When we think of collector cars with the potential to break the 10 million euro barrier at auction, we usually cast our minds back to the rarest and most successful sports racing prototypes of the 1960s. That’s why after seeing RM Sotheby’s estimate of 10 to 15 million euros for the Bugatti Centodieci being sold at their Paris auction running from February 4th to 5th our eyebrows were firmly raised. However, after some more thought, it really isn’t as outlandish as it may first seem, especially considering that they were already 8 million euros when new, and that a one-off Pagani Zonda 760 LM Roadster recently sold at RM Sotheby’s Dubai sale for over 10.5 million euros.
So, what makes the Centodieci worthy of an 8 figure price tag? Well, next to the one-of-one La Voiture Noire, it’s the rarest Chiron variant, with only 10 ever built, and while anything related to the Chiron is blisteringly fast, the Centodieci does fall on the more rapid end of the spectrum. Powered by a whopping 8-litre quad turbocharged W16 producing 1,578 horsepower and weighing in 20 kilos lighter than a Chiron, the Centodieci can hit 100 km/h in just 2.4 seconds and bully physics right up to the 380 km/h mark. Slow is not in the Centodieci’s owners manual, that’s for sure.
Of the mere 10 Centodiecis built, chassis number 006’s specification is exactly how we’d want one. Its EB110-inspired carbon fibre bodywork looks simply spectacular in Quartz White, pairing beautifully with the full leather Beluga Black and Gris Rafale hide interior. It’s practically undriven too, with just 437 kilometres on the clock indicating that its monstrous W16 is just barely driven-in. So, taking into account that it’s both one of the rarest and fastest Bugattis of the W16 era, the 10 million euro barrier doesn’t seem so lofty a goal after all. Now the question is just how far into 8 figures this Centodieci will climb.
Paris, 4 Feb
