Mate Rimac’s reported advice to European carmakers is to stop trying to outdo Chinese rivals on screen size, fewer buttons and charging speed, and stand apart through tactile controls and genuine materials. That is a strategy for differentiation—not proof that European brands cannot compete on technology, or that a luxury-only focus would work for every automaker.
What did Mate Rimac say European carmakers should do?
In an October 2, 2026 report, The Drive’s Jerry Perez quotes Rimac—identified there as president of Bugatti and Rimac Group and CEO of Bugatti Rimac—criticizing the impulse to compete on the same features as Chinese manufacturers. Rimac said: “What you should not do is try to do what everyone else is doing and what the Chinese are very hard to beat at; the biggest screens, less buttons, faster recharge times.”
His proposed alternative is to make the experience feel distinctive through physical touchpoints and materials. The report reproduces his examples: “Take leather, real materials, real stuff,” alongside a reference to a vintage Rolls-Royce interior. The underlying Instagram video was not independently checked; these remarks are attributed to Rimac as quoted by Perez.
How do the two strategies differ?
| Approach | What it emphasizes | Strategic idea |
|---|---|---|
| Feature-led competition, as Rimac characterizes it | Large screens, fewer physical buttons and faster charging | Compete on visible or measurable features where he says Chinese manufacturers are difficult to beat. |
| Luxury differentiation, as Rimac proposes it | Tactile controls, real materials and a more focused luxury identity | Give buyers a different kind of value rather than matching rivals feature for feature. |
This is Rimac’s strategic opinion, not an established finding about the capabilities of either region’s automakers. It also does not mean screens, software or charging cease to matter; the reported argument is that they should not be the only basis for differentiation.
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What does his Swiss-watch analogy claim?
Rimac invokes Swiss watchmaking as an example of concentrating on a high-value niche. In the reported speech, he claims that Swiss makers produce “5% of the world’s watches” but account for “90% of the profits in watchmaking.” The Drive report does not identify a study, organisation or year for those figures, so they should be understood as Rimac’s analogy—not as independently established market statistics.
Could a luxury focus work for every European automaker?
Perez’s counterpoint is that an approach built around a narrow high-end niche may not fit manufacturers whose ranges span several market segments. Mercedes sells beyond the very top of the luxury market, while Porsche’s Cayenne illustrates the importance of vehicles outside a narrow sports-car niche. Those examples raise a strategic question; they do not, by themselves, demonstrate what a change in positioning would do to either company’s finances.
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The practical tension is between distinctive products and the scale of a broad business. Tactile interiors and carefully chosen materials could help a brand give buyers a reason to choose it, but the reported argument does not establish that those qualities alone can support every model, customer or segment a large automaker serves.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should readers take from the argument?
Rimac is urging European brands to choose where they compete rather than imitate every rival’s product decisions. His prescription is clearest as a call for differentiation: emphasize physical design and perceived craftsmanship where those qualities fit the brand, while recognizing that a narrow luxury identity is not an obvious substitute for a broad range or technology competition.
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Read Jerry Perez’s report in The Drive for the reported remarks and his critique.
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