The Bugatti Mistral Is A 1600bhp Drop-Top Farewell To The W16 Engine

 

Bugatti has been releasing plenty of cars based around the Chiron in recent years, but the company promises that the newly unveiled Bugatti Mistral is more than just that. The Mistral combines the Chiron Super Sport’s immense 1578bhp power figure with the thrill of drop-top motoring – yep, that’s right, the Mistral is a roadster, making it one of the most powerful and expensive hairdryers money can buy…

The announcement is bittersweet as it comes with the news that the Bugatti Mistral marks the final appearance of Bugatti’s W16 engine. It will use the most powerful iteration of the quad-turbo 8.0-litre unit, first used in the Chiron Super Sport 300+. This is paired to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox that can get it up to a top speed of 261mph, but Bugatti will be gunning to beat the current world record for fastest roadster, currently held by the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder with its 265.6mph top speed.

Bugatti says to mark the occasion, its design takes inspiration from Bugattis of old, with the 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Grand Raid as its main muse. If we’re honest, it’s more apparent that the company has taken inspiration from Bugattis new and old, as it looks reasonably similar to the Chiron and Divo at first glance. It certainly looks the part and the Mistral seems all the more exotic thanks to its drop top.

The Mistral’s face looks very aggressive, with four horizontal LED running lights on either side, and vents cut into the headlights to direct air through the body and reduce drag. Gone are the distinctive C-shape vents of the Chiron and the Mistral’s sleek redesigned wraparound windscreen leads your eyes towards a pair of smaller vents on the side, separated from the air-intake vents that now sit directly behind the occupants.

At the rear, the Mistral’s distinctive X-shaped taillights are reminiscent of those used on the Bugatti Bolide hypercar, and single, large trapezoidal exhaust sits in the centre with two large Venturi tunnels either side.

The interior has stayed true to the Chiron’s with its notable lack of digital screens, stacked climate control dials which double up as performance gauges showing turbo pressure and other information.

Bugatti’s bespoke interior customisation options mean that no Mistral’s interior will likely ever look the same – buyers will be able to choose from a wide array of options such as titanium, carbon fibre, aluminium, and more. The gear selector is machined from a solid block of aluminium with a wood and transparent amber insert – buyers can have small items or sculptures of their choosing embedded into this.

A special sculpture known as ‘The Dancing Elephant’, designed by the brother of the car company’s founder, Rembrandt Bugatti, will come as standard – Ettore Bugatti had this mascot mounted to the radiator of his Bugatti Royale in homage to his brother’s art.

The Bugatti W16 Mistral will be limited to just 99 examples, but before you get out your wallet, all have already been sold to their respective owners at €5 million (approx. £4.25 million) a piece. Lucky customers will begin taking delivery of the Mistral in 2024.