The Bugatti EB112 Is a 4-Door Supercar So Ugly That We’re Thankful It Never Got Made
Bugatti has a very specific reputation and fan base. There is no sneaking your way into the world of Bugatti because, since its inception in 1909, the barrier for entry was sky high. The French hypercar maker has always had its focus set firmly on building the fastest cars it could. Bugatti’s reputation has only solidified as one of the finest automakers ever. This is because the brand never put its name on crap – well, *almost* never. The Bugatti EB112 is a four-door sedan supercar we are glad never got made.
What is the Bugatti EB112?
Look, there is a difference between technological innovation and good taste. The EB112 might have been a titan of engineering, but that doesn’t make it pretty. Despite having an all-aluminum body and a carbon fiber chassis shared with the legendary EB110, the 1995 EB112 was a four-door sedan that looked like a clumsy mashup of a Daewoo front fascia, a split-window Corvette’s rear chunk, and the profile of a late ‘90s Buick Riviera. Short of the comparison to the Split-Window Corvette, none of these other references are a good thing. This Bugatti looks like the bottom of my shoe.
The only reason any of these mutants ever left Frankenstien’s laboratory is because of an entrepreneur called Gildo Pallanca Pastor. According to Motor1, without digging into the boring inside baseball of big business, Pastor acquired some Bugatti properties in the late 1990s. With these various properties, he also got loads of spare parts and three partially completed EB112 liftbacks. As the Monaco Racing Team, two more EB112s emerged from their test tubes in 1998.
These three examples all have differences like light placement, paint color, and various aerodynamic differences.
What engine did the Bugatti EB112 have?
Not only was the EB112 uglier than the east end of a horse headed west, but it also didn’t have the engine you might expect. Ok, before I say anything too stupid, the EB112 had a naturally-aspirated 6.0-liter V12 engine making 460 hp and 435 pound-feet of torque. That is a cool engine. However, it’s not exactly the kind of nuclear explosion we are used to seeing in Bugattis. Despite not having 100,000,000 hp, the Bugatti EB112 still cracked off a 0-60 mph sprint in just over 4 seconds. In 1998, that was pretty quick, particularly for a four-door sedan.
That said, no matter how fast it was, you still had to stop at some point. And when you do, everyone can see your Split Window Daewoo Riviera. There’s just no getting away from it.
Was the EB112 really that bad?
Yes, it was. However, the man who designed the thing didn’t think so.
“The Bugatti EB112 boasted a number of nostalgic styling features referencing the famous models of the legendary French brand from the late Thirties but presented in a car with innovative mechanicals. The EB112, in many respects, was a dream car and a forerunner to what we today know as high-performance fastback models. It flawlessly combined design with technological and engineering features that were majorly ahead of its time,” Giorgetto Giugiaro, designer of the EB112 concept, comments.
Others who disagree with this hot take are the writers at Automobile Magazine. When the EB112 debuted, the mag called it “The most beautiful car in the world.” I can’t imagine how you might come to this thought, but everyone deserves their perspective, I reckon.
