Looking Back: Bugatti Sedan Concepts

With my recent Bugatti article detailing possibilities for the future, I thought it would be fitting to take a look back at some of the concepts we've seen from the company that might give us an idea where the company could go moving forward.

The first of the non-supercar coupe/sedan Bugatti concepts started with the EB 112. There isn't a whole lot of information about the car readily available on the web.

It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, commissioned by what was then Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. That was the Italian era, when Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli acquired the Bugatti brand along with Lotus (the Elise is named after his granddaughter).

It took a more sporting, daring design style then the later Bugatti concepts, with small visual mass from certain angles and a look clearly influenced by the prevailing bubble-like aerodynamic shapes of the time. I can admit to not being a big fan.

The EB 112 is actually somewhat radical break in Bugatti styling tradition, espessially with regards to the sports-like interior. 

It proved to be a big undertaking, and the venture was eventually doomed to failure. The Lotus purchase proved to be an overreach and the quest to produce the EB 112 concurrently along with the production EB 110 bankrupted the company.

That's what I'm talking about when I think Bugatti sedan. You're looking at the Bugatti EB 218, the 4-door successor to the EB 112, this time hailing from the VW ownership era. Coming off a high-end brand buying spree that included Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti, VW meant business. That included commissioning Italdesign again to produce 2 new concepts.

Same designer, but a very different outcome this time around to say the least! The EB 118's design is much more formal and stately, being a modern day equivalent to the legendary Bugatti Type 21 Royale. It pays homage to other classic Bugattis as well, like the longitudinal groove on the hood for instance, which echoes the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic.

The front end look also helped set the stage for the Veyron's style, with very similar headlamps and grille.  

Nowhere is the difference between EB 112 and EB 118 more apparent then in the interior.

Take a look:

EB112

EB218

Yeah, that's what I thought. Simply no comparison; VW has proven time and time again a worthy custodian of it's heritage luxury brands. I love the Bugatti EB 218 inside and out; I think it sets the standard for what any future Bugatti sedan should be.

While I've heard some balk at the idea of a Bugatti sedan, given it's history, vehicles like the EB 218 are very much a part of the brand's identity. 

A wide range of vehicles bear the Bugatti name, from classic luxury models like the Royale to sports cars like the Type 57 Atlantic. Preceding the EB 218 was the first of the two vehicles commissioned by VW, the EB 118, a coupe version of the EB 218.

Is that beautiful or what? An absolutely amazing vehicle to be sure, it's a shame they never got produced. VW had at the time intended to produce the cars at a level of about of 50 per year, but for some reason or another, the project got cancelled in favor of the Veyron.

The EB in these model series names stands for Ettore Bugatti. The numerals 18 reference the 18-cylinder engine. The monstrosity was 6.3L 555HP unit that featured three banks of six cylinders with 60 degrees separating each bank.

If Bugatti is looking for ways how to expand, I think it should look no further then these concepts for inspiration. Imagine them in the classic Bugatti two-tone colors. They would be a truly exclusive vehicle positioned even above the likes of Rolls-Royce and it's Phantom.

An $1 million super-sedan outrageous you might say? Yes, but that's exactly what Bugatti is all about.