Bugatti Automobiles

Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
	File:Bugatti logo.png Bugatti logo
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Founded	December 22, 1998; 27 years ago in Molsheim, Alsace, France
Founder	Volkswagen Group
Headquarters	Molsheim, France
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Mate Rimac (CEO of Bugatti Rimac)
Products	Luxury sports cars, two-seater vehicles, track-only models
Parent	Bugatti Rimac (joint venture of Rimac Group and Porsche AG)
Website	www.bugatti.com

Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. () is a French manufacturer of luxury sports cars, established in 1998 as a fully owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. The company is based in Molsheim, Alsace, France, and specializes in producing two-seater vehicles, including models designed exclusively for track use.

The original Bugatti marque was founded by Ettore Bugatti (1881–1947) in 1909, also in Molsheim, with a focus on high-performance sports, racing, and luxury automobiles.

In November 2021, Bugatti became part of the newly formed joint venture Bugatti Rimac, created through a partnership between Rimac Group and Porsche AG. Since that time, Mate Rimac has held the position of CEO for Bugatti Rimac.

History

On 22 December 1998, the German automaker Volkswagen AG, now under the control of Porsche SE, founded Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. as a French-registered, wholly owned subsidiary. Concurrently, the company secured the rights to the Bugatti name and designs from Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli, who had produced supercars such as the EB 110 and EB 112 under Bugatti SpA in Italy between 1987 and 1998. From 2000 onward, Bugatti has officially operated under the name Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., headquartered in Molsheim, France.

Volkswagen formally incorporated Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. on 22 December 2000 and appointed Karl-Heinz Neumann, formerly head of Volkswagen’s drivetrain division, as president. The company acquired the historic 1856-built Château Saint-Jean located in Dorlisheim near Molsheim to serve as its headquarters. Since the original factory remained under the ownership of Snecma, Volkswagen constructed a new state-of-the-art workshop adjacent to the château, which was officially opened on 3 September 2005.

In September 2020, Volkswagen revealed its intention to divest Bugatti and entered negotiations with Croatian automaker Rimac Automobili. By this time, approximately 700 Bugatti vehicles had been sold since 2005; however, Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess considered the brand unprofitable and a financial liability.

Bugatti delivered 77 cars during 2020 and reported its third consecutive year of rising operating profits by January 2021, marking its most prosperous year to date.

In July 2021, Bugatti Automobiles merged with Rimac Automobili’s sports car division to establish Bugatti Rimac, a joint venture owned by Rimac Group and Porsche AG. Rimac Group holds a majority stake of 55%, while Porsche AG owns 45% of Bugatti Rimac alongside a 24% share in Rimac Group. This partnership was finalized at the end of 2021.

December 2021 saw the introduction of Bugatti’s bespoke customization service named Sur Mesure, allowing clients to extensively personalize their Chiron models. The term translates from French as ‘tailored.’

Leadership

Romano Artioli (1998–2000)
Karl-Heinz Neumann (2000–2003)
Thomas Bscher (2003–2007)
Franz-Josef Paefgen (2007–2011)
Wolfgang Dürheimer (2011–2017)
Stephan Winkelmann (2018–2021)
Christophe Piochon (2021–present)

Italdesign Giugiaro designs

To revive the Bugatti brand, Volkswagen commissioned renowned designer Giorgetto Giugiaro from Italdesign to create concept vehicles. The first model, the two-door coupé named EB 118, was unveiled at the 1998 Paris Motor Show. This was followed by the four-door sedan EB 218, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1999. Later that year, the 18/3 Chiron concept was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Volkswagen designs

Volkswagen was responsible for creating the final Bugatti concept, the EB 18/4 GT, which made its debut at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show.

W18 Engine

The initial Bugatti concepts all incorporated an 18-cylinder W-shaped engine, marking Volkswagen's inaugural use of this configuration in passenger vehicles. This design combined three banks of six cylinders and utilized components from Volkswagen's modular engine series.

16C Galibier

Revealed during Bugatti's 100th anniversary festivities in Molsheim, the 16C Galibier was a luxury sedan concept boasting 1020 horsepower, constructed with carbon fiber and aluminum. It was publicly displayed at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, featuring a black and aluminum color scheme.

Scheduled for a 2015 launch with an estimated price of $1.4 million, the Galibier was intended to employ the Veyron’s 8.0-liter 16-cylinder engine but with two superchargers replacing the four turbochargers to enhance torque output. Production would have necessitated retooling Bugatti’s Molsheim plant, causing delays in delivery timelines.

In 2013, Bugatti announced the cancellation of the Galibier project to redirect focus and resources toward developing a successor to the Veyron.

Veyron

The EB 16/4 Veyron concept was introduced by Bugatti in 2000 as a supercar equipped with a 16-cylinder, all-wheel-drive system powered by an 8.0-liter engine and four turbochargers generating . It achieved a top speed of , establishing it as the most powerful and fastest supercar during that period. Performance benchmarks included acceleration from in 2.5 seconds and reaching in 16.8 seconds.

Development progressed until 2001 when it was officially named the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, referencing its 16 cylinders and being the fourth design iteration. Although production was initially slated for 2003, technical difficulties related to the dual-clutch transmission and high-speed capabilities caused postponements. Manufacturing finally commenced in September 2005, with annual production increased to 70 units to satisfy market demand.

On June 26, 2010, the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport set a new world speed record for street-legal production sports cars at , powered by . It was publicly unveiled in August at Pebble Beach, California. Later, in April 2013, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse reached a top speed of , becoming the fastest roadster; its limited World Record Car Edition (eight units) sold out rapidly following its debut at Auto Shanghai.

At the 2015 IAA event, Bugatti presented the Vision Gran Turismo concept car as a potential successor after all 450 Veyrons had been sold. The design paid tribute to Bugatti’s racing legacy from the 1920s and ’30s, featuring a color palette inspired by Le Mans victories. On November 6, 2015, Bugatti launched its refreshed corporate identity by simultaneously opening showrooms worldwide.

Chiron

Bugatti announced the Chiron on November 30, 2015, as the Veyron’s successor, named after Louis Chiron, a Monegasque racing legend. The model was unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and is powered by an 8.0-liter W16 engine with four turbochargers delivering and generating 1,600 Nm of torque. It accelerates from zero to in just 2.4 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of . Bugatti remains unique in producing W16 engines exceeding 1,500 horsepower. The Chiron also became the first production vehicle to incorporate a transmission oil duct manufactured via 3D printing.

Priced at a net €2.4 million, production is capped at 500 units at Bugatti’s Molsheim facility, with initial deliveries starting in March 2017. The model made its US market debut in April 2016. On August 21, 2016, Bugatti introduced the Vision Gran Turismo concept linked to the Gran Turismo Sport video game franchise. In September 2017, the Chiron set a world record by accelerating from zero to and back to zero within just 42 seconds.

Top Gear magazine honored it as "hypercar of the year" in November 2017, followed by an award from Evo magazine.

At the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018, Bugatti launched the Chiron Sport variant optimized for improved lateral acceleration through weight reduction of 18 kg and new Dynamic Torque Vectoring technology while retaining its original power output of and torque of 1,600 Nm. In June that year, Lego Technic released a detailed scale model of the Chiron at a ratio of 1:8.

In November 2018, Lego partnered with Bugatti to construct a full-scale Chiron replica composed of over one million pieces; this model generated approximately 5.3 horsepower and could reach speeds up to 20 kph after more than 13,000 hours invested in design and assembly.

To commemorate its centennial in 2019, Bugatti released a limited "110ans" edition of the Chiron Sport featuring French Tricolore highlights while maintaining its signature powertrain configuration. By July that year, production had reached its 200th Chiron unit.

In September 2019, a specially modified Chiron surpassed the historic barrier of , piloted by former racer Andy Wallace on Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track—marking it as the first production vehicle to exceed this velocity.

During its centenary celebration held in Molsheim that same month, Bugatti unveiled the Chiron Super Sport 300+, enhanced to produce , equipped with an aerodynamically refined bodywork. Limited to just thirty examples worldwide, this edition was priced at €3.5 million net.

In March 2020, Bugatti introduced the Chiron Pur Sport focused on superior lateral dynamics through modifications to chassis geometry, engine tuning, transmission ratios, and aerodynamics. It features shortened transmission gearing enabling full power delivery up to , accelerates from zero to in only 2.3 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of . The Pur Sport is equipped with an enlarged rear wing for increased downforce alongside stiffer suspension for enhanced handling precision. Production is restricted to sixty units priced near €3 million each; deliveries commenced August that year.

September 2020 saw Bugatti launch the Chiron Sport "Les Légendes du Ciel," a special edition limited to twenty vehicles honoring historic pilots and racers associated with the brand; pricing was approximately €2.88 million net per car.

Divo

In July 2018, Bugatti revealed the Divo, a hypercar limited to just 40 units, designed with a focus on track performance and derived from the Chiron platform. Each vehicle was priced at €5 million (around US$5.27 million), and all were purchased within a matter of days. The Divo made its first public appearance in August 2018 at "The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering" during Monterey Car Week. This model marked Bugatti’s modern venture into coachbuilding, highlighting exclusivity alongside enhanced driving dynamics.

La Voiture Noire

La Voiture Noire (The Black Car) debuted as a one-of-a-kind edition at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. This exclusive model honors the iconic yet lost Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, originally designed by Jean Bugatti. With a sale price of US$13.4 million, it stands as the third priciest new automobile ever sold, reinforcing Bugatti’s dominance in the ultra-premium automotive segment.

Centodieci

In August 2019, during Monterey Car Week’s "The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering," Bugatti introduced the "Centodieci," meaning 110 in Italian. This hypercar reimagines the classic EB 110, utilizing the Chiron’s 8.0-liter W16 engine, which has been tuned to deliver power at 7,000 rpm. To manage the increased thermal load, an additional air intake was positioned near the oil cooler. Performance highlights include accelerating from 0 to in 2.4 seconds, reaching in 6.1 seconds, and hitting in 13.1 seconds, with a top speed electronically capped at . Its wedge-inspired bodywork pays tribute to the EB 110’s design language. Production is strictly confined to ten units, each costing eight million euros (approximately US$9 million), all of which were sold immediately.

Bolide

The Bolide represents Bugatti’s inaugural track-exclusive hypercar, unveiled digitally in October 2020. It is constructed around Bugatti's renowned 8.0-liter Bugatti W16 engine and features minimalistic body panels to achieve an ultra-lightweight shell. The concept model produced an astonishing 1,361 kW (1,825 hp) running on 110-octane racing fuel, whereas the production variant is slated to deliver 1,177 kW (1,578 hp) and generate 1,600 N⋅m of torque at 2,250 rpm using 98 RON gasoline. Its top speed is projected to surpass . Bugatti intends to limit production to just 40 units with deliveries planned for 2024 and pricing beginning at €4 million (approximately $4.25 million).

Mistral

Unveiled on August 19, 2022, the Mistral claims the title of fastest roadster worldwide. Built on the Chiron architecture, it is a distinct model rather than a convertible version and represents the final Bugatti vehicle equipped with the signature W16 engine first introduced in 2005 with the Veyron.

Tourbillon

On June 20, 2024, Bugatti announced the Tourbillon as the successor to the Chiron. It features a naturally aspirated V16 engine engineered by Cosworth paired with a hybrid system incorporating three electric motors, collectively generating an output of 1800 bhp.

Innovations

In 2019, Bugatti launched a titanium brake caliper, which became the largest titanium component fabricated through additive manufacturing by volume.

Awards

During December 2019, Bugatti earned three design accolades for its Geneva Motor Show exhibition stands, including honors from the Automotive Brand Contest and Iconic Awards. Additionally, it secured "Excellent Architecture - Fair and Exhibition" at the German Design Award. The Bugatti Super Sport 300+ was recognized with Top Gear’s "Physics Lesson of the Year" award for 2019 and was named best sports car in the "Super Sports Car Import" category at Auto Bild Sportscars Award.

In February 2020, Bugatti refreshed its corporate identity and inaugurated a new showroom in Paris through a partnership with Groupe Schumacher, experts in supercars and hypercars. That same month, Bugatti announced plans to produce a total of 250 Chiron models—half of their originally intended production volume.

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