Bugatti has admitted that its next-generation hypercar and successor to the Chiron will get some form of electrification.
Company chief executive Wolfgang Durheimer revealed the news to Autocar, confirming for the first time that the Chiron will indeed be replaced but not for some time.
“Electrification will happen. 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,” Durheimer said.
The outspoken chief executive also believes that the Chiron is likely to represent the pinnacle of mechanical performance without electrification and could therefore prove exceptionally valuable in the decades to come. Consequently, he wants to buy one, he said.
Interestingly, has also revealed that the French company is considering launching a second model before a replacement to the Chiron is produced. If this is the case, a new Bugatti hypercar could be 20 years away.
“We are looking at what customers want if we do something different, and we have some ideas. But we are not under pressure to decide – production of the Chiron is expected to last for around eight years. We are at the predevelopment phase, preparing technically and asking clients what they expect,” he said.
For much of the Chiron’s development, it was rumoured that the car would adopt some form of hybridization. In fact, Bugatti openly said it was investigating such a setup but was able to achieve its performance goals without going down that route.
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