On Wednesday, Oct. 29, Mate Rimac, the founder and CEO of the Rimac Group, parked his dark-blue Bugatti Chiron at the company’s open-air campus in Croatia and, as he often does, left the keys inside the vehicle. The practice, described by Rimac as “super super safe” because of Croatia’s perceived security, allows engineers and staff to hop into the hypercar for quick tests. However, the unrestricted access turned the parking spot into an invitation for an unexpected thief.
Security cameras captured a hooded individual strolling around the back of the campus, finishing a cigarette before casually opening the driver’s door. He slipped inside, started the engine, and rolled out of the facility without drawing immediate attention. Within minutes, the Rimac team realized the hypercar was missing and alerted local police. Using the car’s built-in telemetry system, Rimac himself tracked the live location and learned the Chiron was heading toward the Slovenian border.
From Croatia to Austria: the international pursuit
Determined to reclaim his prized machine, Rimac jumped into a nearby Porsche 911 and gave chase. The telemetry feed displayed speed, fuel level, and GPS coordinates, allowing authorities in both Croatia and Slovenia to coordinate a cross-border pursuit. The thief, described as a man in his mid-30s, fled first into Slovenia, then crossed into Austria where he stopped for fuel at a gas station. Police in Austria located the vehicle, arrested the driver, and secured the Chiron with only a scuffed carbon-fiber splitter as visible damage.
Owner’s reaction and the legal fallout
After the arrest, Rimac traveled to the Austrian police station to identify his car. The thief claimed he had arrived at the Rimac Campus looking for a job, spotted the unlocked Chiron, and impulsively decided to drive it to Germany. While Rimac expressed bemusement—laughing that the man tried to shift blame onto him—he also confirmed that charges would be filed in both Croatia and Austria given the vehicle’s seven-figure value. The incident underscored that even in a country perceived as ultra-safe, leaving a high-value vehicle unlocked with the keys inside is a serious security lapse.
The recovered Chiron will undergo repairs to its front splitter, and Rimac publicly announced that he will no longer leave keys in his cars, regardless of how safe the environment feels. The episode has become a cautionary tale for executive fleets worldwide, highlighting the importance of strict key-management protocols even in seemingly low-risk settings.
