Bugatti Chiron successor will be 'electrified'

Bugatti's successor to its £2.1m Chiron hypercar will be powered by some form of "electrification", says chief executive Wolfgang Durheimer.

"The next car is a long way from being developed, but the way battery and electric motor technology is moving on, as well as regulations, it seems certain that the next car will be electrified in some way," he told Autocar.

"It will still be too soon for a full electric car, I think, but electrification will happen.”

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He added there would "probably never be a car with the pure mechanical capabilities of the Chiron" and that it "may never be beaten in pure mechanical terms", making it "incredibly desirable".

On the current Chiron, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show last year, power comes from a 8.4-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine that produces 1,479bhp and 1180lb-ft of torque. That's 300bhp and 80lb-ft more than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which broke the top-speed record for a production car at 258mph.

Motor1 says the Volkswagen-owned luxury car firm is "analysing the prospects of launching a second model and is currently investigating what its customer would like".

However, releasing a second model into the range "might cause a delay" to the launch of the electrified Chiron replacement.

It's not yet know what body style Bugatti will choose if its builds a second car, says Autocar, although it did create the more practical five-door Galibier concept in 2009.

That car did not get the green light for production, but the magazine says a similar vehicle could be on the radar.