By Nat Shirley
Wednesday, Jun 27th, 2012 @ 3:57 pm
 
Like it or not, hybrids are an increasingly significant part of the automotive world, and it now seems that the gas-electric ranks could eventually be bolstered by a decidedly prestigious and speedy model: the successor to the mighty Bugatti Veyron.

"We are working on the next super-sports car," Bugatti's chief vehicle engineer, Jens Schulenburg, told Auto Express. "The big challenge on the next car will be reducing weight - we are looking at some incredible technologies, such as wheels made entirely from carbon fibre. Hybrids are definitely something we're looking at, too."

If a gas-electric system does end up in the engine compartment of the Veyron successor, expect it to be something in the nature of the Ferrari's HY-KERS system, which is designed to provide significant boosts in both fuel economy and acceleration.

Little else is known about the supercar, which Auto Express predicts will continue to wear the Veyron nameplate. It will likely debut several years after Bugatti's Galibier super-sedan, which is expected to launch in 2014, and remain the flagship model for Bugatti.