Croatian electric hypercar manufacturer Rimac has submitted a preliminary offer to acquire the remaining 45% stake in its joint venture with Bugatti, currently held by Volkswagen subsidiary Porsche, according to a report by Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the matter.
The Bugatti Rimac joint venture, founded in 2021 and valued at just over one billion euros, is currently majority-owned by Rimac. The company is reportedly considering partnering with other investors to facilitate the potential transaction. Talks are still in early stages, and it remains unclear whether an agreement will be reached.
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A spokesperson for Rimac declined to comment on the offer when contacted by Bloomberg. A Porsche spokesperson said the company “continuously evaluates potential optimizations for its shareholdings and works closely together with its business partners and co-investors,” but did not confirm whether Rimac had made a formal offer.
The development follows previous discussions in late 2024 in which Porsche was reportedly interested in increasing its own stake in the joint venture. At the time, Rimac founder and CEO Mate Rimac stated, “There had been talks about a possible transaction,” and added that “the company was doing so well that he would like Rimac to actually increase its shares instead of selling them.”
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However, Porsche’s internal priorities may have shifted following several executive departures and growing challenges in the global automotive sector. Whether the Stuttgart-based automaker or Rimac will ultimately assume majority control of Bugatti Rimac, or whether a third-party buyer will emerge, remains undecided.
Even in the event of a full takeover by Rimac, Porsche would continue to hold an indirect interest in the company. The German automaker first acquired a 10% stake in Rimac in 2018 and has since expanded its share to around 20%. Other prominent investors in Rimac include SoftBank, Goldman Sachs, and Hyundai, while Mate Rimac remains the largest shareholder.