Numbers first, because with the Bugatti EB110 they are the story: 3.5 , 412 kW. Bugatti built from 1991 to 1995, when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. Its designer of record is Marcello Gandini (prototype styling) / Giampaolo Benedini (production styling and interior) / Paolo Stanzani, Tecnostile (prototype Chief Engineering) / Nicola Materazzi (Productio. Production ran to 126 cars.
Where it came from
The Bugatti EB 110 is a mid-engine sports car initially conceived by Paolo Stanzani in the mid 1980s and produced by Bugatti Automobili S.p.A. from 1991 until 1995, when the company was liquidated. The model restarted the brand's presence in the automobile industry after a hiatus of nearly 40 years (since 1952).
In the period from 1992 to 1995, the EB 110 competed against cars such as the Lamborghini Diablo, Jaguar XJ220, Ferrari F40, Ferrari F50, and the McLaren F1. 139 examples were built, plus a small number of post-production cars which were completed after the bankruptcy. The last one was built by Dauer Sportwagen in 2002 and one additional unfinished example was completed in 2019. It was the only production model made by Romano Artioli's Italian incarnation of Bugatti.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits 3.5 it is rated at 412 kW. Kerb weight is 1620 kg. Power-to-weight lands near 254 horsepower per tonne, which is genuine supercar pace. The gearbox is a 6-speed manual. The layout matters: the engine sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle, which puts the mass in the middle of the car and is why mid-engined cars change direction the way they do. The wheelbase is 2550 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Bugatti's history is not in doubt: the Bugatti ID90 came before it; the Bugatti Veyron followed it; it was built at Modena, Campogalliano (Bugatti Automobili Campogalliano), Italy. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Dodge Viper, the Lexus LS, the McLaren F1. Nearby in the Bugatti catalogue sit the Bugatti 57 Galibier and the Bugatti 8-cylinder line.