The saying already says "If the river makes a noise its because water is running". This statement is not always true, but the percentage of hits is quite high, but tell the Rimac and Bugatti. Yes, because for several months a series of rumors indicating that the French firm would end up in the hands of the Croatian. And finally it has been, as the official press releases that both manufacturers have published a handful of hours ago "say".
They confirm that, after a series of negotiations, Bugatti becomes under the protection of Rimac. But they will not be alone in this new industrial adventure, as Porsche will act as a watchdog so that the interests of the Grupo Volkswagen are well protected. This was to be expected, especially considering that the German house has not stopped buying Croatian startup shares. But there is more, many more secrets… Be careful.
Rimac will own 55% of the capital of the new company that controls Bugatti's shares. A master move...?
Just take a look at this simple organizational chart. In it we see how the structure of Rimac and the new company that he has created together with Porsche to "control" Bugatti. The name chosen to call it is Bugatti-Rimac and the shares are distributed as follows. 55% are for the Rimac Group and the remaining 45% will be managed directly by Porsche. But if we go up the scale, there is more…
Rimac Group's business units have been divided into two. On the one hand there is the society that we have just talked about and, on the other hand, the jewel in the crown: Rimac Technology. This is the department in charge of shaping the technology that will give life to the future models that both firms launch on the market. And how curious, it is owned one hundred percent by the Croatian house, so Porsche will not be able to "put their noses in their decisions."
However, we cannot forget that Porsche owns 24% of the shares of Rimac Group, placing it as the third most powerful partner. Ultimately there is Hyundai, which with 12% will surely be aware of the movements that take place to counteract the plans of the German consortium. Now, once we know the ins and outs of the business structure, we will tell you what plans they have, because they seem very ambitious...
In the first moment Bugatti-Rimac will manufacture two models: Chiron and Refrigerator. The first will continue to come out of the facilities in Molsheim (France) and the second from the center that the Croatian has in Zagreb. Later, new joint models will join the range, which, in all likelihood, will be hybrid or electric. But the big news is where they will establish their headquarters. It will be in the Rimac campus which will open its doors in 2023 in Croatia.
And what will happen to Bugatti and the Volkswagen Group…?
Therefore, it seems that Bugatti will have to say goodbye (at least for now) to its roots and city that saw her born, grow and go through so many vicissitudes. In theory, at least according to the press releases, both companies will continue to operate independently, but if they want to save on structural costs, the future requires greater integration. Hence, in one or two years the management bodies of the French house will leave the Molsheim headquarters.
Ultimately there is the Grupo Volkswagen. The German consortium must be more than satisfied since it seems that it has signed "the perfect agreement". Yes, because although they apparently lose control of Bugatti, it is not so. This is possible because they are "Porsche owners" and this, in turn, controls a good percentage of the new society. So they can continue making money with Bugatti models without spending a euro to develop their technology.
Por el momento Rimac's plans for Bugatti are not official, but the rumors already give clues about what would be to come. Everyone points out that the successor to the Chiron will be one hundred percent electric and, surprise, it will be animated by the Nevera powertrain. Talking about its possible performance is premature and even more so when this technology could evolve towards unknown extremes. Be that as it may, it seems that they win...
Source - Rimac –Bugatti
