Class Sports car (S) | Body style 2-door coupé | |
 | ||
Manufacturer Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. Production 1991–1995 (139 produced) Assembly Campogalliano, Modena, Italy Designer Marcello Gandini (prototypes)
Giampaolo Benedini (final design) | ||
The Bugatti EB 110 was a mid-engine sports car produced by Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. from 1991 to 1995, when the company went bankrupt. It was the only production model made by Romano Artioli's Italian incarnation of Bugatti.
Contents
History
The Bugatti EB 110 was unveiled on 15 September 1991, in both Versailles and in front of the Grande Arche de la Défense in Paris, exactly 110 years after Ettore Bugatti's birth.
In 1992, a lighter and more powerful model with 612 PS (450 kW; 604 hp) at 8250 rpm, the EB 110 SS ("Supersport") was introduced. This car is capable of 216 mph (348 km/h) and 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds.
Early in 1994 Formula One driver Michael Schumacher purchased a yellow EB 110 SS, giving the company a great deal of publicity. Schumacher retained the car until 2003.
Derek Hill, son of American Formula One champion Phil Hill, was one of three drivers on a team that competed with an EB 110 in the United States at the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona.
Hard times hit the company in 1995 and, as result of chairman Artioli's over-ambitious purchase of Lotus in addition to the company's quest to develop the EB112 four door car, the company was bankrupt. Dauer Racing GmbH of Nuremberg, Germany, bought the semi-finished EB 110 cars in the assembly plant plus the parts inventory through the bankruptcy trustee. The remaining chassis and a version of the engine were later developed by B Engineering into their Edonis sports car.
Specifications
The car has a 60-valve, quad-turbo V12 fed through 12 individual throttle bodies, powering all four wheels through a six-speed gearbox. The 3.5 L (3499 cc) engine has a bore of 81 mm (3.2 in) and a stroke of 56.6 mm (2.23 in) and is capable of 560 PS (410 kW; 550 hp) at 8000 rpm. Acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes 3.2 seconds, and the GT has a top speed of 213 mph (343 km/h).
The car uses a double wishbone suspension, with the chassis built by Aérospatiale, an aircraft company, and made from carbon fibre. Equipped with Gandini's trademark scissor doors, it has a glass engine cover that provides a view of the V12 engine along with a speed-sensitive electronic rear wing that can be raised at the flick of a switch.
Performance
Auto, Motor und Sport tested the 412 kW (560 PS) Bugatti EB 110 GT with the following results:
The French magazine sport auto reached 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.5 s, 0–1000 m in 21.2 s and a top speed of 338 km/h (210 mph).
Autocar tested the EB 110 GT on 16 March 1994:
Road & Track tested a Bugatti EB 110 SS with 611 bhp:
The testers suspected that the acceleration numbers could be lowered considerably by using the clutch more recklessly than they did.
The French magazine sport auto measured 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.3 s, 0–400 m in 11.0 s, 0–1000 m in 19.8 s and a top speed of 351 km/h (218 mph).
B Engineering Edonis
The B Engineering Edonis is based on the Bugatti EB 110 SS but has been extensively re-engineered, retaining little more than the carbon-fiber chassis from the original Bugatti. Both the exterior and interior of the car have been completely redesigned. The 3.5 liter Bugatti engine has had its displacement increased from 3500 cc to 3760 cc. The original four small IHI turbochargers have been replaced by two larger units from the same manufacturer. Engine power has been boosted from 450 kW (603 hp) and 650 N·m (480 lb·ft) of torque to 500 kW (671 hp) at 8000 rpm and 735 N·m (542 lb·ft).
In addition, the 4WD triple-differential drivetrain from the original Bugatti has been replaced with a much simpler and lighter RWD transaxle, thus saving approximately 70 kg (154 lb) from the total weight. These power figures give the 1,500 kg (3,307 lb) Edonis a power-to-weight ratio of 480 bhp/ton. In addition, the engine's specific power output is an unprecedented 181 bhp/liter. The brand claims a maximum speed of 365 km/h (227 mph), while accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds.
Plans are for B Engineering to build only 21 vehicles from chassis originally built for Bugatti by Aérospatiale (most of the remaining chassis delivered to Bugatti prior to their bankruptcy were delivered to Jochen Dauer when he purchased the assets of the company).
As well as the Edonis, B Engineering also provide spare parts and service for the EB 110.
Dauer EB 110
Dauer Sportwagen in Nuremberg, Germany, bought the remaining stock of EB 110 parts from the Bugatti factory. A complete spare parts catalogue, with exploded diagrams and part numbers is now available from Dauer Sportwagen. The company has used the few remaining incomplete chassis to produce the limited edition Dauer EB 110.
The company Dauer Sportwagen went bankrupt in 2008. All original Bugatti parts especially the high performance parts of the EB 110 SS and the equipment were bought in 2011 by the company Toscana-Motors GmbH (Kaiserslautern, Germany).
Motorsport
The EB 110 participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994. The car qualified a very competitive 17th overall and 5th in the GT1 class but did not finish the race. The car is now on display at the Lohéac Automobile Museum. It also participated in the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona, but suffered a gearbox problem and did not finish.