Bugatti chose today's Quail Motorsports Gathering at Monterey Car Week to take the wraps off its latest hypercar, the Centodieci.



The Centodieci pays homage to the Bugatti EB110 built in the 1990s. "With the Centodieci, we pay homage to the EB110 super sports car which was built in the 1990s and is very much a part of our tradition-steeped history," says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. "With the EB110, Bugatti catapulted itself to the top of the automotive world once again after 1956 with a new model."
"The challenge was not to allow oneself to be captivated too much by the design of the historic vehicle and work solely in retrospect, but instead to create a modern interpretation of the shape and technology of that time," says Achim Anscheidt, Head Designer at Bugatti.
Only ten EB110 tribute Centodiecis will be built, and all of them are already sold at €8,000,000 (plus VAT) – that's US$8.8 million apiece.
"We faced a number of technical challenges in terms of the development and design of the Centodieci," says Anscheidt. "The EB110 is a very flat, wedge-shaped and graphically quasi two-dimensional super sports car of the late 1980s. Transporting this classic look into the new millennium without copying it was technically complex, to say the least. We had to create a new way of combining the complex aerothermal requirements of the underlying Chiron technology with a completely different aesthetic appearance."
The flat, horseshoe-shaped radiator at the front reveals its depth only from the side view, with the newly developed, deep-seated front spoiler and the three-section air intakes providing a perfect match. The front of the Centodieci drops very low. The iconic Bugatti horseshoe has been reduced accordingly, while the Bugatti logo Macaron sits on the hood, which is interrupted at the centre by a black element. "This allowed us to rekindle memories of EB110," says Anscheidt. The optimized front section with the extended front splitter and the airflow through the hood further improve the car's aerodynamics.
The front is subordinated to the generally low geometry of the vehicle, despite its original, predominant cooling surface. The newly developed, complex and very narrow headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights provide the perfect match. Thanks to the newly developed lighting elements, we were stylistically free in the front and rear sections to pay respectful homage to the EB110 while at the same time transposing this appealing visual reminiscence into modern technology," says Anscheidt.
"We incorporated the wedge-shaped design in the development process but we took it in a new direction," says the designer. Instead of copying the classic Italian wedge in which the muscle runs from the rear to the front wheel, suggesting a dynamic leap forward, Bugatti strikes out on a new path in the Centodieci. The otherwise dominant Bugatti line, the C line on the B pillar, gives way to a new design Significantly smaller than the Chiron, five round air inserts – positioned in the form of a diamond – ensure sufficient air intake for the iconic 16-cylinder engine. In this way, Bugatti has brought forward the visually leaping wedge of the EB110 SS into a new millennium."

16-cylinder 1,600 hp engine

The Centodieci features the same 8.0-liter W16 engine we have previously seen in all new era Bugattis, though this time with 1,176 kW/1,600 hp at 7,000 rpm. The Centodieci can reach 100 km/h in 2.4 seconds, 200 km/h in 6.1 seconds and to 300 km/h in 13.1 seconds, with the top speed limited to 380 km/h.
"It's not just the top speed that makes a hyper sports car. With the Centodieci, we once again demonstrate that design, quality and performance are just as important," says Winkelmann.
Compared to the Chiron, the Centodieci saves 20 kilograms of unladen weight. Among other things, a lightweight windscreen wiper and stabilizers made of carbon are used. This enables a sensational power-to-weight ratio of just 1.13 kilograms per horsepower. "The increased power and lower weight further improve performance – for even better acceleration at high speeds. The Centodieci offers our customers an improved power-to-weight ratio and even more dynamic handling," says Winkelmann.
Source: Bugatti