It may offer only one model, but Bugatti aims to amp up its appeal by rolling out a series of special, limited-edition models, the latest one making its debut during Pebble Beach Car Week.
Dubbed the Bugatti Centodieci, which translates into 110 and honors the brand’s 110th anniversary, it is the second special-edition model that Bugatti that the French brand has introduced this year. While its price tag, $8.9 million, might seem step, it’s a relative bargain compared to the Bugatti La Voiture Noire that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show last winter carrying a price tag of $18.7 million.
“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,” said Stephan Winkelmann, Bugatti’s president, referencing the first Bugatti that had been built in decades.
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Visually, the Centodieci is clearly derived from the Bugatti Chiron, the successor to the EB110, starting with the low, wide dimensions, the horseshoe grille and the character line running the length of the roof.
“We incorporated the (Chiron’s) wedge-shaped design in the development process, but we took it in a new direction,” said Bugatti designer Achim Anscheidt
But the horseshoe has been downsized, Winkelmann noted, to allow for larger air intakes to feed the special edition’s 8.0-liter W-16 engine. In the Centodieci it punches out a blinding 1,600 horsepower. That’s enough to launch the two-seater from 0-100 kmh (62 mph) in just 2.4 seconds, and hit 200 (125 mph) in 6.1 seconds.
Top speed is electronically limited to 380 kmh, or 213 mph. It is unclear if, as it has done with other models, Bugatti will make it possible to remove that limiter.
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Aerodynamics are critical to a car like the Centodieci, and the revised front end not only feeds that big W-16 – an engine design unique to Bugatti parent Volkswagen Group – but aso to improve performance and handling.
The special edition get what Winkelmann dubbed “a massive diffuser,” as well as a unique spoiler that adds another 200 pounds of downforce over the stock Bugatti Chiron.
In the brand’s typical manner, the focus was not only to improve performance but upgrade Centodiece luxurious nature. And, of course, that includes numerous customization options.
Bugatti plans to produce 10 of the new models, one reason it likely could hold prices down below $9 million, compared with the nearly $19 million one-off La Voiture Noire.
Going forward, look for the brand to introduce two special editions a year, noted Winkelmann.
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Separately, the executive confirmed to TheDetroitBureau.com that Bugatti is working on a “unique” crossover design that could double its basic line-up. But it has yet to get the necessary go-ahead – and funding from parent Volkswagen.
