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Before Bugatti became synonymous with four-figure horsepower and top-speed records, it flirted with a very different idea: luxury sedans and grand touring coupes powered by a monstrous W18 engine. The EB 118 and EB 218 concepts, revealed in the late 1990s, stand as fascinating “what-if” chapters in Bugatti’s modern history—machines that promised 555 horsepower and opulence, but never made it past the prototype stage.
The story begins in 1998, after the Bugatti brand had been revived under the ownership of Volkswagen Group. At the Geneva and Paris Motor Shows, the company unveiled two showstoppers: the EB 118 two-door coupe and its four-door sibling, the EB 218. Both were designed by Italdesign’s Giorgetto Giugiaro and sported elegant curves, Art Deco influences, and handcrafted luxury interiors—radical departures from Bugatti’s current focus on outright performance.
Under the hood of both concepts sat the centerpiece: a naturally aspirated 6.3-liter W18 engine, arranged in a unique 60-degree triple-bank configuration. Producing 555 horsepower, the engine powered all four wheels through a permanent AWD system—a mechanical marvel, but also a nightmare to engineer and manufacture at scale.
Though the cars were met with intrigue, the timing couldn’t have been worse. The early 2000s ushered in a new vision for Bugatti. The brand pivoted toward creating the world’s fastest car, and the EB 118/218 quietly disappeared into history as focus shifted to the W16-powered Veyron.
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Today, the W18 concepts remain museum pieces—visions of an alternate path Bugatti never took. But with a new era of electrification and ultra-luxury performance emerging, some wonder: is it time Bugatti reconsider a sedan?
As tastes evolve and competitors explore four-door hyper sedans, the ghost of the EB 218 may still have something left to say.
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