy that the partnership with Porsche will strengthen even further, but it is in the interest of both Rimac and Porsche that Rimac is a fully independent company. We are working with many car companies that are not our shareholders and there is a clear separation between shareholding and projects. It is very important to us that our industry customers have the peace of mind that Rimac is independent and that there is an "Information Firewall" between projects and shareholders (not only Porsche, but also Hyundai and others) - and this will not change. Confidentiality is very valued in the industry and one of the basics for collaboration between companies. Our shareholders are happy with such an arrangement and expect the same level of professional behaviour and confidentiality for their projects and customer projects.   So, the point is: Porsche's stake will increase but nowhere near to 50% and Rimac will remain independent with many industry customers that are not our shareholders/investors." The original story, with the 50% reference removed, appears below.   FRANKFURT — Volkswagen unit Porsche is participating in a financing round of Rimac Automobili that will see the electric supercar maker raise 130 million-150 million euros ($157 million-$181 million), its owner Mate Rimac told weekly Automobilwoche. The fundraising should be completed in two to three months and another round is planned at the end of the year, Rimac told the trade journal. Porsche owns a 15.5% stake in Rimac Automobili and could raise its stake in a deal that would also include the transfer of Volkswagen's supercar brand Bugatti to Rimac, Automobilwoche said. Volkswagen and Rimac were not immediately available for comment on Sunday.