Production 1993 Layout F4 layout | Body style 4-door fastback saloon | |
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Manufacturer Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. Designer Giorgetto Giugiaro (ItalDesign) Class Full-size luxury car (F) | ||
The Bugatti EB 112 4-door fastback saloon is the stillborn concept car presented by Bugatti Automobile S.p.A. in 1993. Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign designed the EB 112. The EB 112 features a 450 horsepower V12 engine and permanent four-wheel drive.
Contents
Design
Bugatti commissioned Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign to create a full-size saloon version of the Bugatti EB 110 supercar. The result was the EB 112, which was a retro-styled four-door fastback saloon reminiscent of older Bugatti models, such as the well-known type 57 Galiber. The body was made entirely of aluminium, with a carbon chassis. An update of the EB 112 was created in 1999, the EB 218. The EB 218 is longer than the EB 112 and the hood, bumpers and lights differ from those of the EB 112. It also featured a W18 engine instead of the EB 112's V12 engine.
Debut
Bugatti debuted the EB 112 in March 1993, at the Geneva Motor Show. It received mixed reviews due to its unconventional design, however Automobile had named the car "The most beautiful car in the world" when it was released.
Production
Since the Bugatti EB 112 was a concept car and a stillborn project, it never reached actual production by the company. There are at least two built, one red and one black, however images of a third blue one have appeared. Each of the concepts are slightly different, as the red car has bumper integrated taillights opposed to the black and the blue's taillights which are placed above the rear bumper. The blue one differs from the black one because it has more aerodynamic enhancements, such as a subtle front splitter and a rear lip spoiler just below the rear window. Unfortunately due to the company's bankruptcy in 1995, the production-ready car was never officially released to the public, and the 4-door Bugatti concept remains a stillborn project.
Successors
The EB 112 had several cars meant to be an evolution of its 4-door design. The first is the Bugatti EB 218, with a W18 engine and larger dimensions. The Bugatti 16C Galibier, a concept luxury car built in 2009 and the Porsche Panamera, another product of the Volkswagen Auto Group, which has a very similar fastback sedan style.
Powertrain
Power comes from a Volkswagen-designed, 450 hp (336 kW) and 479 lb·ft (650 Nm), V12 engine. The EB 112 V12 engine featured 5 valves per cylinder, and has a displacement of 6.0 litres opposed to the EB110's 3.5 litres. The engine is placed behind the front wheels, more towards the center of the car inside of the wheelbase to have a much better weight distribution. The EB 112 features permanent all-wheel drive. The car can reach 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds and has a claimed top speed of 300 km/h.
Owners
A black EB 112, owned by Gildo Pallanca Pastor, the current CEO and owner of the French car company Venturi, was spotted being driven around in Monaco in 2013. There are also rumors that Giugiaro has had an EB 112 built for him.