VW shows faith in Bugatti with new concepts

Volkswagen wants to make sure this year isn’t the last chance to get a new Bugatti.

There are fewer than 20 left of the VW unit’s Veyron, a limited production line of 450 Bugatti cars that start at €1.46 million. Now VW is testing at least three different concepts for a successor.

VW is pumping cash into its most exclusive marque even as it plans cutbacks for its more terrestrial brands. The Veyron set industry records not just for speed, but also for losing money, according to estimates from Max Warburton, a Singapore-based analyst for Sanford Bernstein Ltd. The cost of developing the Veyron, introduced in 2005, means VW may lose €4.6m per vehicle over its life cycle, Warburton said.