Not totally electric, though. Not yet, at least.
Though it’s some seven years away from production, the rumour mills are already rife about the next-generation Bugatti Chiron. The CEO of the company is certain that, as the Chiron “may never be beaten in pure mechanical terms,” the replacement for the hypercar will feature some degree of electrification.
“Electrification will happen,” said Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer said to Autocar. The Chiron was pipped to feature electrification to a extent to help extract the most out of Bugatti’s W16 quad-turbo 8.0-litre engine. It wasn’t until they figured out they could get 1100kW and 1600Nm from just upgrading the existing powerplant that they abandoned the idea of a hybrid Chiron.
“The next car is a long way from being developed, but the way battery and electric motor technology is moving on – as well as regulations – it seems certain that the next car will be electrified in some way. It will still be too soon for a full electric car, I think – but electrification will happen.” – Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bugatti CEO
The Bugatti Chiron’s performance is considered to be a superlative already, and remains as one of only a few hypercars that don’t feature any degree of electric hybridisation. The flagships from McLaren, Ferrari, and Porsche feature hybrid powertrains already (though the manner of execution varies between them). Dürheimer concurred and said that there “will probably never be a car with the pure mechanical capabilities of the Chiron. The fact is that it may never be beaten in pure mechanical terms, making it incredibly desirable.” The Bugatti boss is purportedly considering buying one himself.
While the future of Bugatti will certainly feature electrification, its current strategy of only offering one model may change though, as there are “ongoing plans” to introduce a second model to the lineup. Should this come to fruition, the successor to the Chiron would be put on the back burner, as the company would consider alternating between new car launches and lengthening the lifespan of their products. To put that into perspective, the new Chiron is currently pipped to arrive in 2024, but that could be pushed as far back as 2032 if a second model appears.
“We are looking at what customers want if we do something different, and we have some ideas,” the company boss commented. “We are not under pressure to decide, as production of the Chiron is expected to last around eight years. We are at the predevelopment phase, preparing technically and asking clients what they expect.” Though the boss was candid about the future of the brand, he remained tight-lipped about what form a second Bugatti would take. The Galibier concept car from 2009 garnered positive feedback but never made production, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable for the company to think about a high-performance SUV either. So there’s no real telling where they might end up.
For more information on any of the marques mentioned, check out our Showroom.
