Common Problems with the
1991 Bugatti EB110

The EB110's 3.5-litre V12 relies on four small IHI turbochargers and a period engine-management ECU to deliver its 553-603 bhp. Turbocharger seals age and seep oil, wastegates stick and boost faults or intermittent ECU codes can appear - worst on cars that have spent years in a collection. Because the turbos are buried behind a carbon-fibre monocoque with twelve cylinders around them, access is poor and what is an afternoon job elsewhere becomes days of labour here. Car Collector International lists quad-turbo and ECU service as a major EB110 expense, while a specialist strip-down of an EB110 Super Sport found failed metal gaskets on all four turbocharger oil-drain lines plus loosened oil-supply line fittings.

Cooling and turbochargers are where EB110 trouble lives, and both are worst on cars that have sat. The tightly packaged radiators corrode, the electric cooling fans seize, and rubber hoses harden and split, so the first hot run after years in a collection can overheat the engine within a few miles. UK specialists report perished fuel and coolant hoses on recommissioned cars, and Furlonger quotes £25,000-£30,000 for an engine-out service with all oil seals and pipework replaced - cooling work is usually bundled into that labour because access is poor.

The EB110's six-speed manual is actuated by a hydraulic clutch using AP Racing master and slave cylinders, and a heavy clutch pedal is normal on these cars. Clutches wear with spirited use, and hydraulic failure leaves a spongy pedal or a clutch that will not disengage - enough to strand the car on a test drive. UK specialist Furlonger lists worn-out clutches among the common EB110 findings, and a specialist rebuild of an EB110 Super Sport required custom-manufactured AP Racing hydraulic parts with a parts lead time of nearly six months, so availability is a genuine constraint.