Rimac stated that the theft was discovered after a witness alerted company staff. Using the vehicle’s live telemetry system, Rimac tracked the car’s movement toward Slovenia before it entered Austria. Rimac pursued the vehicle in a Porsche 911, noting the thief had a one-hour head start. Despite the Chiron’s superior performance, the thief ran low on fuel and stopped to refuel in Austria, where Austrian police intervened.
The suspect was detained by Austrian authorities. Rimac reported meeting the individual at a police station, where the suspect alleged he had entered the facility to ask for a job and saw the keys. Rimac stated he initially did not intend to press charges and had offered the suspect a ride home, but legal proceedings were initiated due to the vehicle’s extreme value. Police from both Croatia and Austria are prosecuting the case.
The Chiron Sport is powered by an 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine producing 1,500 horsepower and 1,600 Newton-meters of torque. The vehicle was parked in an unfenced, open section of the campus, accessible to the public. The recovery involved a multinational police operation, with officers from both countries coordinating the seizure of the vehicle and the detention of the suspect. The car has been returned to Rimac, and the suspect remains in custody pending legal action.
This incident highlights the vulnerabilities of high-value assets in open industrial parks and the efficacy of modern vehicle telemetry in cross-border theft investigations. The case is currently under criminal investigation in both jurisdictions, with no further public statements regarding sentencing or specific legal charges filed to date.
