Bugatti only revealed the Chiron last year, but development for the potent supercar's successor is planned to begin in just two years' time. Bugatti will sell the Chiron for six years total, and since deliveries began earlier this year, that pegs the French marque's Chiron sequel to likely arrive sometime around 2023.
The development comments came straight from Bugatti boss Wolfgang Durheimer, who was rumored to be stepping down from the brand during the 2017 Frankfurt auto show. Current Audi Sport boss Stephan Winkelmann is rumored to be next to take the reins, but no announcement was made about that change during the show.
Speaking to journalists in Frankfurt, Germany, Durheimer said major ideas surrounding the next Bugatti supercar will need to be answered in 2019, as reported by Road & Track. The Bugatti boss also revealed the brand has sold 300 of its 500 Chirons allotted for production. That may or may not include any future Chiron variants, such as an open-top version.
"We have now sold car number 300 out of 500 and we are doing 70 a year. We are not increasing the volume. So the question, 'what is the next one?', needs to be answered in 2019. Next year is a pre-development year where we evaluate the different ideas," Durheimer said.
Although Durheimer previously espoused the importance of electrification in the Chiron's successor, the executive didn't seem so sure with his most recent comments. He said electrification "might be a topic for Bugatti" but ultimately it's "not decided yet."
While Bugatti ponders electrification, its rivals continue to embrace it. Mercedes-Benz' chief stated its Formula E program could fuel an all-electric hypercar in the 2020s, and Porsche's next hypercar will likely be electric, too.