As electric aspirations fade, Porsche sells its stake in Bugatti
- Thread starter JournalBot
- Start date
“Sold to private equity”. I’m sure that will result in nothing but improvement. /s
Upvote
116
(116
/
0)
Upvote
60
(71
/
-11)
HOF Capital is also a big investor in Uber. I can't wait for the synergies to emerge from owning two of the most-storied transportation brands.
Upvote
20
(20
/
0)
And yet Porsche continues to raise prices... despite demand in my market falling off a cliff.
Upvote
18
(20
/
-2)
ok.
Upvote
24
(25
/
-1)
The one silver lining of his wag the dog war on Iran is that high gas prices are undermining the administrations anti-EV policies.
Upvote
85
(85
/
0)
Never liked Bugatti bling so not much lost.
Porsche can in itself come up with more interesting cars from time to time (Carrera GT or 918 Spyder)
Porsche can in itself come up with more interesting cars from time to time (Carrera GT or 918 Spyder)
Upvote
11
(15
/
-4)
Perfectly reported.
VW's ails continue.
Mate et. al. were cut loose to fly or die.
Kudos, to VW recognizing a future automaker when they see one. Few are those able to bridge from startup to production. Bugatti was Mate's starter vehicle. Billionaires never bought-in enmasse but chased their childhood dream cars.
VW's ails continue.
Mate et. al. were cut loose to fly or die.
Kudos, to VW recognizing a future automaker when they see one. Few are those able to bridge from startup to production. Bugatti was Mate's starter vehicle. Billionaires never bought-in enmasse but chased their childhood dream cars.
Upvote
10
(10
/
0)
Damn… I have to take my Veyron in for an oil change. Hope it still only costs $5,000
Upvote
35
(35
/
0)
A Veyron oil change is actually around 20 to 25k. Perhaps they can accept Golfs as payment.
Upvote
49
(49
/
0)
Upvote
62
(62
/
0)
Worth noting VW and Porsche now have a CEO apiece again. Which makes a person wonder if Bugatti are gone from Porsche what difference does that make to VWAG-owned Lamborghini?
Upvote
6
(6
/
0)
Who could have guessed that a luxury brand focused on enthusiast driver's cars would struggle with selling EVs in volume? (Not to say the Taycan isn't a good car--it's reputedly very good. It was just never going to pay back in terms of volume sales.)
Upvote
-3
(4
/
-7)
It's OT, but I actually see a decent number of Taycans here in Scotland. These outnumber the similarly expensive e-tron GT's (arguably the same car) by about 10 to 1 in my estimates.
And, for reasons I cannot explain, a Taycan looks to me so much nicer than the Panamera. I would definitely consider it (if I had a substantial salary increase) if I were in the market.
Upvote
21
(21
/
0)
It's a perfect fit for a brand that's sold on milking as much cash as possible out of its wealthy and vain customer base. Bugatti's owners and customers deserve each other in their glorious and gauche displays of wealth and waste. I have no pity for a brand built primarily on selling shiny status symbols or the customers who ought to know exactly what they're buying.
To be explicit: You're mostly buying a status symbol that really only serves to signal your monetary success... better quality vehicles for the same money can easily be had elsewhere.. but that was never your primary concern if you're buying a "wealthy people" brand. When the main product feature is "it costs HOW MUCH??".. who cares if the owners make it cost more ? The customers ought to thank them for increasing the value of their status symbols!
Last edited:
Upvote
0
(11
/
-11)
They will be back - after they have lost a lot of ground. Rich people today are mostly boomers and Gen-X.
Gen-Alpha won't be nostalgic about ICEs. They will just find them smelly.
Gen-Alpha won't be nostalgic about ICEs. They will just find them smelly.
Upvote
9
(12
/
-3)
It is notable that the previous CEO of Porsche got the heave-ho in January. I love the brand, but there have been some remarkably stupid strategic decisions made over the past 7-10 years - it was insane to axe the ICEV Macan and try to replace it entirely with the EV, the electric 718 models were a distraction, the all-electric 3-row SUV was unnecessary, and in general it was way too early for the brand to try to go majority-electric. Thank god they didn't fuck with the 911 too much.
I'm as supportive of EVs as anybody, I own them and argue in their favor constantly. But Porsche was not the brand to lead the charge, and you don't fucking kill your cash cows.
As for Bugatti and Rimac? They were a distraction, and will do just fine as a standalone business. Porsche needs to unfuck Porsche at this point.
I'm as supportive of EVs as anybody, I own them and argue in their favor constantly. But Porsche was not the brand to lead the charge, and you don't fucking kill your cash cows.
As for Bugatti and Rimac? They were a distraction, and will do just fine as a standalone business. Porsche needs to unfuck Porsche at this point.
Upvote
15
(20
/
-5)
Statistical
Ars Legatus Legionis
Cayenne and Macan are the top two sellers at Porsche by a huge margin. Porsche is such an SUV dominated company these days it isn't even close I really doubt the average SUV buyer cares about performance so much as the Porsche logo and comfort/luxury.
911 does outsell Taycan but it isn't as extreme as you might think (~50k 911s vs ~20k Taycans).
Last edited:
Upvote
12
(12
/
0)
“Sold to private equity”
Private equity, you say? Excellent, now “nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen." /S
Private equity, you say? Excellent, now “nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen." /S
Upvote
8
(8
/
0)
Have you driven either of those SUVs hard? You may be right about the average buyer, but those two vehicles drive better than many actual sport sedans, especially with a few choice suspension and steering options. There's a lot of Porsche buyers who want a 911, but are not in the market for a $150k+ car and/or need four doors and minimal practicality, and they both drive well enough to satisfy an enthusiast easily. A Macan GTS is basically an RS4 with a small suspension lift.
Upvote
17
(18
/
-1)
And yet, with a large part of the world's oil and gas supply rendered non-functional by the war in Iran, the energy transition is accelerating.
I know it's not very visible in the US. It's also not visible in Canada (yet - at least until we get the Chinese and the Koreans to build EV factories). But everywhere else?
"China saw notable growth in exports of batteries, electric vehicles (EVs) and solar cells last month, with annual increases of 34%, 53%, 80% respectively, reports Bloomberg"
"The Guardian covers new data that shows electric car sales “soared” 51% in continental Europe in March. It says that 224,000 new electric vehicles (EVs) were registered last month and 500,000 across the first three months of the year, a 33.5% increase on 2025, according to the analysis by New AutoMotive and E-Mobility Europe"
Per Ember Energy, 2025 marked the first year where the increase in renewable electricity (+889 TWh) was larger than the increase in electricity demand (+849 TWh). That rise in electricity demand includes the transition to heat pumps and EVs, displacing fossil fuels in the first place. With oil and gas reaching record prices, 2026 should be even better. It this finally the year where GHG emissions start dropping?
Upvote
27
(27
/
0)
Only $5K? But I thought that they only use the very finest aged oils with a superior aroma! All of your billionaire friends will be so very jealous!
PS: Corrected by timber: $20K to $25K. The $5K price must be at a cut rate Jiffy lube using vastly inferior used motor oils.
Last edited:
Upvote
2
(2
/
0)
For some people the only real Bugattis are those restored and maintained by Ivan Dutton (Dutton Bugatti of Aylesbury.)
Sticking a badge on a load of technology, no matter how good, is an insult to the memory of the man who said "Signor Bentley makes the fastest motor lorries in Europe."
Sticking a badge on a load of technology, no matter how good, is an insult to the memory of the man who said "Signor Bentley makes the fastest motor lorries in Europe."
Upvote
-6
(3
/
-9)
I disagree. Luxury EVs first seems to be going well for others like Cadillac.
Upvote
-7
(1
/
-8)
He followed in the footsteps of a man who worked hard to kill the affordable EV because doing so was "good for the economy". At this point, stifling EV adoption in some way is an american tradition!
Upvote
3
(3
/
0)
I never understood Porsche as an EV company. They sell ridiculously high margin sports cars that are visually and audibly flashy. The EV's they produce are understandably large and heavy and quiet. I don't see the synergies at all. Why not shoehorn EV's into another brand and let Porsche be Porsche.
Upvote
-11
(3
/
-14)
And it does not rust like the not-really-FSD, and not-very-"stainless" steel Wankpanzer pickup, Normally, you would have to pay a lot more to get those specific features and the recall record. Only a very low number of "production" vehicles can brag about emptying their 40 gallon fuel tank in 15 minutes, so easily. And only on some sections of the Autobahn.
Last edited:
Upvote
1
(1
/
0)
Their problem was that they were not "ridiculously high margin". They were doing so badly that they needed the SUVs to save the brand.
The COGS when R&D and tooling was added in, wasn't making sense.
Amortise a shedload of R&D over, say, a Golf which will sell millions - commercial sense.
Amortise the same R&D over a 911 variation that may sell 20 000 - welcome to Chapter 11.
Upvote
22
(23
/
-1)
Upvote
-9
(1
/
-10)
Cadillac is not Porsche and all luxury brands are not interchangable. And to be clear, I think Porsche should keep selling the EVs it already sells. The first pics of the Cayenne EV coupe just dropped and it's oddly good looking for what it is. But I don't think those EVs should have replaced ICE models.
I think there's plenty of room for BEV Porsches. Most Porsches are not actually all that loud and a Taycan is as visually distinctive as any 911. And having plenty of seat time in a Taycan 4S wagon, I can attest they do Porsche things - just more like a 944 than a 911.
Upvote
19
(19
/
0)
VW is a total mess. I saw an ID Buzz on the road for the first time and boy, well, those were some choices. You know, for a car/van all about retro styling the choice to reuse the very aggressive modern headlights from the ID 4 on it was certainly a decision. It just felt like seeing soulless AI slop based on a VW type 2 bus and not a proper meaningful homage.
Upvote
-15
(3
/
-18)
I'll always have a soft spot for the EB110, the dream car of my teenage years.
Just saw one in person again a couple of weeks ago at the Petersen Automotive Museum, and I realized how I probably would not enjoy owning such a car today (even if I could afford to), pampered as I am by modern conveniences. I mean, even the Gordon Murray T.50 that was on display one floor above, the epitome of the driver hypercar for today's purist, had multiple screens and a 700W Arcam sound system.
But still, every time I see one, even in a picture in an article, it brightens my day. I guess I'm getting old and nostalgic.
Just saw one in person again a couple of weeks ago at the Petersen Automotive Museum, and I realized how I probably would not enjoy owning such a car today (even if I could afford to), pampered as I am by modern conveniences. I mean, even the Gordon Murray T.50 that was on display one floor above, the epitome of the driver hypercar for today's purist, had multiple screens and a 700W Arcam sound system.
But still, every time I see one, even in a picture in an article, it brightens my day. I guess I'm getting old and nostalgic.
Upvote
3
(3
/
0)
"Halo brand supercars" is where the tech starts and trickles down. 800 volt charging was Rimac. Silicon carbide inverters was Rimac and formula e. Active aerodynamics was Lotus. We now have all of that in Hyundai/kia, Tesla, etc. I look at these hypercard EVs like I look at a Mercedes s class. They're spending the money to develop the tech that's going to end up in cheap cars 10 years later.
Upvote
15
(15
/
0)
As for the future of Bugatti, it's not all electric, in spite of the Rimac ownership. The upcoming Tourbillon has its rear wheels powered by a 735kW (986HP) V16 engine. Yes, the front wheels use electric motors (no matter how wide your tires are, you need AWD these days to apply all the power modern cars come with) sure, and there's another electric motor inline with the transmission but that's to avoid turbos.
So it basically rocks a naturally-aspirated 1000HP V16 that revs to 9000 rpm - so I'm not sure I quite understand the article when it states "but the people who buy cars with price tags that look more like telephone numbers don’t want all-electric hypercars".
So it basically rocks a naturally-aspirated 1000HP V16 that revs to 9000 rpm - so I'm not sure I quite understand the article when it states "but the people who buy cars with price tags that look more like telephone numbers don’t want all-electric hypercars".
Upvote
12
(12
/
0)