In an unusual incident combining theft, a chase, and a humane ending, Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti and founder of the Rimac Group, helped recover a luxury Bugatti Chiron after it was stolen from the company's headquarters in Zagreb, Croatia, before the chase ended with the suspect's arrest in Austria.
According to details shared by Rimac on his Instagram account, the car, valued at around £2 million, was parked inside the company's production and technology complex near Zagreb when the thief took advantage of the keys being left inside and stole it.
Rimac admitted he usually left the keys inside his cars, including the Bugatti Chiron and Rimac Nevera, because he felt safe in Croatia. This also made it easier for drivers to move the vehicles around the company headquarters without needing to contact him personally every time.
However, this habit cost him the theft of one of his most expensive cars, prompting him to comment later that he will no longer leave keys inside his vehicles.
Porsche chase and electronic tracking reveal thief's location
Immediately upon discovering the theft on Wednesday, Rimac decided to go after the car himself. He used a Porsche 911 to chase the thief while simultaneously notifying the police and utilizing the Bugatti Chiron's electronic tracking system.
The tracking system data helped determine the car's route. Rimac informed the police that it was heading toward Slovenia and shared location updates with a chat group that included the authorities involved in the operation.
Thanks to this information, police located the car in Austria and arrested the suspect. The chase ended with the car's recovery, although it sustained some damage requiring repairs.
Thief asked for a job at the company, then stole the car
Rimac revealed that he met the suspect at a police station in Austria. It turned out he was a Croatian man in his mid-thirties who had visited the company headquarters looking for a job.
The man explained that he noticed the keys were inside the car, so he seized the opportunity and stole it.
In a remarkable gesture, Rimac stated he did not want to press charges against the man. However, he noted that the car's high value means legal prosecution may proceed regardless of his personal stance.
He also expressed a desire to drive the suspect home so he could return to his family, but the police did not allow it.
Bugatti Chiron: A supercar exceeding 420 km/h
The Bugatti Chiron is one of the most prominent supercars introduced by the French manufacturer. It debuted in 2016 with a base price of about €2.4 million, equivalent to nearly £2 million according to the source.
Bugatti describes it as a high-performance sports car capable of reaching a top speed of 420 kilometers per hour, or 260 miles per hour.
The car is scheduled for repairs following the damage sustained during the incident. Meanwhile, the event highlighted the importance of electronic tracking systems in recovering stolen vehicles, even when their value exceeds millions of dollars.
