“Affordable” Bugatti delayed but Divo delivered
Bugatti is being forced to delay its plan to introduce a more affordable model below the $2.9 million Chiron, according to a report by Automotive News Europe.
Parent company VW needs to save cash as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, while Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann believes launching another hypercar during a global recession is probably not the wisest move. The delay is believed to be around two years.
“For the time being we need to put this issue aside. Given the prevailing economic conditions, our utmost priority is on liquidity,” Winkelmann said.
In November of 2019 Winkelmann announced that the next Bugatti would be an electric four-seater with higher ground clearance than the Chiron, but would not be an SUV. The target price was between $570,000 and $1.1 million and it would have seen Bugatti production rocket to 900 cars per year. The Molsheim, France factory currently produces less than 100 cars a year.
Meanwhile, in better news, Bugatti is ready to deliver its first two Divos to customers. Only 40 of the $5.5 million hypercars will be built for existing Chiron customers who wanted just a little more. First announced in 2018, each car has now undergone a six-hour visual inspection and a five-hour, 200-mile, pre-delivery test drive that probably puts more mileage on the car than owners ever will.
