[VIDEO] CEO Says He Will Stop Leaving Keys In His Cars After RM12.26 Million Car Stolen
Now he'll think twice before leaving his car keys inside the car again.
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Bugatti chief executive officer Mate Rimac has vowed to stop leaving vehicle keys inside his supercars after thieves drove off with his USD3 million (RM12.26 million) Bugatti Chiron in Croatia
Modern vehicle theft has grown increasingly sophisticated in recent years. Most owners of high-end vehicles routinely lock their keys inside Faraday pouches or signal-blocking boxes to block relay-attack hacking devices.
Rimac, however, candidly admitted that he preferred convenience over complex security measures.
He explained in an Instagram post that he frequently left the keys inside the hypercar whenever parking in familiar locations, partly so his team members could easily reposition the vehicle whenever needed.
That casual routine unravelled during a recent visit to friends in Croatia, where thieves entered the property and drove away in the multimillion-dollar hypercar
"I have done that for years and nothing ever happened, of course, until something did happen now.
"So, I will not do that anymore, and do not try your luck. It will not happen again," Rimac said, cautioning would-be thieves that he has firmly abandoned the habit.
The hypercar magnate immediately initiated his own pursuit, using the vehicle's onboard telemetry data to track its movements while giving chase behind the wheel of a Porsche 911.
Rimac alerted law enforcement authorities during the cross-border chase. However, officers only managed to intercept and recover the Chiron once the perpetrator entered neighbouring Austria.
The Bugatti Chiron.
Image via CnetThe suspect later told interrogators that he had initially arrived at the premises seeking employment, but could not resist the temptation once he noticed the ignition key sitting unattended in the car
Despite the car sustaining minor cosmetic damage during the joyride, Rimac took the incident in stride.
He stated that he harboured no personal grudge against the perpetrator and had no plans to pursue private charges.
"Just the fact that he stole a Bugatti, and especially this one, told me that this guy has problems.
"He damaged the car a bit. It is okay. I do not care; we will repair it," Rimac stated.
To dispel any lingering online speculation that the incident might have been an elaborate publicity stunt, Rimac subsequently published CCTV footage of the theft on his official Instagram account
The video clearly depicted how smoothly the suspect walked up to the unguarded car and drove away.
Watch the CCTV footage below:
