Leaving the keys inside a Bugatti Chiron sounds like an invitation to trouble. For Mate Rimac, it had apparently become routine around company premises. That habit has now changed after someone drove off in his car and crossed two borders before police caught up.
The Bugatti boss shared the story on Instagram (seen below), explaining how an employee’s sighting, live vehicle data and a hastily assembled group chat helped recover the missing hypercar.
An Employee Spotted The Chiron Leaving
According to Rimac, the Chiron was parked at a company building in Croatia with its keys inside when someone took it.
An employee noticed the car speeding away, prompting colleagues to check who was driving. Once they established that nobody recognised the person behind the wheel, the police were alerted.
What initially looked like an unexpected departure quickly became an international search. Reports confirm the Chiron travelled through Slovenia before being recovered in Austria.
Live Telemetry Helped Track The Stolen Bugatti
The driver had taken the car, but Bugatti could still follow its movements.
Rimac says the Chiron’s telemetry supplied its location, speed and fuel level, allowing his team to share updates with police as it headed towards Slovenia.
With the driver already around an hour ahead, Rimac set off in his Porsche 911. Meanwhile, friends and colleagues coordinated with officers through a group chat, passing on the car’s latest position.
Austrian Police Brought The Journey To An End
As the fuel level dropped, Rimac hoped a refuelling stop would give police a chance to intercept the Chiron. He says the driver added roughly half a tank and continued, although his suggestion that the fuel went unpaid was speculation.
The journey eventually ended in Austria. Rimac credits Austrian police with recovering the car, explaining that an officer in the group chat was receiving regular location updates.
Separate reports place the recovery at a filling station near Seiersberg, alongside Austria’s A9 motorway. The vehicle was subsequently returned to its owner.
Rimac Changes His Approach To Car Keys
Rimac says he chose not to pursue a complaint himself because he felt sorry for the person involved. However, reports indicate that the suspect admitted the theft and will face criminal proceedings.
There will also be a practical change at the factory: keys will no longer be left lying around.
For a car that attracts attention wherever it goes, including when Bugatti examples arrived in South Africa, disappearing quietly was always going to be difficult. Live tracking made it harder still.