Bugatti has now completed the 99th and final W16 Mistral, a one-off roadster that marks the end of series production for the famous engine in its regular catalog models. The car rolled out of the Molsheim atelier in recent weeks wearing a refined two-tone exterior of Pearl and Sparkle. Light plays across the surfaces in a way that gives the long, low body an elegant presence whether the car sits still or moves down the road.
Matte gray carbon fiber pieces run throughout the car’s key surfaces, adding an understated refinement. It creates a quiet contrast to the much more vivid paint job. Small tricolor highlights tucked discreetly just behind the front wheels serve as a subtle homage to French ancestry. An active rear wing contains a significant message on its underside, which is only visible to the human eye as the wing rises at higher speeds.
- HIGH SPEED THRILLS – Kids construct an authentic race car with the LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Hypercar (42222) building toy for boys and girls ages 9 years old and up
- REALISTIC FEATURES & FUNCTIONS – Young builders can steer using the knob on top, explore the W16 engine, and open the doors and hood to discover authentic hypercar details
- VIBRANT BUGATTI DESIGN – This hypercar model features the eye-catching orange bodywork and black design inspired by the real Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport
Inside the open cabin, Magnolia leather covers almost every inch of the seats and most surfaces, with Grey Carbon Matt trim used sparingly to create structure and definition around the driver and passenger. The stunning machined aluminum falcon head perched atop the gear selector is unquestionably the pièce de résistance, or the most personal element of the ensemble. That replaces the more conventional dancing elephant design, which is a deliberate homage to the owner’s Middle Eastern heritage. This detail was the result of tight collaboration between Bugatti’s Sur Mesure team and a Riyadh-based partner.
A matching falcon sketch is embroidered in Anthracite thread on the door panels, adding a special touch to the overall look. Ettore Bugatti’s signature appears in three different places, each with a little more significance than the usual sign off: stitched into the headrests, machined into the aluminium door sills, and reinterpreted on the inner trim of the engine cover, and on the armrest, a truly unique piece of frozen crystal glass created by Lalique and titled Spirit of the Wind. This is part of a long-standing partnership between the two French houses that dates back to Ettore Bugatti himself.
The tried-and-true 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine generates 1,578 horsepower and 1,600 Newton-meters of torque, which is identical to that of Bugatti’s track-only Bolide and offers the Mistral really outstanding straight-line speed. When the conditions are ideal, it can exceed 400 km/h, and an earlier model of the production run holds the record for the fastest open top production car ever, hitting an incredible 453.91 km/h during official testing at Papenburg.
This final Mistral is all about delivering the driving sensation that the car was designed to provide. With the roof down, you’re sitting right on top of that big 8.0-liter W16 engine, feeling its character in the open air. Bugatti modeled the Mistral’s general shape after vintage roadster designs such as the Type 57 Grand Raid. But this final car takes things a step further, with each material and detail picked to have a deeper meaning.
