Bugatti EB110
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The Bugatti EB110 is an exclusive supercar from Bugatti, one of the most celebrated marques in automotive history. It was unveiled on the anniversary date of September 15, 1991 in Versailles, France and another in front of the Grande Arche at La Défense in Paris exactly 110 years after Ettore Bugatti's birth.
The car had a 60 valve, quad turbo V12 3500 cc (81 by 56.6 mm) engine capable of 553 hp (412 kW) at 8000 rpm, powering all four wheels through a six-speed forward gear box. Acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) took just 3.6 seconds, and the car topped out at 209 mph (336 km/h). In 1992, a lighter and more powerful model with 600 bhp (447 kW) @ 8000 rpm), the EB110 SS (either Sport Stradale or SuperSport) was introduced. This car was capable of 219 mph (352 km/h) and 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds.
The body was constructed on a double wishbone chassis, built by aircraft company called Aerospatiale and made from carbon fibre. Equipped with Stanzani's famous lifting scissor doors, it had a glass engine cover that provided a view of the V12 engine along with a speed-sensitive electronic rear wing that could be raised at the flick of a switch. Five pre-production prototypes with aluminum chassis were built, followed by eight with composite chassis. Following these, it is believed that only 95 GT and 31 SS production models were constructed.
On August 27, 1993, through his holding company, ACBN Holdings S.A. of Luxembourg, Romano Artioli purchased the Lotus car company from General Motors. The acquisition brought together two of the greatest names in automotive racing history and plans were made for listing the company's shares for sale on internmational stock exchanges.
At a price of more than US$350,000 for the SS model, the car wasn't going to be anything but exclusive. Early in 1994 Formula One driver Michael Schumacher purchased a banana-yellow EB 110 Super Sport, giving the company a great deal of publicity. Derek Hill, son of American Formula 1 Champion Phil Hill, was one of the 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 addendum to the companies quest to develope the EB112 a 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 are now being developed by B Engineering into their Edonis sports car.na:Bugatti EB110