Mat Armstrong's Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport repair became so controversial CEO Mate Rimac had to address it
Published on Jul 09, 2026 at 3:06 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jul 09, 2026 at 3:06 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
Mat Armstrong’s Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport repair has been the stuff of YouTube legend – even CEO Mate Rimac has weighed in on the saga.
The story of Armstrong’s efforts to fix up this Pur Sport has been something of a never-ending story.
He’s documented practically every twist and turn for his audience.
So it’s no wonder that this eventually made its way onto Rimac’s radar and he responded.
For a long while, Mat Armstrong was trying to fix this Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport independently
The story began when YouTube automotive giant Mat Armstrong was brought in to fix a Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport hypercar that had been bought from a salvage auction.
Anyone with a passing familiarity of his content will know that he’s always up for an automotive challenge.
But even by his standards, this was a toughie.
Bugatti locked the VIN, meaning that no dealership would supply the parts to support the rebuild.
And that’s not forgetting the damage on the supercar itself, which was substantial.
The story has been going on for so long that viewers are bringing up the situation on unrelated videos, whether it’s to do with factory tours or others fixing up Pur Sports.
At any rate, Armstrong has been toiling away, and Rimac eventually spoke up.
What did Mate Rimac have to say about the whole saga?
Armstrong had put out an SOS, pleading for support from Bugatti.
The car had been blacklisted from receiving parts, and Armstrong had discovered two huge tears in the transmission mounts.
This prompted a response from the Bugatti CEO, who took to Instagram to address the matter in a video.
“There’s been a lot of talk about Bugatti service, repair, and maintenance costs online,” he said.
“And most of what you hear is simply not true.”
While he acknowledged that owning a Bugatti could be expensive, he claimed that a lot of the prices for parts doing the rounds on the internet were incorrect.
Rimac then proceeded to go through various parts and list their costs.
One thing that he was crystal clear on was that Bugatti parts couldn’t be 3D printed.
The Chiron Pur Sport is such a complex car to fix, the argument goes, that it would need to be repaired at Bugatti’s factory in France.
In fact, it’d need to be split in half to be repaired properly.
However, after months of work, Armstrong’s latest video revealed he’s now able to test drive the Chiron – but it’s far from finished.
Timeline of Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport
2018 – 2019: Bugatti develops a track-focused, lightweight Chiron variant emphasizing agility and downforce.
March 2020: The Chiron Pur Sport was unveiled.
Late 2020: Production begins.
2021: Customer deliveries begin.
2024: All 60 units built as Bugatti transitioned to its next hybrid successor.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
