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From left to right: A blue Bugatti EB110 LM, white Centodieci, and silver EB110 CS at Nardo
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Watch a $9.4 Million Bugatti Centodieci Hit 186 MPH Without Breaking a Sweat

With almost 100 more horsepower and less weight than the Bugatti Chiron, you'd expect the limited-run, EB110-inspired Bugatti Centodieci to be fast. But even around the Nardo test track, it's not just the Centodieci's speed that's impressive--it's how effortlessly fast the hypercar truly is.
by Matthew Skwarczek
Published on
3 min read

SSC’s Tuatara didn’t break the 300-mph barrier, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other 200-mph-plus speed demons out there. And Bugatti is a notable purveyor of such high-speed hypercars. From the original Veyron to the upcoming Bolide, this brand thrives on speed. So much so, that the Bugatti Centodieci makes hitting 186 mph seem almost easy.

The Bugatti Centodieci turns the Chiron into an EB110 homage

From left to right: A blue Bugatti EB110 LM, white Centodieci, and silver EB110 CS at Nardo
From left to right: A Bugatti EB110 LM, Centodieci, and EB110 CS at Nardo | Bugatti

While the Veyron might be one of Bugatti’s most well-known modern cars, it had a precedent—sort of. Before it was resurrected under the Volkswagen umbrella, an Italian industrialist named Romano Artioli tried to bring Bugatti back in the late 1980s. Ultimately, the revival was short-lived, but it did produce a car: the Bugatti EB110.

With a 553-hp, quad-turbo 3.5-liter V12, AWD, carbon-fiber construction, and a six-speed manual, the EB110 “ticked all the right industry-leading supercar boxes,” MotorTrend says. And that was the early GT model. The later EB110 SS was 330 lbs lighter and had 50 more hp, with a 221-mph top speed and a 3.2-second 0-60 mph time. But even with such performance and tech, Artioli’s venture folded after making just 139 cars.

The side view of a white Bugatti Centodieci in a dark warehouse
Bugatti Centodieci side | Bugatti

However, just like the Countach, Bugatti recently brought the EB110 back—again, sort of. The Bugatti Centodieci (Italian for ‘110’) is a modern homage to the ‘90s hypercar. And like the earlier Divo, the Centodieci is based on the Bugatti Chiron. Only that doesn’t just mean some fancy new body panels.

Like the ‘regular’ Chiron, the Bugatti Centodieci has a mid-mounted 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine and AWD. But while the Chiron has to make do with ‘just’ 1,479 hp, the Centodieci has 1,578 hp. It’s also 44 lbs lighter than the Chiron, MT reports, thanks to more carbon-fiber components and a lighter windshield.

And unlike the Chiron, the Centodieci’s rear wing is fixed in place, Autoweek says. That’s to better balance the additional aero benefits from the upgraded rear diffuser, front splitter, and redesigned hood. Finally, the EB110 homage is lower and wider than the Bugatti Chiron.

Bugatti tuned the Centodieci at 186 mph—but the hypercar can go even faster

The ‘standard’ Bugatti Chiron is already an impressively fast car. So, how much faster is the Bugatti Centodieci? Well, it’s complicated.

Despite the extra power and lower curb weight, the Centodieci’s 0-62 mph time matches the Chiron’s time: 2.4 seconds. And those aerodynamic tweaks actually give the Centodieci a lower top speed, The Drive explains. The Chiron goes up to 261 mph, while the Centodieci is limited to 236 mph. Plus, Bugatti claims the Centodieci hits 124 mph in 6.1 seconds and 186 mph in 13.1 seconds. But based on Car and Driver’s Chiron Sport test, the less-powerful hypercar can hit those speeds in 5.7 and 12.9 seconds, respectively.

However, like the Divo and the Chiron Pur Sport, the Bugatti Centodieci’s shtick isn’t straight-line speed. It’s designed for carving racetracks and sweeping roads. And it’s supposed to be fun and easy to drive, too.

Hence why, when Motor1 recently got to sit in the Centodieci’s passenger seat during development testing, the prevailing feeling was one of unexpected speed. Even though development driver Loris Bicocchi has been testing supercars for over 30 years, the Centodieci’s speed and power still surprise him. And even though it’s still not quite finished, Bicocchi and his passenger hit 186 mph in the video above like it’s nothing. This is while Bicocchi actively laps the Centodieci around the twisting, turning Nardo test track.

The Chiron might be faster on paper, but the Centodieci will likely leave it behind when the pavement curves.

Even if you have the cash, you can’t have this hypercar

Sadly, as Motor1 remarks in that video, few enthusiasts will ever experience the Bugatti Centodieci’s speed. Bugatti is only making 10 examples. And even though the Centodieci starts at roughly $9.4 million, buyers have already claimed all 10.

Still, here’s proof that the Centodieci has the effortless speed to match its looks.

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MotorBiscuit Staff Writer, Producer - Sedans & Coupes

Matthew Skwarczek

Matthew Skwarczek started blogging in 2015 and focuses his writing on motorcycles and engineering science. A graduate of Northwestern University, where he earned his Master’s in Chemical Engineering, Matthew served as an applications engineer for BASF before joining MotorBiscuit in 2019.

In Matthew’s words, the visceral nature of riding requires you to be in the moment. Combined with his fascination in the analytics surrounding the building and designing of cars and bikes, both modern and classic, you’ll find his voice blends functionality and phenomena. He rides motorcycles and bicycles often, photographing them as well.

Matthew has contributed to Oppositelock and is now an alumnus. He plays Dungeons & Dragons and reads sci-fi and fantasy in his spare time, and appreciates the works of Peter Egan, Sam Smith, Brandon Sanderson, and Alex Goy.