Mate Rimac made a reputation for himself by creating a few of the most fun EVs on the market. Nonetheless, his rise to success started with a humble BMW E30 and a blown engine. Nicely earlier than the Concept_One and the Nevera that adopted, a 1983 3 Collection was transformed for electrical obligation and nicknamed the “Inexperienced Monster.” With 600 horsepower on faucet, it claimed the title of the quickest-accelerating EV again in 2011.

Over time, he’s bought a number of automobiles bearing the roundel, together with an M5 E39 and an M3 E30 Sport Evolution. The Croatian entrepreneur has additionally been noticed driving every little thing from a Z4 M Coupe to an F90 M5 Competitors. He even owned an M3 CSL E46 and a V-10-powered M6 E64, so it’s protected to say he has a comfortable spot for BMWs. Nonetheless, there’s one automobile in his storage with a distinct badge: a Volkswagen. And never simply any VW.

The 37-year-old CEO of Bugatti Rimac owns and drives a Golf R32 MkV within the five-door physique model, geared up with a six-speed DSG and a key fob not too totally different from the Veyron’s. Again within the day, VW additionally supplied the VR-6-powered automobile with a six-speed handbook gearbox and a three-door configuration. Whereas he loves the automobile as it’s, he believes a restomod, targeted on upgrading inside high quality and including connectivity tech, would flip it into an “superb” sizzling hatch.

Not that we wanted any extra convincing, however Mate Rimac is an fanatic via and thru. He persuaded the Volkswagen Group to not flip the Bugatti Chiron’s successor into an electrical SUV. The story goes that VW had deliberate to launch a high-riding EV, however when Rimac was requested to take over, he green-lit one other hypercar as an alternative. The outcome was the Tourbillon, that includes a naturally aspirated 8.3-liter V-16. Positive, it’s a hybrid, however one which’s a tad extra thrilling than a Prius.

Mate Rimac strikes us because the sort of CEO who would’ve green-lit the Golf GTI W12-650 idea, additionally based mostly on the Mk5, for manufacturing. Sure, VW as soon as shoehorned a 641-hp twelve-cylinder engine from a Bentley Continental GT right into a Golf, mounting it behind the seats. The fifth-gen Golf additionally spawned a 500-hp, V-10 working prototype that by no means got here to be.

He’s not the one fanatic within the enterprise. Christian von Koenigsegg mentioned he’d put the final tank of gasoline within the Miata he purchased when he was 19. Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s new boss, drives his Z to work day-after-day. It is CEOs like these who give us hope that enjoyable automobiles received’t disappear below the burden of SUVs, electrification, and relentless cost-cutting.