Following rumors that the Volkswagen Group will sell the Bugatti brand to Croatian electric carmaker Rimac, it has now surfaced that the French brand will unveil a Rimac-powered hypercar in October 2020.
Bugatti’s first electric vehicle will be heavily inspired by the Vision Le Mans concept. Rumors also claim that it will be a track-only model and that it will be built in extremely limited numbers or might be a one-off.
AN ALL-ELECTRIC BUGATTI FOR THE NEW ERA
The news comes via The Supercar Blog, which claims, quoting undisclosed sources, that “an all-electric track-only hypercar” will be unveiled “as early as October 2020.” The source also claims that “this car will serve as a technology showcase for the future.”
In layman’s terms, this hypercar will serve as a test bed for the next-generation Bugatti supercar, which will be fully electric and powered by a Rimac-built drivetrain.
The Supercar Blog isn’t the only source talking about an electric Bugatti. Car Magazine also reports that the company’s CEO “will in late October give green lights to Vision Le Mans, a brand-new one-off zero-emission track-only hypercar.”
However, “green lights” could mean that the project is only approved, in which case the car will arrive later in 2020 or even in 2021.
Either way, it seems that Bugatti is indeed heading under Rimac ownership, as reported earlier this month.
HOW POWERFUL WILL THE FIRST ELECTRIC BUGATTI BE?
Rimac has developed quite a few powertrains over the years and the one designed for the C_Two supercar is by far the most impressive. An EV that Rimac will put in production soon, the C_Two features a four-motor layout that provides individual all-wheel drive.
The motors and the 120-kWh battery deliver a total output of 1,888 horsepower, 311 horses more than the most potent version of the Bugatti Chiron.
The C_Two reportedly needs only 1.85 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standing and returns up to 402 miles of range per single charge. These figures will likely change for the Bugatti model, but it should still be quicker than the any Chiron produced to date.
On the other hand, its top speed won’t be nearly as impressive as the Chiron Super Sport 300+’s, the first production car that hit 300 mph. Rimac’s drivetrain will probably enable the Bugatti EV to hit around 200 mph.
WHAT IS THE BUGATTI VISION LE MANS
The Vision Le Mans, the concept that the first electric Bugatti is rumored to be based on, is not a concept built by the French firm. This futuristic car was penned by Max Lask, who completed an internship at Bugatti, which sponsored and endorsed his bachelor degree thesis.
The Vision Le Mans is the result of that thesis and brought Lask a job as an exterior designer for the brand.
The Vision Le Mans is as radical as futuristic track cars get, but it still employs trademark Bugatti design cues, such as two-tone blue paint, a horseshoe “grille,” and a jet fighter-style roof.
The production model won’t look as aggressive, but it could make the Chiron look tame.
BUGATTI IS BEING SOLD OFF TO RIMAC
A report that surfaced in September 2020 claims that the Volkswagen Group is selling the Bugatti brand to Rimac. Volkswagen is looking to reduce costs by getting rid of the brand, but the plan is to sell it through Porsche, which in return would get a bigger share in Rimac. The German brand is already a secondary shareholder at Rimac, having purchased a 10-percent share in 2018 and another 5.5 percent in 2019. Porsche is reportedly interested in using Rimac drivetrains and technology in its future electric cars.
Bugatti will most likely go all-electric under Rimac ownership. The successor to the Chiron will feature battery power only, but the deal could also open the door for other products, like an SUV and maybe even a four-door high-performance sedan.
Images: courtesy Bugatti designer Max Lask via Instagram
Source: The Supercar Blog
