Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking is using his company’s large stake in Volkswagen to pressure the company into changing plans for its Bugatti brand, according to the latest issue of Britain’s CAR magazine.
As widely reported in the automotive press, the automaker loses money on every $1.3 million Veyron it sells. With the Veyron program not expected to turn a profit any time soon, rumors began circulating about a possible entry-level Bugatti roadster, and possibly even a more modestly priced sedan.
Unfortunately, sister brands Lamborghini and Bentley are strongly opposed to VW allowing Bugatti to enter their territory. What’s more, Porsche has concerns of its own about Bugatti moving downmarket.
Accordingly, Porsche has suggested VW transform Bugatti into a coachbuilding business, creating one-off $4,000,000 super cars. While it’s unclear if the company will go that far, there is mounting pressure both to achieve profitability, and not step on any toes. Stay tuned…



11/24, 10:35 AM
posted by:
A4
screw you porsche, bugatti wouldnt be entering any of the other territories either with the proposed $60k lightweight Elise fighters ive seen. They need that model.
11/24, 10:43 AM
posted by:
Aussie#1
Buggatti is awesome, Porsche and get stuffed
11/24, 10:51 AM
posted by:
MyGodBeatsYourGod
Ya, the talk of little Porsche swallowing the floating continent of VW/Audi/Skoda/SEAT/Bentley/Bugatti/Lamborghini seemed a little surreal. This is just the first cough to keep it from going down…
11/24, 1:15 PM
posted by:
Bush
People sem to pay whatever for these cars. Why not charge what they really “need”. They would probably still sell.
11/24, 4:13 PM
posted by:
Renton
I totally want that little ultralight Bugatti, don’t keep us from getting it Porsche.
If you do, I will never buy one of your cars.
11/24, 5:40 PM
posted by:
Shawn1982
Bugatti moving downmarket? Yeah… 1.3 mil is down market. C’mon Porsche…
11/24, 7:38 PM
posted by:
BAMF
I saw a Veyron today. Stunning. I sure hope they aren’t hindered by Porsche. I’d love to see the lightweight Lotus killer.
11/24, 7:48 PM
posted by:
Ricardo Head
Porsche is just afraid because Bugattis kick Porsche’s ass.
11/24, 9:32 PM
posted by:
Steve
Why is unreasonable to banish Bugatti to one off coachbuilding if it can’t be proffitable?
11/24, 10:17 PM
posted by:
Veda
It the end it’s all business as usual.
11/24, 11:27 PM
posted by:
Lucifer
sell it
11/25, 12:11 AM
posted by:
Sharif
I also recall reading an article mentioning how Buggatti”s near future will be horrible because of the new airbag law in which all cars in like 2008 must have an airbag and the only exception is if the car company send 150 of their cars to a crash test in which all the cars must pass. Which I believe Ferrarri did with the F430. Obviously Buggatti won’t choose to make 150 crash test cars but they also cannot afford to supply airbags to all of their cars caused it would increase cost by like 200,000 extra per car.
11/25, 12:33 AM
posted by:
VDuv Kux Klan
porsche should try to take out its competence instead of try killing its sister-brands
11/25, 1:36 AM
posted by:
Andre Neves
Ricardo,
That’s something my 8 year old nephew would say.
I don’t see how Bugatti is “kicking Porsche’s ass” when Porsche is actually making tremendous profit on ALL there cars. Bugatti = Negative Profit.
11/25, 4:57 AM
posted by:
BodegaBay
I find it ironic that Dr. Ferdinand Piech -grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and previous head of Volkswagen AG- revived Bugatti Automobiles SAS only to quelle it years later. It is Piech who has enormous influence and control of both VAG and Porsche; he is rumored to be pushing for Porsche control of VAG.
11/25, 7:54 AM
posted by:
Renton
deantj — I have to agree with A4 on this one. That new Bugatti was going to be an all new mid engine chassis. It may have been shared with another VW model, but it is not a Golf. Don’t you know that VW has been working on their own lower cost mid-engine sportscar for a few years now.
300 hp out of that little 4 is not such a big deal anyway. By the time this Bugatti was out, the next whole generation of direct injected turbos will be out.
300 bhp in sub 2000 lb car is nothing to just write off, especially if it says Bugatti on it.
11/25, 2:34 PM
posted by:
Ted Bell
alot of strong language here. its amazing you all feel so strongly about a car you will most likely never own.
I’m Ted Bell
11/25, 3:06 PM
posted by:
Veda
“alot of strong language here. its amazing you all feel so strongly about a car you will most likely never own.”
Same reason why people continue to pray to deities they’ll probably never see in this life. Whether it’s bad or good depends on the context.
11/25, 6:06 PM
posted by:
nist7
It’s time for Bugatti to finally rest in peace. They were dominant in the 20s and 30s and then died gracefully (the FIRST time) but ever since the Bugatti name was revived in ‘87 their cars (the EB110 and the Veyron) have been a disgrace to Ettore Bugatti and Pierre Veyron.
The original Bugatti under its founder has always been focused on motorsports and its application of racing technology and design to a select few road going cars. Today’s Bugatti is simply about excess in every way: power, luxury, ugliness, price, top speed, etc. It has no passion, no soul and ZERO racing heritage. It has become a publicity stunt playtoy for VW execs and a status symbol for the so-called “collectors.”
11/25, 9:32 PM
posted by:
WonbyOne
All these manufacturers have a legitimate right to want to protect their brands. This is a perfect example of a ‘rock and a hard place’ for the VW group. Also, the corporation is not a charity, its divisions must make business sense and not at the expense of it’s corporate cousins.
Once again an utterly nonsensical post from Veda. My response would be…Huh?
11/26, 10:06 AM
posted by:
1c3d0g
Hahaha…it’s way past your bedtime little Veda. Daddy will give you your daily meds now, mkay?
11/26, 10:19 AM
posted by:
Veda
WonbyOne, if it’s too hard then let me translate it for you: Fanboyism
11/26, 10:23 AM
posted by:
Veda
“I totally want that little ultralight Bugatti, don’t keep us from getting it Porsche.
If you do, I will never buy one of your cars.”
Renton, yea like they’re going to care…
11/26, 11:29 PM
posted by:
James
Nist7 hit the bullseye.
11/27, 5:26 AM
posted by:
spud
My My, what a lot of pre-pubescent testosterone filling this forum. Go to bed kids, and stop swearing because it makes you look really stupid.
Something tells me that neither Porsche or Bugatti are within your reach, so save your pocket money for a GM instead.
11/27, 11:04 AM
posted by:
Andre Neves
^ +1
11/27, 1:00 PM
posted by:
James
My my november shut up and talk smartassed to someone else. Big words don’t make you look smart you already look like an asshole see a proctologist soon.
11/27, 7:29 PM
posted by:
felix1805
just leave bugatti alone, the veyron might be useless to gain profit, but the name and spirit of bugatti is alive once again. i havent heard anyone talk **** about the veyron, its a marvelous piece of engineering and it gayened the bugatti brand great respect again. it would probably be wise to introduce somehting inbetween a gallardo and a murcielago under the buggatti brandname. that way they dont ruin the market for the new audi r8 or the gallardo and yet they could still use the know how gained from engineering the supersports cars like the lambos or the audi r8. because afterall theyre all just volkswagens.
11/27, 8:33 PM
posted by:
Renton
^^^^^ well said
11/29, 12:01 AM
posted by:
gumball
I wonder why porsche is pressuring bugatti, maybe they dont want to turn out like general motors do they. I dont see why bugatti is so special, apart from its stupid price tag. Its better off seeing bugatti going down then the hole VW company going down. and i wouldn’t be bagging Porsche, without them the veyron wouldn’t exist
11/29, 12:25 AM
posted by:
1c3d0g
I don’t the Bugatti will do anything to the next-gen Vette.
11/29, 1:01 AM
posted by:
Renton
gumball — how much Porsche influence did the Veyron have? I thought it was mostly VW.
Despite the crappy cars they make, General Motors is huge and powerfull corp. They actually have the coin and the engineers to get out of the mess they are in. All they have to do is want to.
12/01, 2:54 AM
posted by:
SSTRFSTR
Porsche had ZERO influence on the Veyron.
I think BMW AG should pick up Bugatti because they don’t have a single product to fill the gap between the 760Li and Rolls Phantom. They can fill out their product line and can also move upmarket by making $500,000+ supercars.