What’s Next for Bugatti After the 2027 Tourbillon? Could an SUV Be on the Horizon?
The 2027 Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar has just been unveiled, but the company’s head, Mate Rimac, is already contemplating the future. While a range of one-off special editions is certainly expected, Rimac aims to be the first Bugatti CEO to introduce a consistent second model to the lineup. The possibilities include a Bugatti SUV or sedan, as hinted during a discussion with Rimac in Berlin last year.
Clues About the Second Bugatti Model
The car that almost became the new Bugatti Tourbillon offers the first hint. Early discussions with Volkswagen and Porsche regarding the successor to the Bugatti Chiron focused heavily on electric vehicles (EVs), specifically an electric hypercar or SUV based on the Rimac Nevera. Despite this being an easier development path—given Rimac was already creating a Nevera variant for Pininfarina—Rimac believed this was the wrong direction for Bugatti.
“Progress is important, but not at the expense of passion,” Rimac stated, referring to the large V-16 engine anchoring a cutting-edge tri-motor plug-in hybrid system. He noted that Bugatti buyers aren’t ready for fully electric vehicles yet. Given modern emission realities and performance benefits, the second Bugatti will likely be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) rather than a full EV.
The positioning of the new 2027 Bugatti Tourbillon provides another clue. Traditionally seen as luxury goods, Bugatti aims to be considered art with its $4.3 million PHEV hypercar, featuring a design team to ensure the chassis looks as good as its Type 57SC-inspired exterior and intricate cabin. According to Rimac, more useful luxury products retain less value. Therefore, when choosing between an ultra-luxury sports car and an SUV at the same starting price, collectors tend to prefer the car model.
What This Means
Rimac values a Bugatti that can seat more people than the Tourbillon and its predecessors but remains skeptical about an SUV’s suitability. He points to the Koenigsegg Gemera as a model to emulate— a conventional two-door mid-engine hybrid supercar that cleverly incorporates 2+2 seating. A stretched and restyled Tourbillon could meet Rimac’s desire for a four-seater Bugatti that maintains its intrinsic value without becoming a commoditized vehicle.
Previous Attempts at a Second Model
Bugatti has previously come close to introducing a second model twice in the past three decades. In the mid-1990s, just before going out of business for the second time, Bugatti nearly introduced the EB112 sedan alongside the EB110 supercar. The EB112 was a two-box four-door sedan designed by Italdesign, powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 engine with 455 horsepower and a six-speed manual gearbox. It promised a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph. However, the company folded amid a recession in September 1995 before the EB112 could reach customers.
Volkswagen, Bugatti’s next owner, made several attempts to produce a stablemate for the Veyron and then the Chiron hypercars. The first effort was the 2010 16C Galibier concept, a four-door sedan blending the styling cues of the EB112 with the contemporary Veyron. Priced at $1.5 million, it featured the Veyron’s 8.0-liter W-16 engine, reconfigured with two superchargers and placed under the front hood. Despite initial interest, internal dysfunction at Volkswagen shelved the program in 2013.
The Galibier was briefly revived in 2016, but by the time Rimac’s predecessor Stephan Winkelmann took over in 2018, it was dropped in favor of an SUV. Though no images have leaked, this coupelike electric Bugatti SUV was far enough along in the design process to be shown to potential buyers. With VW considering selling Bugatti to a Porsche–Rimac joint venture, no further development was budgeted. When Rimac officially took over in 2021, he opposed this SUV in favor of what eventually became the Tourbillon.