RE: Only RHD Bugatti EB110 SS Prototype for sale

RE: Only RHD Bugatti EB110 SS Prototype for sale

Tuesday 14th March 2023

Only RHD Bugatti EB110 SS Prototype for sale

More powerful than the SS and the only one ever made as a right-hooker, this might be the EB110 holy grail...


It’s hard to fathom that for the best part of four decades, the Bugatti name lay dormant. Several attempts were made to revive the iconic French marque following the collapse of its motorcar business in 1952, including Roland Bugatti’s mid-engine Type 251 prototype that ran for 18 laps of the 1956 French Grand Prix before breaking down. But it wasn’t until ambitious Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli bought the rights to the Bugatti name in the late 1980s that we saw a true revival of the carmaker. And boy, did it come back with a bang.

Not only did the EB110’s brutal styling, designed by Marcello Gandini and Giampalo Bendini, set it apart from the more purposeful looks of the Ferrari F40 and the sleeker lines of the Porsche 959, but it had the performance to back it up. Sat in the middle was a dinky 3.5-litre V12 with four turbochargers strapped to it, sending 560hp to all four wheels in standard GT form for a top speed of 217hp. The Super Sport followed just six months later, with power cranked up to 612hp and 150kg of weight saving. This raised the EB110’s top speed to a blistering 221mph and, with it, a new production speed record.

Noticing that speed sells, Artioli devised a plan to build right-hand drive EB110s in a bid to ramp up sales in the UK and other markets that drive on the correct side of the road. Unfortunately, the company went bust in the mid-1990s, which many suspect was brought about by Artioli’s takeover of Lotus (resulting in officially the best sports car of the last 25 years), meaning the right-hooker EB110 never made it to series production. However, one did fall through the net, as Bugatti put together a right-hand drive prototype for the 1994 Geneva Motor Show. This is that very car, which is currently up for sale at DK Engineering.

A true one-of-one example, the RHD EB110 prototype is essentially a mishmash of elements from the GT and SS. It was originally shown with Super Sport bodywork, bar the GT-derived front wings, with SS Recaro bucket seats trimmed in dark blue leather. Clearly, it’s undergone some major work since then, with Bugatti replacing the front wings with SS parts for extra brake cooling, while the interior has been refitted with a more vibrant shade of blue. It also comes with several features that are “non-standard elements from the normal production” cars, but DK doesn’t mention what they are. Something it’ll surely tell you if you ring up to find out what’s hiding behind the POA.

Since its first appearance at the Geneva Motor Show, the car underwent a thorough testing programme (it’s a prototype, after all) before it landed in the hands of ex-Bugatti chairman Jean-Marc Borel. It was then sold to Dauer in 2001, where it was kitted out with a new rear spoiler that not only boosted downforce but also came with a rear-view camera. How practical! The big change, though, comes under the engine cover. The SS-spec V12 was treated to new pistons and turbos, bringing power up from 612hp to 645hp. The springs and dampers were also given a refresh, as were the brakes, so it ought to feel as though it’s just come from the factory, despite living life as Bugatti’s workhorse.

That being said, it has only covered 8,529 miles. Can’t exactly blame the previous owners for not taking a one-of-one supercar on grand tours around Europe, although it’s one of the few cars of this era where piling on the miles is unlikely to have much impact on its resale value. Whatever that may be. Unquestionably, it’s a slice of Bugatti history that has somehow escaped the confines of a museum. And if you’re in the position to buy it, make sure you bring it along to a Sunday Service once in a while, yeah?


See the original advert here

Author
Discussion

Motormouth88

Original Poster:

384 posts

68 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Interesting whip but can we start boycotting dealers who have POA listed by not featuring them?

WCZ

10,829 posts

202 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
incredible, would love this.

eb110 is a really under rated car I think or at least was! they used to be pretty cheap and at the time they really struggled to sell them


TREMAiNE

4,029 posts

157 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Agreed that we should be shunning dealers that list as POA.

I've always liked these - though they're often the forgotten supercar of that era.
Not pretty by any stretch of the imagination but I love the side profile.

That bonkers blue interior is ace too - although equally vulgar! hehe


Leins

9,669 posts

156 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
I don’t care what the price is, or the top speed, I just want it for those remote controls! smile

Evil.soup

3,730 posts

213 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Always loved these things back in the day, especially in that shade of light blue they did. The interior of this one is a bit interesting lol!

Price has to be well into the millions I would imagine...

NSR500v4

6 posts

151 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
sending 560hp to all four wheels in standard GT form for a top speed of 217hp. Strange top speed measurement!!!!

dibblecorse

6,958 posts

200 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Oh my god, please let me win the lottery, the EB110 is one of my all time favourite cars.

wpa1975

10,316 posts

122 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Not sure why but I really like that, dread to think on the price however

BigChiefmuffinAgain

1,238 posts

106 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Hard to put my finger on it, but the "stock" EB110 just never felt that special back in the day. Maybe the SS corrected this.

Must be a struggle to get spares for now....

DodgyGeezer

42,449 posts

198 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Motormouth88 said:
Interesting whip but can we start boycotting dealers who have POA listed by not featuring them?
absolutely this - POA should be banned

Randy Winkman

17,845 posts

197 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
dibblecorse said:
Oh my god, please let me win the lottery, the EB110 is one of my all time favourite cars.
With hindsight I think it is my actual fave. And I like the standard car because of it's sensibleness. In blue of course. I still have the Autocar from when it was road tested; one of only about 10 old car mags I have from the about 10,000 I bought from about 1976 to 2006.

Turbobanana

6,766 posts

209 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
PH said:
...the UK and other markets that drive on the correct side of the road...
Why does PH insist on taking this archaic stance? We're in the minority, and the reasons for driving on the left probably date back to Roman times.

worlpopulationreview.com said:
Roughly 30% of the world's countries and territories are LHT* nations, comprising about 35% of the global population and roughly one-quarter of the world's roadways


*Left Hand Traffic

Back on topic: ace car, love it in a sort of ugly-beautiful kind of way.

Matt_T

533 posts

82 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Here's my tuppence worth on the POA issue.

If it's on a rare and unique car like this I'm fine with it, if you are seriosuly in a position to buy one of these then you know what you are willing to drop on it and you know that you can go and have a long chat with the dealer over a 1994 Dom Perignon to establish if you are in the same ball park.

You may walk into this thinking "I'd happily pay £2.5m for that" and end up getting it for £2m as that's when the dealer bites. Or being told by the dealer "we've had 6 offers of £2.5m this morning so we're now looking for offers above this"

Essentially this is a one-to-one auction with the dealer.

When F40s go up for sale they are usually listed at £2.5m, that doesn't mean that you couldn't get it for £1.8m if they are struggling to sell,

...however I agree that POA on a 2017 BMW M2 is just stoopid!

Edited by Matt_T on Tuesday 14th March 14:39

Lotusgone

1,334 posts

135 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
I have never properly understood POA. Presumably, the dealer has a figure in mind and increases it depending on their perception of the potential client (eg footballer/rap artist/trust fund youngster = money + stupidity).

Searching Mayfair on Rightmove, every property bar one has an asking price.

daytona111r

840 posts

212 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
My favourite Bugatti by FAAAAR.
Reminds me of my childhood.
Looks great in silver over blue leather too.

daytona111r

840 posts

212 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Turbobanana said:
PH said:
...the UK and other markets that drive on the correct side of the road...
Why does PH insist on taking this archaic stance? We're in the minority, and the reasons for driving on the left probably date back to Roman times.

worlpopulationreview.com said:
Roughly 30% of the world's countries and territories are LHT* nations, comprising about 35% of the global population and roughly one-quarter of the world's roadways


*Left Hand Traffic

Back on topic: ace car, love it in a sort of ugly-beautiful kind of way.
Because it meant the majority of people could change gear with their left hand and keep their right hand on the streering wheel.


GTRene

17,853 posts

232 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
I believe I spotted the driver of this special car.



here he is>


Turbobanana

6,766 posts

209 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
daytona111r said:
Because it meant the majority of people could change gear with their left hand and keep their right hand on the streering wheel.
Eh?

Mark-C

5,888 posts

213 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Only ever seen one EB110 on the road and saw it quite a few times - myself and then girlfriend had the Hethel Road between us and one of these always seemed to be heading up or down it usually at a sensible speed. One day it came past my enthusiastically driven E30 like I was standing still ... what a sight and noise that was!

Having said that I'd also ban POA from these articles!

aestivator

249 posts

38 months

Tuesday 14th March 2023
quotequote all
Turbobanana said:
PH said:
...the UK and other markets that drive on the correct side of the road...
Why does PH insist on taking this archaic stance? We're in the minority, and the reasons for driving on the left probably date back to Roman times.
I think it's what humans refer to as a 'humorous remark'?

Can't decide if I like this - the blue interior is either so bad it's good, or maybe just bad? The seats are just Recaro pole positions trimmed in blue with a Bugatti stamp on. Bit lame.