In the year that Bugatti celebrates its 110th anniversary it embraces the EB 110 as a genuine part of Bugatti heritage. The pinnacle of this newfound love for the Bugatti EB 110 is the Bugatti Centodieci introduced today at The Quail event during Monterey Car Week. We had the opportunity to attend a preview of the limited edition Centodieci at the old EB 110 factory in Campogalliano in Italy and here are our first impressions.
The Bugatti EB 110 shocked the supercar world in 1992 and the Chiron and Centodieci still use technologies first introduced on the EB 110 including all-wheel drive, quad turbochargers and a carbon fibre monocoque. It seems only right that Bugatti has now chosen to embrace the EB 110.
The Bugatti Centodieci is a Bugatti EB 110-inspired and Chiron-based hypercar. The name means 110 in Italian, a reference to both the 110th anniversary of Bugatti as well as the EB 110. The 8.0 liter W16 also found in the Bugatti Chiron has been tweaked to deliver 1,600hp. The Centodieci sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.4 seconds, to 200 km/h in 6.1 seconds and to 300 km/h in 13.1 seconds; the top speed is electronically limited at 380 km/h. The Centodieci is 20kg lighter than the Chiron. Thanks to the fixed rear wing and new rear diffuser the Centodieci provides 90kg of downforce and lateral acceleration on par with the Bugatti Divo.
The design is a homage to the EB 110 but Bugatti designer Achim Anscheidt makes clear it was not intended to be a direct modern copy of the rather 2D EB 110 exterior design. Instead more subtle references to the EB 110 are used including the unique five round air intakes and wedge shape stance. The result is a modern hypercar with a very sporty appearance.
The front features a smaller version of the typical Bugatti horseshoe with the logo placed above it rather than inside the horseshoe. The nose is much lower than the Chiron with a low front spoiler and two large air intakes with one horizontal divider – another reference to the EB 110. The new very narrow LED front headlights taper up towards the side of the vehicle and give the vehicle the looks of a fox. “Not intentional” says Achim Anscheidt but it happens more often that car design triggers associations with the animal world. To access the luggage space in the front the front bonnet has to be removed completely.
Look at the Centodieci from the side and you can see the short overhang and wedge shape clearly. The Chiron looks to lean back like a GT, the Centodieci like the EB 110 leans forward like a true exotic. The wheel design is inspired by that of the EB 110 but with a modern twist. The roofline drops sooner than on the Chiron creating a different door profile and slightly reduced space to get in and out of the car.
The Centodieci, unlike the Chiron, has a glass engine cover with two naca ducts feeding in air to the engine. The fixed rear wing can be adjusted manually. Underneath the wing is a large single ventilation outlet with eight LED rear light elements that appear to float. The double exhaust tail pipes on either side are mounted either side are mounted above each other and come in a black matt anodised finish. The tip of the diffuser blades and hull are painted in the body color but can be finished in black as well.
The Bugatti Centodieci prototype unveiled at The Quail in Monterey today does not have an interior yet. There are also no door handles but this will be a button hidden in the bottom front air inlet on the side. The interior will be largely the same as that of the Bugatti Chiron with Centodieci branding. “We do not want to mask the fact the Centodieci is based on the Chiron and the Chiron interior fits perfectly to the Centodieci as well” Achim Anscheidt adds.
The Centodieci is stricly limited to 10 pieces and carries a price tag of 8 million Euro. They have been offered exclusively to the best Bugatti customers and all have been sold. The 10 pieces, like the 50 Divos and one ‘La Voiture Noire’ come on top of the 500 Chirons produced. Production will start after the production of the Divo and La Voiture Noire has finished so the first lucky customers can expect their Bugatti Centodieci towards the end of 2021.