Bugatti, Rimac enter into partnership

Bugatti and Rimac have confirmed their long-mooted partnership. Both hypercar brands have joined hands to form a new company called Bugatti Rimac LLC. This new joint venture brings together Rimac's specialisation in high-output electric drivetrain and Bugatti's rich history and expertise in the hypercar business.  

• Bugatti Rimac LLC is 45 percent owned by Porsche and 55 percent by the Rimac Group
• The two firms will become a standalone entity headquartered in Croatia from 2023
• Bugatti's long-standing W16 petrol engine could be replaced by Rimac's high-output electric powertrain  

The newly formed Bugatti Rimac LLC is 45 percent owned by Porsche and 55 percent owned by the newly formed Rimac Group, in which Rimac founder Mate Rimac – who will be CEO – retains a 37 percent shareholding, with Porsche holding a 24 percent stake, Hyundai Motor Group 12 percent and other investors making up the remaining 27 percent. Porsche chairman, Oliver Blume, and deputy chairman, Lutz Meschke, will both serve as supervisory board members at the new joint venture.

 

Rimac’s powertrain, battery and components development arm will be separated into a new, dedicated Rimac Technology division, which is part of the Rimac Group but remains independent and will continue to work with other manufacturers.

Bugatti and Rimac will remain separate brands, retaining their respective current French and Croatian production facilities. However, from 2023, the newly formed company will be based at the new Rimac Campus on the outskirts of Zagreb, which will employ 2,500 people. From launch, the company employs some 430 people: around 300 in Zagreb and 130 in Molsheim.

Naturally, this partnership will have significant implications on future models from both the companies. Primarily, Bugatti will now have access to Rimac’s high-output electric drivetrain technology, which could be a potential replacement to Bugatti’s famed and long-standing W16 petrol engine in the coming years. For now, the company will continue to build and market its Chiron hypercar. Rimac will also continue to build and develop its own models, following the impending launch of its Nevera flagship.