Bugatti closes on decision for second model line

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Bugatti is closer than ever to proving that it has a big enough customer base to justify a second model line, boss Stephan Winkelmann has revealed at the Paris motor show. Citing the success of the £4.5m Bugatti Divo - a limited-to-40-cars Chiron tuned for maximum track performance, which sold out immediately - Winkelmann said: “What’s becoming clearer is that the enthusiasm is there to grow the brand.

“Bugatti has never focused a car so much around dynamics, but the response to the Divo has been tremendous. Each car has been sold to an existing Chiron customer, and the allocation has gone immediately. That shows the passion for this brand. “That shows me that we are ready to do more. In terms of the amount of people we have who love the brand, I feel we have proved a lot. The next question is how much money do we have to invest into our future to make some of our ideas become reality - and will the return justify that investment. That is what we must work on. “Today we have many ideas, but all of them require work, and not all of them will succeed. We are still working on ideas.” Winkelmann didn’t discuss specifics of what kind of car a second Bugatti model might be, but sources have suggested that the firm remains unconvinced that the five-door fastback design once mooted with the 2009 Galibier concept would prove po[CENSORED]r enough. OUR VERDICT Bugatti Chiron Bugatti Chiron Bugatti originally brought us the Veyron and now has masterminded a 1487bhp, £2.5m masterpiece that's set to become the world's fastest production car Find an Autocar car review Driven this week BMW 7 Series 740Ld long-term review hero front 1 OCTOBER 2018 FIRST DRIVE BMW 7 Series 740Ld long-term review Does this 7 Series have that all-important sense of occasion its predecessors... Mercedes-AMG E53 4Matic+ 2018 first drive review hero front 1 OCTOBER 2018 FIRST DRIVE Mercedes-AMG E53 4Matic+ 2018 UK review Corker of a mild-hybrid powertrain blends fireworks and refinement, but a... Cupra Ateca 2018 prototype first drive review hero front 30 SEPTEMBER 2018 FIRST DRIVE Cupra Ateca 2018 review Everything that’s good about the Seat Ateca, with added performance and a bit... Instead, a high-riding SUV-inspired design is said to be gaining favour among senior decision makers at the firm. Prior to leaving Lamborghini Winkelmann led plans for the launch of the Urus SUV, which was launched earlier this year and which is tipped to be a sales success. However, a Bugatti version of that car would need to justify a price tag at least twice that of the Lamborghini (which starts from £159,000), and deliver even greater performance. Winkelmann did concede that future Bugatti powertrains could be electrified. “We have to find the right balance between emissions and performance, and while that is not clear today it is possible that the highest-end sports cars could take advantage of the technologies,” he said. “Above all, we must ensure that the Bugattis of tomorrow remain attractive to our customers.”