The homage to the marque’s EB110 of the 1990s will be
limited to only 10 examples.
As competition in the hypercar hierarchy redlines when it
comes to power, performance and price, one automaker seems to keep cornering
the market on bar-raising models. “If it’s comparable, it’s not a Bugatti,”
once quipped Ettore Bugatti, founder of his eponymous, 110-year-old French
marque. “Each one is a unique specimen in its own right. Unique—and not
comparable. If at all, then only among each other.” That claim of dominance was
renewed this morning with the debut of the Bugatti Centodieci during the Quail,
A Motorsports Gathering at the Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel Valley,
California.
Bugatti’s reflection of the EB110 through today’s 1,600 hp
lens.
Although sharing common styling and engineering
characteristics with its Chiron and Divo siblings, the latest in Bugatti’s
lineup traces its DNA directly back to an example from another era, the Bugatti
EB110. “We are proud of our long Bugatti history, of which the EB110 is very
much a part,” mentioned Stephan Winkelmann, Bugatti’s CEO, in a released
statement. “That’s why we’re celebrating a reinterpretation of this
extraordinary vehicle with the Centodieci—Italian for 110.”
The Centodieci’s five air intakes match those of its
predecessor.
The EB110 was developed under the mandate of Romano Artioli
who had aspirations of bringing Bugatti back to its former glory after, for all
intents and purposes, a nearly four-decade hiatus. Initially designed by
Marcello Gandini, it was revised prior to production by Giampaolo Benedini and
unveiled in 1991 to commemorate Ettore Bugatti’s 110th birthday—hence the
nomenclature. Only 139 examples were built at the Artiolo-commissioned plant in
Campogalliano, Italy, before it was shuttered in 1995 for reasons both market
and management related. Despite the company’s demise—until resurrected by the
Volkswagen Group roughly three years later—the EB110 put the industry on
notice, and its innovation and influence took center stage once again in the
car presented today.
The 1990’s-era Bugatti EB110.
For the Centodieci, Bugatti’s head designer Achim Anscheidt
and his team enhanced the overall design language of the EB110 with aerodynamic
and functional changes necessary for today’s cutting-edge power trains.
Compared to the more voluptuous curves of Bugatti’s recent offerings, the
sharper, more angular aesthetic of the 1990s supercar is still recognizable in
the new vehicle, but its lines and sculpting are more refined and subdued.
Most noticeable is the Centodieci’s minimized C line that so
defines the flanks and facilitates air flow on the Chiron and Divo. All but
replacing that signature feature are five round air intakes on each side, the
same as the EB110. In addition, the front horseshoe grill has also been reduced
in size. At the highly ventilated back, a light bar with eight illuminated
sections replaces the two oval rear lights of the earlier car, and four exhaust
pipes stacked in pairs on each side take the place of the original two. The
Centodieci’s rear wing also reflects that of its predecessor but can be
adjusted.
A new light bar, tail-pipe configuration and adjustable rear
wing depart from the EB110.
To be expected, most all of the changes to form function to
control and cool an 8.0-liter W-16 engine—displayed under glass—packed with
1,600 hp, as opposed to the EB110’s 3.5-liter V-12 with 603 hp (in the most
souped-up version). The Centodieci, which weighs 44 pounds less than the Chiron
and has a power-to-weight ratio of 2.86 pounds per hp, crushes zero to 62 mph
in 2.4 seconds and runs with 100 more horses than both the Chiron and Divo. And
while the Chiron tops out at 452 Kmh (261 mph), the Centodieci keeps pace with the Divo
at 380 kmh (236 mph), sharing the latter’s emphasis on lateral acceleration.
The 1,600 hp W-16 engine prominently displayed.
To be manufactured in Molsheim, France, the Bugatti
Centodieci will be limited to only 10 examples, each priced at a minimum of €8
million (plus VAT). The first deliveries are expected in 2021.
Photos: Courtesy of Bugatti.
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