Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac suggests future V16 with manual transmission

Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac has suggested that the luxury automaker could potentially produce a V16 engine paired with a manual transmission in the future. Speaking during Monterey Car Week, Rimac expressed strong interest in the concept, telling Road & Track to “imagine a V16 with a manual, real manual.”

Rimac emphasized that any such gearbox would be a “real manual” rather than a simulated experience provided by software in an automatic transmission. While he did not commit to a specific production timeline or a particular model, the suggestion follows the announcement of the Tourbillon, which features an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.

It remains unclear whether a manual V16 would be a series-production vehicle or a bespoke project through Bugatti’s Solitaire program, which specializes in ultra-exclusive, one-off commissions.