Forget the Galibier. Bugatti had a hankering for a lavish four-door long before that concept came and went, with its first jab at a posh grand tourer debuting in concept form in 1993. Penned by Italdesign and powered by a 6.0 liter V12, the EB112 was supposed to serve as an archrival to similar offerings from Rolls-Royce and Bentley. But just like the more recent Galibier that surfaced in 2009, the concept fell through. Now, Bugatti is dusting off its old project to remind us of its 30th anniversary this year.

When it first debuted, the EB112 created a buzz that has long faded out into a lost memory. It signified the tail end of the brand's work in the ultra-luxury sector, as Bugatti has since moved on to building record-breaking machines like the Chiron and Bolide (although they're still plenty luxurious). The EB112, styled by Italdesign's Giorgetto Giugiaro, was considered a radical design. Its swoopy fastback shape and split rear window harkened back to models from the brand's past, while also delivering a rather unusual four-door aesthetic that moved away from the traditional three-box sedan. While the EB112's soap-bar profile admittedly made it appear a bit droopy, take a look at the auto industry in the 1990s and you'll see that Bugatti's grand tourer would've fit right in.

Under the hood, the EB112 featured a naturally-aspirated, 6.0 liter V12 mated to a six-speed manual, which delivered power through a state-of-the-art four-wheel drive system. This powertrain combination is something the car industry would cherish today, but it was quite common among the lavish land yachts that roamed the streets at the time. Bugatti says the EB112's V12 produced 460 hp and 435 lb-ft of torque, almost double the output found in the Rolls-Royces of the day. While it's nothing like the bonkers 1,000 hp generated by today's Bugatti Chiron, the EB112 still managed to float from 0-62 mph in only 4.3 seconds, eventually reaching a top speed of 186 mph.

While the French marque would eventually be revived by Volkswagen Group in 1998, the Italy-derived Bugatti SpA that developed the EB110 and EB112 shut its doors in 1996. As the company became ridden with financial struggles, its closure put an end to its plan to create a comprehensive luxury lineup aimed at well-heeled U.S. customers. The EB112 was just one of several projects that were scrapped before ever making it to production, though little is known about the others. Meanwhile, the Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. that still stands today would emerge from several years of silence in 2005, showing off the speed-record-smashing Veyron hypercar we all definitely remember.

Do you prefer the EB112, or is the Galibier prettier?

Image Credits: Bugatti