Porsche sold all of its shares after 28 years, giving Rimac and new investors control. For more than two decades, Bugatti’s identity has been shaped under the umbrella of the Volkswagen Group. That chapter has now officially come to a close, as Porsche has agreed to sell its stakes in Bugatti Rimac and Rimac Group to a consortium led by HOF Capital.
The End of a 28-Year Volkswagen Era
Volkswagen revived Bugatti in 1998, a few years after the production of the EB110 was halted. Under VW ownership, the French hypercar manufacturer produced iconic vehicles like the Veyron and later the Chiron, redefining what hypercars could be.
In 2021, Bugatti entered a new era with the joint venture Bugatti Rimac, established to incorporate electric vehicles. Porsche held a 45% stake in the joint venture and a 20.6% stake in the Rimac Group. Now, with the complete sale of both shares (for an undisclosed amount), the Volkswagen era has officially come to an end. Control is now passing to Mate Rimac and a new global group of investors, so everything is starting from scratch and paving the way for a very different future.
What Bugatti Looks Like Without Volkswagen
Whether Mate Rimac wants to acknowledge it or not, Bugatti was impacted by Volkswagen’s depth of engineering in more ways than most people realized. One of the clearest examples came when Mat Armstrong uncovered shared components between the Chiron Super Sport and more mainstream Audi and VW models, highlighting just how interconnected the group really was. Without this ecosystem, will Bugatti continue to source components from the wider industry, or will Rimac push for more bespoke, in-house solutions?
While the Mistral marks the end of the W16 era, the Tourbillon shows us what is possible under Rimac’s guidance. The naturally aspirated 8.3-liter V16 engine, paired with three electric motors, produces a total of 1,775 horsepower and showcases how effective electrification can be.
Porsche Refocuses as Bugatti Starts Over
Porsche has had a difficult period lately, with its profit margin falling from 14.1% to only 1.1% and its operational profit plummeting by 92.7% to just $478 million in 2025. In response, Porsche AG CEO Dr Michael Leiters said that they “will focus Porsche on the core business,” with their most recent announcement being the all-electric Cayenne Coupe. Stepping away from Bugatti will allow Porsche to focus its resources where they matter most
This is a total reset for Bugatti. There would be no unified parts pool and no set formula to adhere to without Volkswagen’s help. For the first time in years, nobody can predict what will happen next, which will define the brand for the next coming years.
