MATE RIMAC'S BUGATTI CHIRON SPORT STOLEN AFTER HE LEFT IT UNLOCKED

Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac has revealed that his personal Bugatti Chiron Sport, worth an estimated £2.6 million, was stolen from his company's headquarters near Zagreb, Croatia, on Wednesday, 28 October. What followed was an extraordinary cross-border pursuit involving a Porsche 911, live vehicle tracking and police forces across several European countries.

A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MISTAKE Despite running one of the world's most prestigious hypercar manufacturers, Rimac admitted that he had developed a rather unusual habit: leaving the keys inside his expensive cars. The 38-year-old entrepreneur explained that he regularly left the keys inside vehicles such as his Bugatti Chiron and electric Rimac Nevera, partly because he trusted the safety of Croatia and partly so employees could move the cars when necessary.

However, that trust was tested when an unidentified man entered the company's unfenced campus, discovered the Chiron with its keys inside and simply drove away. Initially, the theft went unnoticed. With Rimac's colleagues and friends regularly borrowing his vehicles, seeing the Chiron being driven around wasn't particularly unusual. It was only when someone reported seeing an unfamiliar individual behind the wheel that alarm bells began ringing.

AN INTERNATIONAL CHASE Once Rimac realised his Bugatti had been stolen, he immediately contacted the police and accessed the car's onboard telemetry system. The technology allowed him to monitor the Chiron's location as it travelled towards Slovenia, giving authorities valuable information about the vehicle's movements. Rather than simply leaving the situation to the police, Rimac climbed into his own Porsche 911 and set off after the stolen hypercar.

The thief, however, had already gained a considerable head start and managed to cross Slovenia before entering Austria. As the situation unfolded, Rimac continued sharing tracking information with police officers, helping them coordinate their response.

CRAZY EXPLANATION The dramatic journey eventually came to an end in Austria, where police intercepted the stolen Chiron and arrested the driver. The suspect, a Croatian man in his mid-30s, reportedly told Rimac that he had originally visited the company's headquarters looking for employment. After discovering the Bugatti with its keys inside, he decided to take the vehicle, allegedly intending to travel to Germany.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the story was Rimac's reaction. Despite having his multi-million-dollar hypercar stolen, the Bugatti boss said he did not want to press charges against the man. He even offered to drive the suspect home to his family, although Austrian police reportedly refused the offer. Because of the car's considerable value, Rimac acknowledged that the suspect could still face prosecution regardless of his personal wishes.

THE MIGHTY CHIRON Fortunately for Rimac, his Chiron was successfully recovered, although the vehicle did not escape the incident completely unscathed. The hypercar reportedly sustained minor damage, including to its front bumper, which Rimac has said will be repaired.

Following the incident, Rimac shared the extraordinary story on Instagram, alongside CCTV footage showing the moment his Bugatti was taken. He admitted that leaving keys inside his vehicles was a habit he would now be changing.

The Chiron has an 8.0L quad-turbocharged W16, developing 1479hp and 1600Nm of torque. With a top speed of 261mph (420km/h), it does 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in just 2.4 seconds, making it one the fastest and best performing cars in the world. Just 500 were built, and each is worth over $3 million.

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