BUGATTI CONSIDERED USING ROCKET THRUSTERS BEFORE TESLA
2026-10-20By Clara Whitmore
- Bugatti's boss has revealed a surprising idea that could have transformed supercar performance
- The ambitious concept was being explored several years ago
- Mate Rimac has explained why the technology never made it into production
NEXT LEVEL PERFORMANCE Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti Rimac, has revealed that his team previously considered fitting rocket-like thrusters to its high-performance cars, potentially taking acceleration to an entirely new level.
The revelation comes as Tesla's new Roadster brings rocket-assisted performance back into the spotlight, showing that traditional engines and electric motors might not be the only way to push automotive boundaries.
AN IDEA YEARS IN THE MAKING According to Rimac, discussions about unconventional propulsion technology date back to 2019, when his team explored ways of generating downforce while a vehicle was stationary.
In 2020, Rimac's company also investigated cold-gas thrusters for the electric Nevera hypercar. Unlike conventional rockets, these systems use compressed gas to generate thrust. The ultimate ambition was even more extraordinary: a future Nevera successor capable of extreme acceleration and potentially lifting off the ground.
ABANDONED IDEA Despite the ambitious plans, Rimac explained that his team couldn't develop every groundbreaking technology simultaneously.
Instead, resources were directed towards creating the Bugatti Tourbillon, featuring an all-new naturally aspirated V16 engine combined with electric motors. The rocket-thruster concepts remained ideas rather than confirmed production features.
ROCKET PERFORMANCE While rocket-assisted acceleration sounds impressive, bringing the technology to road cars would present significant engineering challenges.
Additional components, complex control systems and safety requirements could make the technology difficult to integrate into an already highly advanced hypercar. Manufacturers would also need to consider how such systems could be used safely on public roads. These challenges help explain why rocket-assisted performance remains an experimental concept rather than a feature found on production supercars.
Learn more about Bugatti here Learn more about Rimac here
