In the summer of 2019, Bugatti unveiled the breathtaking Centodieci, a limited-edition homage to a 90s supercar that sold out in a few hours. Now, two years on, the luxury marque has dropped the curtain on the very first prototype for series development, setting the wheels in motion for production.
Limited to 10 just examples, the multimillion-dollar hypercar pays homage to Bugatti’s 110-year history (Centodieci means 110 in Italian) as well as Romano Artioli’s iconic EB110.
While the Centodieci features similar engineering to its limited-edition siblings, the Chiron and Divo, its angular styling is akin to the classically 90s ride albeit a little more refined. It has the EB110’s signature angular silhouette, along with the same glass engine cover, small horseshoe grille and five round side air vents.
There are, of course, modern touches. At the rear, the Centodieci is fitted with a light bar instead of its predecessor’s two oval lights and four exhaust pipes instead of the original two. The rear wing also reflects that of the EB110 but can be adjusted if desired.
Naturally, it’s way more powerful, too. Under the hood, the Centodieci is equipped with an 8.0-litre W-16 engine that is expected to produce a staggering 1,600 hp and propel the four-wheeler from zero to 62 mph in 2.4 seconds. The EB110’s 3.5-litre V-12, on the other hand, churns out just 603 hp in the most souped-up version. The Centodieci is also 44 pounds lighter than the Chiron and packs 100 more horses than both the Chiron and Divo.
“Our aim was to create a modern interpretation of the shape and technology of that time: but at the same time, we didn’t want to lose the charm and character of the EB 110,” Achim Anscheidt, design director at Bugatti, said in a statement.
Needless to say, each Centodieci requires a painstaking amount of work and undergoes body, aerodynamic, engine and transmission calculations before countless tests and simulations occur. At the same time, the design team checks the styling is on point. Basically, the team needs to ensure the rolling chassis is capable of all drivetrain functions and the car’s exterior can handle that gutsy engine.
“In the next few months, in addition to building the exterior and running more advanced simulations in the wind tunnel, we’re very much looking forward to going out on the test track to start tuning the chassis,” André Kullig, Bugatti’s technical project manager for one-offs, added.
Bugatti expects the US$9.6 million (about RM39 million) hand-crafted Centodieci hypercars will roll out to the 10 lucky customers next year.
Previously published on Robb Report.
