Bugatti’s Boss Owns and Drives a Volkswagen Golf R32

Mate Rimac made a name for himself by developing some of the most exciting EVs out there. However, his rise to success began with a humble BMW E30 and a blown engine. Well before the Concept_One and the Nevera that followed, a 1983 3 Series was converted for electric duty and nicknamed the “Green Monster.” With 600 horsepower on tap, it claimed the title of the quickest-accelerating EV back in 2011.

Over the years, he’s purchased several cars bearing the roundel, including an M5 E39 and an M3 E30 Sport Evolution. The Croatian entrepreneur has also been spotted driving everything from a Z4 M Coupe to an F90 M5 Competition. He even owned an M3 CSL E46 and a V-10-powered M6 E64, so it’s safe to say he has a soft spot for BMWs. However, there’s one car in his garage with a different badge: a Volkswagen. And not just any VW.

The 37-year-old CEO of Bugatti Rimac owns and drives a Golf R32 MkV in the five-door body style, equipped with a six-speed DSG and a key fob not too different from the Veyron’s. Back in the day, VW also offered the VR-6-powered car with a six-speed manual gearbox and a three-door configuration. While he loves the car as it is, he believes a restomod, focused on upgrading interior quality and adding connectivity tech, would turn it into an “amazing” hot hatch.

Not that we needed any more convincing, but Mate Rimac is an enthusiast through and through. He persuaded the Volkswagen Group not to turn the Bugatti Chiron’s successor into an electric SUV. The story goes that VW had planned to launch a high-riding EV, but when Rimac was asked to take over, he green-lit another hypercar instead. The result was the Tourbillon, featuring a naturally aspirated 8.3-liter V-16. Sure, it’s a hybrid, but one that’s a tad more exciting than a Prius.

Mate Rimac strikes us as the kind of CEO who would’ve green-lit the Golf GTI W12-650 concept, also based on the Mk5, for production. Yes, VW once shoehorned a 641-hp twelve-cylinder engine from a Bentley Continental GT into a Golf, mounting it behind the seats. The fifth-gen Golf also spawned a 500-hp, V-10 running prototype that never came to be.

He’s not the only enthusiast in the business. Christian von Koenigsegg said he’d put the last tank of fuel in the Miata he bought when he was 19. Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s new boss, drives his Z to work every day. It’s CEOs like these who give us hope that fun cars won’t disappear under the weight of SUVs, electrification, and relentless cost-cutting.

19