Bugatti W16 Mistral roadster unveiled
Chiron-based Bugatti Mistral bids farewell to French hypercar marque’s trademark quad-turbo W16The stunning Bugatti W16 Mistral has been unveiled at the Monterey Car Week in California, a roadster that bids farewell to the French hypercar marque’s 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine.
Just 99 examples of the 2024 Bugatti W16 Mistral will be produced, each priced from €5 million ($A7.3m).
Created as the first Bugatti Chiron-based roadster, the W16 Mistral borrows its name from its unusual number of cylinders and its ‘W’ configuration, plus the powerful French wind that’s famous in the south of France.
For the final chapter of the W16 era BUGATTI had to produce something exceptional, the W16 MISTRAL, a roadster that will open up new horizons and provide the most intense open-top BUGATTI experience ever!#BUGATTI #W16MISTRAL #TheQuail #MontereyCarWeek
— Bugatti (@Bugatti) August 21, 2022
–https://t.co/mCEE0gz924 pic.twitter.com/nkmLO6H73z
Claimed to borrow its 1177kW quad-turbo W16 from the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, Bugatti says the Mistral is far more than a simple gas-axe job on the standard coupe.
The carbon-fibre monocoque had to be re-engineered and reshaped to create the new silhouette, while maintaining rigidity and stiffness.
Said to draw inspiration from the 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid, the drop-top hypercar features new horizontally stacked LED headlights, a reshaped version of the firm’s trademark horseshoe grille and a new front bonnet that sports a pair of intakes.
Other dramatic changes over the Chiron include a wraparound windscreen and a pair of rear flying buttresses on the rear deck that begin just behind the driver and passenger head restraints.
At the rear, there’s a pair of V-shaped LED tail-lights that are interlinked by the Bugatti name.
A new hexagonal-shaped rear exhaust finisher has also been introduced that is mounted centrally and flanked by a large diffuser.
Within the cabin, the Chiron Super Sport interior largely carries over unchanged, aside from a special gear lever that features the ‘dancing elephant’ sculpture that founder Ettore Bugatti’s brother Rembrandt created.
Instead of a proper roof, the W16 Mistral only gets a cover to keep the seats dry when parked, but it can’t be used when on the move.
The W16 Mistral also incorporates innovative aerodynamic aids such as vented headlights that allow high-pressure air to exit through the doors in the direction of the side intakes.
First introduced in 2005 in the Bugatti Veyron, the 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 started life with ‘just’ 736kW but has been heavily modified over the years, with bigger turbos and fresh internals including parts made out of both titanium and carbon-fibre.
As well as potentially being the last W16-powered Bugatti, the Mistral is also tipped to be the last Chiron-based vehicle.
As an appropriate send-off for the brand renowned for its top-speed records, Bugatti is reportedly keen to ensure the 1177kW W16 Mistral is officially recognised as the world’s fastest roadster.
It’s expected to launch an official attempt to beat the 2016 record of 427.4km/h set by the Hennessey Venom GT.
Bugatti will have its work cut out. Also vying for the same record is Hennessey’s latest Venom F5 Roadster that pumps out an astonishing 1355kW from its twin-turbocharged V8 and is claimed to be capable of more than 480km/h.
With just 99 cars confirmed for production, Bugatti says the entire run of W16 Mistral hypercars has already been sold out ahead of deliveries commencing in 2024.
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