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The 1999 Bugatti EB 18/3 Chiron, designed by ItalDesign Giugiaro, was an exotic mid-engined supercar concept that debuted at the Detroit Motor Show. It featured an 18-cylinder W18 engine, making it one of the most ambitious Bugatti prototypes under Volkswagen’s ownership. Painted in the iconic French Racing Blue, the Chiron was the third design study undertaken by ItalDesign for Bugatti, following the EB118 and EB218 luxury sedan concepts.
Commissioned by Volkswagen’s then-chairman Ferdinand Piëch, the Chiron was a statement of Bugatti’s revival and the foundation for what would eventually become the Bugatti Veyron. While the Chiron concept was widely praised for its design and engineering, the final production model of Bugatti’s ultimate supercar was styled by Hartmut Warkuss at Volkswagen’s in-house design studio.
The EB 18/3 Chiron’s influence is evident in the Veyron, which debuted in 2005 as one of the world’s fastest and most powerful production cars. With its W16 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged engine producing 987 bhp and a top speed of 252 mph, the Veyron became the realization of Piëch’s vision, setting new benchmarks in automotive performance and engineering.
