Bugatti and Bizzarrini that starred at the Techno Classica ...

[Wouter Melissen]

Amidst the, literally, thousands of cars on display during last week's Techno Classica in Essen several cars stood out. Among them was the original Bugatti EB 16/4 Veyron Concept, which was launched in this guise at the 2000 Paris Motor Show. This was the very same show car previously used for the EB 18/3 Veyron Concept shown a year earlier in Tokyo but with an eighteen-cylinder engine. At the time of the sixteen-cylinder Veyron launch, the plan was that production would commence within two years and that the car would be available in naturally aspirated and quad-turbo form. Although these plans did change over the following years, the Veyron did live up to the original promise of becoming the fastest production road car in the world. At the Techno Classica, Bugatti lined up the original Veyron Concept alongside two production cars to reveal the many detail changes made before it was ready to hit the streets.
Altogether more difficult to spot in the vast Messe Essen was this diminutive Bizzarrini GT Europa 1900. Tipping the scales at under 700 kg, boasting a near perfect weight balance and handling, and sporting a beautiful scaled down 5300 GT body, the pocket-size Bizzarrini had all the right ingredients to be a great success. Sadly, Giotto Bizzarrini was a man of many skills but he lacked the business acumen to allow the GT Europa to live up to the huge expectations. In the end, only a dozen were built and at least another five were later constructed from spares. In reference to its Opel GT derived powerplant, Road & Track later remarked that the Bizzarrini GT Europa 1900 was everything the Opel GT should have been.

Enjoy the links:

2014 Techno Classica - Report and Slideshow

2000 Bugatti EB 16/4 Veyron Concept - Images, Specifications and Information

1966 - 1969 Bizzarrini GT Europa 1900 - Images, Specifications and Information

[drakkie]

Last month I was at the coffee table (V8 big block formed the table) of one of the former engineers of a Düsseldorf based engine fine-tuning company (picking up parts for my car). They apparently got an assignment to test the Bugatti engine. After serious gearbox issues were solved two engines were sent for final setting up. The VW engineers tuned it to +/- 940 ps then. In Düsseldorf they did as assigned and got it to 965 ps. They had a feeling it was capable of more; they decided to do a conference call and got the go-ahead to tune further. Apparently it was asked: "How far you think you can get it?". So they answered: "ehm 1000 ps?". The VW engineers found it sounded too tacky and asked if 1001 ps was possible. "Sure, we can do that". And so this power house was created.
It was a very interesting conversation deep into the night with this man; he was heavily involved in the DTM Camaro's, DTM Alfa's, Audi's, the WTCC and many more racing and 'special' engines. If your interested I might get you in touch. He seems quite keen to share his exploits.