Bugatti Veyron vs Bugatti EB110

Bugatti’s EB110 was considered the ultimate supercar of its day. The Veyron still holds that title now. So what happens when the two meet?

Autocar’s Richard Bremner went to find out, and you can see the stunning pictures from the ultimate twin test by clicking on the link below.

“Bugatti Veyron,” says Bremner. “Born 2005. Engineered in Germany by Volkswagen. Built in France. Legendary for its sledgehammer spec, for costing over £1 million plus taxes, for its 252mph top speed and 2.5sec 0-60mph time.

“Bugatti EB110. Born 1991. Engineered in Italy by an elite group of designers and technicians. Legendary for its sledgehammer spec, for reviving the defunct Bugatti name and for Michael Schumacher’s lengthy ownership of a SuperSport..

“But while both might wear Bugatti logos and prove an unlikely spot in a supermarket car park, do the EB110 and Veyron really have so much in common? They come from unrelated enterprises, one defunct, the other flourishing. Their styling is tangentially linked at best and their prices and performance are separated by a gulf as big as the one you’ll find between an Audi TT RS and an R8 V10.

“Yet they have more in common than you’d imagine. Both are built around carbonfibre tubs, are powered by generously cylindered, multi-valve, midship-mounted vee engines whose substantial muscle is boosted by a quartet of turbochargers.

“Both have four-wheel drive and each was created with the aim of building the ultimate supercar of the era. In its day, the EB110 was compared with the Ferrari F40, the Porsche 959 and the Jaguar XJ220.”

Bremner enjoyed the old school charm of the EB110, while he also enjoyed the secure platform it provided from which its awesome power could be unleashed. The Veyron, meanwhile, was found to be well mannered and secure, with the biggest challenge being resisting the urge to plant its milled aluminium accelerator at every moment.

You could read Bremner’s full verdict on the two supercars in this week’s Autocar magazine, which is on sale now.