Photo: Bugatti
One very interesting organizational shift within the Volkswagen Group has been the recent appointment of Stefan Ellrott as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Compact Vehicles at VW Passenger Cars. He starts his new job in February.
Up until now, Ellrott served as Head of Technical Development at Bugatti and was directly responsible for models such as the Divo, Centodieci, and Chiron Pur Sport, as well as the Chiron Super Sport 300+ land missile, and the Bolide concept.
The very thought of this man having the final say in the development of future compact models that mere mortals can actually afford is pretty exciting, especially with VW focusing most of its resources on electric mobility. Of course, at this time it’s unclear if Ellrott will preside over all future compact-class passenger cars (including ID models), or just the likes of the Golf, Tiguan or T-Roc.
“Over the past four years, my team and I have pushed the boundaries of what is technically feasible at Bugatti. From a developer’s point of view, each one of the hyper sports cars has its unique challenges,” he explains. “With the Divo, we reinterpreted modern coachbuilding. With the Chiron Super Sport 300+, we became the first series manufacturer to exceed the 300-mile-per-hour mark. We gave the Chiron Pur Sport maximum lateral dynamics. And the Bolide is the most extreme Bugatti of modern times with its weight-to-power ratio of 0.67 kg/PS.”
Looking ahead, we know to expect the arrival of a Golf R wagon (or Variant), with prototypes having already been spotted on public roads undergoing testing. That car is probably too far along in its development for Ellrott to add anything to the mix, as is the 2022 ID.4 GTX, which will stand as VW’s first-ever high-performance electric crossover.
Word has it the ID.4 GTX will put down some 302 HP and 339 lb-ft (460 Nm) of torque, hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) in 6.2 seconds. It’s not slow, but it’s not going to get any former Bugatti employee’s blood pumping either – especially one who considers himself to be a “Bugatti enthusiast at heart.”
Meanwhile, Ellrott will be replaced by Gregor Gries, former Head of Powertrain Development at Bugatti, in an interim capacity.
The very thought of this man having the final say in the development of future compact models that mere mortals can actually afford is pretty exciting, especially with VW focusing most of its resources on electric mobility. Of course, at this time it’s unclear if Ellrott will preside over all future compact-class passenger cars (including ID models), or just the likes of the Golf, Tiguan or T-Roc.
“Over the past four years, my team and I have pushed the boundaries of what is technically feasible at Bugatti. From a developer’s point of view, each one of the hyper sports cars has its unique challenges,” he explains. “With the Divo, we reinterpreted modern coachbuilding. With the Chiron Super Sport 300+, we became the first series manufacturer to exceed the 300-mile-per-hour mark. We gave the Chiron Pur Sport maximum lateral dynamics. And the Bolide is the most extreme Bugatti of modern times with its weight-to-power ratio of 0.67 kg/PS.”
Looking ahead, we know to expect the arrival of a Golf R wagon (or Variant), with prototypes having already been spotted on public roads undergoing testing. That car is probably too far along in its development for Ellrott to add anything to the mix, as is the 2022 ID.4 GTX, which will stand as VW’s first-ever high-performance electric crossover.
Word has it the ID.4 GTX will put down some 302 HP and 339 lb-ft (460 Nm) of torque, hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) in 6.2 seconds. It’s not slow, but it’s not going to get any former Bugatti employee’s blood pumping either – especially one who considers himself to be a “Bugatti enthusiast at heart.”
Meanwhile, Ellrott will be replaced by Gregor Gries, former Head of Powertrain Development at Bugatti, in an interim capacity.
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