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VW close to decision on selling Bugatti to Rimac

FRANKFURT — Electric hypercar maker Rimac Automobili and Volkswagen's supercar brand Bugatti are a good technological fit, Porsche's CEO told German weekly Automobilwoche, fueling hopes that a deal between the two could happen soon. British automotive magazine Car last year reported that Volkswagen was on the verge of selling Bugatti to Rimac Automobili, citing sources. In exchange, Porsche, also owned by Volkswagen, would raise the 15.5% stake it owns in Rimac, founded by Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac, Car said. "At the moment there are intense deliberations on how Bugatti can be developed in the best possible way. Rimac could play a role here because the brands are a good technological fit," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said. "There are various scenarios with different structures. I believe that the issue will be decided by the group in the first half of the year," said Blume, who also sits on the management board of parent Volkswagen. Rimac has developed an electric supercar platform, which he supplies to other carmakers, including Pininfarina. Blume also confirmed higher savings targets for Porsche, saying the carmaker plans to support results by 10 billion euros ($12.1 billion) of cost cuts by 2025, up from 6 billion previously. Related Video:

Watch a Bugatti Chiron speedometer hit 218 mph

Driving reviews of the $2.5 million Bugatti Chiron supercar are starting to pop up - in fact, here's ours - and Richard Meaden, a former race driver, recently drove the Chiron for Evo in the UK, praising its combination of "civility and savagery." But what fascinated us was the video, large portions of which are simply a view of the speedometer as the Chiron rockets to 351 kph (or 218 mph) in less than 30 seconds. We can only hope that run wasn't on the idyllic English country road glimpsed in the opening and closing shots. The video is mesmerizing to watch. Enjoy. Related video:

The Bugatti Baby II is a three-quarter-scale Type 35

Bugatti ownership is about to get a lot more affordable — particularly for children with indulgent parents. The French supercar company has announced the Bugatti Baby II, a follow-up to a model produced from 1927 to 1936. Like the original baby Bugatti, a model originally built for the 4-year-old son of Ettore Bugatti, the Baby II is modeled after the Type 35 grand prix car. The Baby II is only about 1/100th of the price of the Chiron Sport at 30,000 Euro (about $33,700). And because it's a three-quarter-scale replica rather than the original's half-scale, it's possible for adults and not just children to squeeze behind the wheel. Finished in French Racing Blue (although other colors can be specified), the Baby II also features eight-spoke aluminum wheels, a leather driver's seat, and an aluminum-trimmed dash displaying a numbered plaque. On the hood is Bugatti's "Macaron" badge, rendered in solid silver, just the thing for the silver-spoon set. As with the original, the Baby II features an electric powertrain and rear-wheel drive, although here it has been upgraded to incorporate a lithium-ion battery, regenerative braking, and even a limited-slip differential. Whereas the full-size Chiron supercar has 1,479 horsepower from its 16-cylinder engine, the smaller-scale Bug is somewhat less powerful, with an electric motor offering 1.3 horsepower in "child mode," which is good for 12 mph; an "adult mode" increases output to just over 5 hp and raises top speed to 28 mph. But just as the Chiron offers an optional Speed Key that unleashes the powertrain's full potential, so too does the Baby II — in this case 13 horsepower with no speed limiter. Typical for Bugatti, production is limited. Only 500 units will be built, about the same number as the 1920s–'30s original. Related Video: