1:03
- ABC News
- July 3, 2021
Can Bugatti survive electrification?
Bugatti's hypercars are the antithesis to electrification.
1:03
Erin Minoff, a specialist in the motoring department at Bonhams in New York, said every industry has its \"moment of terror.\" Unlike mainstream brands, however, Bugatti is not trying to sell a lot of cars or please a lot of people, he said.
\"Bugatti has different motivations than what Ford, Mercedes and even Rolls-Royce are trying to pursue,\" he told ABC News. \"No one is buying a Bugatti or any supercar because they are looking for an efficient mode of transportation or because they are an environmentalist.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/bugatti-09-bolide-ht-jc-210629_1624984471203_hpEmbed_3x2_384.jpg\")
Jalopnik editor-in-chief Rory Carroll doubts Bugatti will upend its business model to accommodate government policies. Volkswagen had larger aspirations for the struggling marque when it acquired the rights to Bugatti in May 1998, he argued.
\"Bugatti was effectively a dead brand when Volkswagen bought it and was revived to build a car that would break a speed record and do so in comfort,\" he told ABC News. \"Bugatti demonstrates technical prowess and attracts talent for the VW Group.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/bugatti-08-bolide-ht-jc-210629_1624984471202_hpEmbed_10x7_384.jpg\")
Cammisa and Minoff both pointed out that the most in-demand toy right now for the uber wealthy is not electric or even a hybrid. It's a six-speed manual transmission, mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, high-revving lightweight supercar that makes 650 hp from a 12,100 rpm naturally aspirated V12 engine. The T.50, the latest creation of Gordon Murray, the brilliant designer behind the famed McLaren F1, costs $2.6 million and all 100 units sold out within 48 hours of the prototype's debut.
\"There have been several bespoke EV hypercars -- Rimac and Pininfarina's Battista -- and no one wanted any of them,\" Cammisa said.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/T-50-ht-ml-210629_1624974606586_hpEmbed_25x12_384.jpg\")
Bugatti has amazingly survived two world wars, worker strikes, the death of its founder, Ettore Bugatti, and his son, Jean Bugatti, the company's designated heir, the sale of its Molsheim factory, bankruptcy and multiple owners. But the greatest threat to its existence may be the electric motor. Bugatti, however, has an \"enduring appeal\" that will keep fans wanting more from the company in the years to come, according to Carroll.
\"An electrified Bugatti -- that's not the point of the brand,\" he said. \"There's something very human about Bugatti's superlatives and achievements. I wouldn't be surprised if Bugatti never did an electric vehicle.\"
Added Minoff: \"Enthusiasts want the fastest, most visceral machine they can purchase. Electric vehicles are like appliances. Bugatti will continue to build these hyper luxury supercars.\"
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