- The design of Bugatti’s next hypercar has been finalized, according to an Autocar interview with Bugatti’s former chief of design, Achim Anscheidt, who just stepped down from his helm.
- Instead of a W-16 engine, the next Bugatti will use a hybrid V-8, as Bugatti takes advantage of its merger with the electric hypercar geniuses at Rimac.
- The Chiron successor will still include classic Bugatti styling elements like the horseshoe grille and C-shaped design on the side bodywork.
The next Bugatti hypercar will represent a major transformation for the brand. In an interview with Autocar, Bugatti’s former chief of design, Achim Anscheidt, said that the Chiron successor will be shown for the first time next year, with production commencing in 2026. Most notably, the next Bugatti ditches the brand’s famed W-16 engine for a V-8 hybrid setup, presumably using the electrical expertise of Croatian automaker Rimac, which merged with Bugatti in 2021.
The car’s design is apparently ready to go, with Anscheidt telling Autocar, “We delivered the prototype tooling a couple of months ago and the production tooling will be delivered in a couple of months from now.” Anscheidt is stepping down from his role as the head of styling for Bugatti, with the Chiron follow-up acting as his final project. “Everything I have tried to learn and comprehend over the last nineteen years with Bugatti, I wanted to make sure this experience funnels into the car’s development,” he said.
The next Bugatti will still feature iconic design cues like the horseshoe grille and C-shaped side bodywork seen on every Bugatti since the 1934 Type 57. Built around a new chassis, swapping the gigantic W-16 for the V-8 powertrain should result in a lighter vehicle. Bugatti’s design director Frank Heyl also told Autocar that integrating the batteries for the hybrid component required the company “to reconsider the architecture of the whole car.”
The brand’s interior designer, Aldo Maria Sica, however, revealed that while the powertrain will be a significant departure from Bugattis of old, the interior won’t stray too far from the Chiron, with elegant designs and ornate controls. The Chiron successor may receive a large central touchscreen to run the infotainment, something that has been absent on the Chiron and all of its limited-production spin-offs.
The next Bugatti hypercar is expected to cost even more than the $5 million Mistral, the final Bugatti with the W-16 motor which was limited to 99 examples. After the Chiron successor arrives, Bugatti’s attention will then turn to its first electric car, which should draw heavily on the company’s partnership with Rimac.
Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.