Bugatti Gives Its W16 One Last Hurrah
What looks like an open-top version of the one-off La Voiture Noire carries the Mistral nameplate.
Pay good attention, Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster. Bugatti has just unveiled your rival, and it’s called the W16 Mistral. What looks like an open-top derivative of the one-off La Voiture Noire is the last chapter of Bugatti’s iconic W16 powerhouse. And to ensure that this last hurrah helps cement the engine’s legacy into the history books, the W16 Mistral has just one goal: to be the undisputed fastest roadster in the world.
Powering the Bugatti W16 Mistral is the same quad-turbo 8.0-litre powerplant that does duty in the Chiron Super Sport 300+, a hypercar that shattered world records in 2019 by clocking a top speed of 490.485kmph. But that’s not W16 Mistral’s goal. It’ll first topple the record set by the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, Bugatti’s first modern-day open-top car. That hit 408.84kmph in 2013 with 1,200hp from the same powertrain.
It’s not just about numbers, some of which we haven’t discussed yet. The Bugatti W16 Mistral had to tackle the laws of physics differently, for which it has some bespoke elements. For instance, take the design of the windscreen. It’s curved in such a way that it blends seamlessly into the side windows. The negligent protrusion helps with a smoother air flow right into the side air intakes. Those, by the way, are only for the oil cooler. For the engine, there are two roof-mounted air scoops just behind the cockpit. Those, by the way, are made from such a grade of carbon fibre that they can take the weight of the whole car if it were to go upside down.
Even the 3D surface of the headlights aid aerodynamics, funnelling air through the light and venting it via the wheel arches. Then there’s the wider horseshoe-shaped grille, which helps keep the engine radiator cool from one intake. And the two accompanying intakes focus on feeding the air to the intercoolers. Finally, at the back, the X-shaped taillights help vent the side oil coolers through ducts connecting the triangular negative space between the X beams to the side radiators.
Indoors, the resemblance to the Chiron is apparent. But things have been tweaked for this open-top beauty so that all information is clearly visible even at speeds up to 420kmph. The cockpit features elements milled from a solid block of aluminium and lightweight titanium, while the fabrics used are blemish-free leathers. The trim on the doors boasts woven leather, while the aluminium gear shifter has a touch of wood and an amber insert.
Rounding off the Bugatti W16 Mistral is another set of numbers. Only 99 examples will be made, each costing 5 million euros net. All production units have already been accounted for, while deliveries should commence in 2024.Â
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