14 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 2 1 AUGUST 2019
B
ugatti has paid homage
to the landmark EBsupercar with the
Centodieci, the latest
limited-edition model based on
the Chiron.
Introduced in 1991, the EB
was the first car launched by
Bugatti following its revival by
Italian businessman Romano
Artioli. While not a commercial
success, with just 118 examples
made before Bugatti went
bankrupt in 1995, it did
signpost the future direction of
the firm after it was bought by
the Volkswagen Group in 1998.
Revealed at Pebble Beach,
the Centodieci – meaning 110 in
Italian – features a number of
elements inspired by the EB110,
including a similar grille design,
a windscreen that wraps
around an invisible A-pillar and
a five-aperture side air intake.
“We think [the EB110] should
not be forgotten. It was the
start of a trilogy [preceding
the Chiron and Veyron],”
Bugatti design director Achim
Anscheidt told Autocar.
Like the Divo that was shown
at Pebble Beach last year, the
Centodieci will offer a more
exclusive take on the Chiron’s
mechanical package. It uses
the same 8.0-litre quad-
turbocharged W16 engine,
tuned to deliver 1577bhp – up
from the Chiron’s 1478bhp.
Bugatti also claims a 20kg
weight reduction.
According to Bugatti,
the Centodieci has a 2.4sec
0-62mph time, covers
0-124mph in 6.1sec and can
reach 186mph from rest in
13.1sec – 0.5sec quicker than
the time claimed for the
Chiron. The car is limited to
236mph, compared with
261mph for the Chiron.
Aerodynamic changes
include a sizeable rear wing,
with Bugatti claiming peak
downforce of 90kg. That is
relatively modest by hypercar
standards but, like other
Bugattis, the Centodieci
is designed for high-speed
stability rather than track pace.
The firm claims the Centodieci
can deliver similar lateral
acceleration to that of the Divo.
The Centodieci will be
considerably more expensive
than the Chiron. Just 10 will be
built, with the price starting
a t £ 7. 4 m i l l i o n b efo r e t a x. A l l
were sold before the car wasofficially revealed.
MIKE DUFF
Bugatti unveils £7.4m special
Slim headlights and
wraparound screen
are nods to the EB
Aero kit generates a
maximum 90kg
of downforce
Ten examples of the EB110-inspired, Chiron-based, 1577bhp Centodieci will be built
ACHIM ANSCHEIDT, BUGATTI DESIGN DIRECTOR
Where did you draw most
inspiration from?“The EB110 has the classic
wedge shape of a supercar at
that time. If you look at the
side profile of the Centodieci,
you see this kind of wedge
line implemented into the
car, also the wraparound
windshield and the narrow
eye face.”
Will limited editions be
a co n t i n u i n g p a r t o f t h e
Bugatti strategy?
“When [boss] Stefan
Winkelmann joined, he
initiated the possibility
of one-off and few-off
development using the
technical basis of the Chiron.
That was liberating. We have
done the Divo, La Voiture
Noire and now this. In the
design department, we
always thought the EB110 was
a su p e r c a r th a t d e s e r ve s n o t
to be forgotten.”
Should we expect other
h i s t o ri c a l c a r s t o s e r ve
as inspiration for future
projects?
“We have no shortage of
inspiration, but the strategy
of a design department
should not only be triggered
by h i sto r y. We l ove th e s e
projects, but we must also
do projects where we look
forward.”
Q&A WHAT WAS THE EB 110?
The EB110 had a troubled
gestation. Bugatti bossRomano Artioli wasn’t
happy with Marcello
Gandini’s original wedge
design, roping in architect
Giampaolo Benedini for
the finished version.
With a carbonfibre
monocoque and
all-wheel drive, it was
powered by a 60-valve
V12 engine producing
553bhp – at the time
b e t te r e d o n l y by th e
McLaren F1.
But it arrived just as
the supercar bubble burst
and few were willing to pay
the £285,500 asking price.
Autocar road tested a GT
model in 1994, recording a
0-60mph time of 4.5sec and
a 9.6sec for 0-100mph.
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