The Bugatti EB 118 was the first concept car developed by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. after the Volkswagen Group took over the marque. The two-door coupé was presented at the 1998 Paris Motor Show, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign.
Bugatti EB 118 at a glance
| Maker | Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. |
|---|---|
| Class | two-door coupé concept |
| Debut | Paris Motor Show, 1998 |
| Designer | Giorgetto Giugiaro, Italdesign |
| Engine | W18, three banks of six cylinders |
| Power | 555 hp (414 kW; 563 PS) |
| Torque | 649 N·m (479 lb·ft) |
| Drive | permanent four-wheel drive |
| Wheels | drive taken from the Lamborghini Diablo VT |
| Production | none, stayed a concept |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article.
History of the Bugatti EB 118
A new start for Bugatti
The EB 118 was the first concept car built by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. It was a two-door coupé presented at the 1998 Paris Motor Show, and Bugatti commissioned its design from Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign. The car was meant to show what a modern Bugatti could look like after the Italian EB 110 era.
Design
The shape was intended to echo two classic Bugattis, the 1931 Type 50 and the 57SC Atlantic. The most obvious reference is a longitudinal rib running along the body, which repeats the central body seam of the Atlantic.
Engine
Power came from a Volkswagen-designed W18 engine of 555 hp (414 kW; 563 PS) and 649 N·m. It had three banks of six cylinders with a sixty-degree offset between each bank. The same powertrain, with permanent four-wheel drive taken from the Lamborghini Diablo VT, was later used in the 1999 EB 218 and the 1999 18/3 Chiron.
Why it was never built
After Paris, Bugatti showed the EB 118 together with its four-door counterpart, the EB 218, at the Geneva and Tokyo motor shows of 1999. The design was already production-ready, but Bugatti decided to concentrate on a sports car based on the 18/3 Chiron concept of 1999. The EB 118 therefore stayed a concept car and never went into production.
Design and features
- W18 engine: three banks of six cylinders producing 555 hp.
- Four-wheel drive: a permanent system borrowed from the Lamborghini Diablo VT.
- Atlantic rib: a longitudinal body rib referencing the Type 57SC Atlantic.
- Production-ready design: the body could have been built, but the project was dropped.
Bugatti EB 118 versions
- EB 118 coupé (1998): the only version, a two-door concept.
- EB 218 (1999): the four-door saloon developed alongside it.
- 18/3 Chiron (1999): a sports car that used the same W18 and four-wheel drive.
The EB 118 shared its engine with the four-door EB 218, and its body rib refers back to the Type 57. More cars are in the Bugatti collection.
Sources
- Bugatti EB 118, English Wikipedia: design, debut, powertrain
