Mate Rimac builds some of the quickest cars on earth, yet his own Bugatti Chiron just proved that the fastest way to lose one is to leave the key inside. On October 28, 2026, it vanished from the open outdoor area of the Rimac campus near Zagreb. The key was there on purpose, though. Staff often need to move his cars or take them testing while he’s in meetings, so for years the Chiron, the Nevera and the rest have waited with keys inside. It saves hunting for the boss, which is sensible right up until a stranger turns up. “The guy just walked in and drove off,” Rimac said in a clip posted to Instagram.
Nobody panicked at first, since friends and colleagues regularly drive the Chiron. Then someone noticed an unfamiliar face at the wheel and started messaging around. That face belonged to a man who had come to the campus looking for a job. By Rimac’s count the thief had roughly an hour’s head start.
Police were called and the team checked telemetry showing the car’s location, speed and fuel level. Rimac set off in his Porsche 911, tank full. The route crossed Croatia, Slovenia and Austria, with Austrian police confirming entry at Spielfeld. The thief later admitted he was headed to Germany, and the map backs him up, since the road beyond Graz points north toward Linz and the German border. An Austrian officer even joined the team’s group chat for live updates.
Bugatti has documented a telemetry system watching about 10,000 signals, offering remote diagnosis, concierge help and stolen-vehicle tracking through mobile networks and an onboard communications box. Owner consent and cell coverage are part of the deal. One earlier example saw a Molsheim technician warn a Gulf customer about low tyre pressure from almost 3,700 miles away. That does make Bugatti’s telemetry a rather good bloodhound.
Police found the Chiron shortly after 7 p.m. at a gas station south of Graz, and arrested a 36-year-old Croatian man. Austrian police said on October 29 that he confessed, the car was back with its owner, and he faces proceedings without being held in custody. Rimac’s caption on the CCTV clip on his social media, “Hmm, anyone looking?”, is easily the week’s best understatement. He also told would-be copycats that the car is useless without the company anyway. For future reference, that’s a point that has been disproved by another YouTuber who managed to fix a wrecked Bugatti without factory support, but the point stands.
