The new Tesla Roadster may have grabbed attention with its rocket-thruster technology, but Bugatti Rimac CEO Mate Rimac has revealed that some similarly wild ideas had already been discussed by his team.
In a social media video, Rimac pointed to a 2019 email discussing static downforce and a 2020 project that explored using cold thrusters on the Nevera. The longer-term idea was to investigate technologies that could deliver extreme acceleration and even allow the car to leave the ground.
Those concepts were considered for a potential Nevera successor, but Rimac says the company couldn’t pursue every programme at once. Instead, it chose to focus on the Bugatti Tourbillon and its naturally aspirated V16 powertrain.
Importantly, these were development ideas and targets rather than confirmed production features.
Rather than dismissing Tesla’s approach, Rimac seemed genuinely enthusiastic about it. He praised different engineering philosophies and said the contrast between Tesla’s ideas and Bugatti’s V16 direction makes the future of performance cars even more interesting.
Source: @entrelligence
