Car enthusiasts have spent years rolling their eyes at collectors who turn exotic machines into “garage queens,” cars that rarely see real pavement and spend most of their lives under covers in climate-controlled rooms.
The logic is simple. Miles can hurt resale value. In a world where rare icons can command eight-figure prices at auction, every additional mile is often treated like a financial liability.
Bugatti Rimac CEO Mate Rimac seems to operate with a very different mindset. He has never been shy about actually using the cars connected to his name, and he uses them a lot.
A Chiron With About 176,000 Kilometers And A Nevera With 41,000
In a recent social media post, Rimac showed two standouts from his own garage. One was a Bugatti Chiron with roughly 176,000 kilometers, about 109,000 miles. The other was a Rimac Nevera with approximately 41,000 kilometers, or about 25,500 miles.
The Chiron, described as a development example, had already been known publicly in enthusiast circles. The real surprise was the Nevera. For a fully electric hypercar that many owners would treat like a display piece, that kind of mileage is a clear signal it is being used as a real car, not a museum exhibit.
Why High Mileage Matters Even For Hypercars
A Chiron or Nevera with serious mileage is unlikely to be valued the same way as an identical low-mileage example if it ever hits the collector market. There is also the reality of upkeep. As mileage climbs, service needs become more frequent, and long-term ownership costs rise with it. Tires, brakes, fluids, and wear items do not care how special a badge is.
Still, Rimac’s approach suggests he is not looking at these cars primarily as investment objects. He treats them as machines meant to be experienced and as engineering tools that can teach him something every time he drives.
Real-World Use As An Engineering Advantage
That philosophy carries extra weight right now because Bugatti Rimac is working on the Chiron’s successor, the Bugatti Tourbillon. The new model pairs a naturally aspirated V16 with three electric motors for a claimed total of 1,800 hp.
For a company developing a new halo car, leadership that spends time behind the wheel can matter. Driving your own products at scale is one of the fastest ways to learn what feels right, what does not, and where real customers might run into frustrations. If Rimac’s track record is any clue, the Tourbillon example that ends up in his garage probably will not stay low mileage for long.
His message has been direct: the company wants its hypersports cars to be driven.
A Collection That Is Not Just About The Latest And Greatest
While the Chiron and Nevera are the most attention-grabbing examples, Rimac’s collection is reportedly much broader. It includes models like the Mercedes SLR McLaren and the Porsche Carrera GT, both of which are high-profile enthusiast cars that many owners preserve rather than use.
What is even more telling is his choice of a daily driver. Rimac has said his favorite car is the BMW 5 Series (E39), which he uses as a daily alongside his Bugatti and Rimac hypercars. He has also noted that he is not especially impressed by the BMW M3 E30’s driving character, despite its legendary status among enthusiasts.
A Refreshing Message in an Era of Speculation
In a time when many ultra-high-end cars are treated like financial assets first and vehicles second, it is refreshing to see an executive who appears genuinely committed to the idea that cars exist to be driven. When the person running one of the world’s most ambitious performance companies backs that up with six-figure mileage on a Chiron and tens of thousands of kilometers on an electric hypercar, it sends a message that no marketing campaign can replicate.
This article originally appeared on Autorepublika.com and has been republished with permission by Guessing Headlights. AI-assisted translation was used, followed by human editing and review.