Bugatti’s One-Off Mistral Captures a Dragonfly on the Road

James Lucas Condon (aka TheStradMan) owns more Bugattis than most people will ever see in a lifetime. Among his 64 cars sits a set of four that share one unusual thread. Each draws from the insect world to shape its appearance and character. The latest addition completes the group as the W16 Mistral Fly Bug.

Dragonflies are among the most effective predators you’ll ever encounter, catching their prey more than 95% of the time they go for it, and when they do move, it’s with a quiet speed that’s just a little unsettling. What’s even more amazing is how their wings sparkle in beautiful colors as they soar. James Lucas Condon drew inspiration from these incredible planes when designing his bespoke Bugatti Mistral.


The entire body is painted a stunning Dragonfly Blue that not only looks amazing but also has a surprise up its sleeve: the color changes from deep blue to turquoise as you look at it from different angles, just like the iridescent sheen on a genuine dragonfly’s wings. Bugatti’s designers and engineers crafted this one-of-a-kind color from the ground up to ensure perfection. The wheels have the same finish, with the metal and carbon portions perfectly colour-matched. Ellipse shapes have been spread over the car’s sides and back, gradually tightening and leading up to the air intakes.


One of the most difficult things to perfect was the placement of the Bugatti Macaron symbol, which is tucked inside the elliptical pattern on the side of the automobile. To make matters even more complicated, this is the first time the team has weaved the insignia into a painted pattern like that.


When you open the doors of the Fly Bug, you’re treated to the same elliptical theme that’s been integrated into the bodywork, as the leather and Alcantara inside get the same treatment, in gorgeous Dragonfly Blue. The pattern comes to life with the way the various materials have been stacked and finished, creating an astonishing three-dimensional impression, which was no easy task, as the design team had to collaborate with the engineers to get it right on all of the curving surfaces. To top it all off, there’s a small sculpture on the gear selector called the Dancing Elephant, which was inspired by artwork by the founder’s brother, Rembrandt Bugatti, as a reference to the owner’s appreciation of art and natural forms, as well as his vision of what a high-end car should be.


Underneath all the custom work and design flair, the Fly Bug retains the same basic power as the normal Mistral, which is an eight-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine in the middle, producing 1,600 PS and transferring it to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It accelerates from zero to 62 miles per hour in less than 2.4 seconds and has a top speed of more than 281 miles per hour, making it the fastest open-top production car in the world, no small feat. They’ve managed to retain all of the performance benefits of the ordinary car while also adding the lovely dragonfly theme.


James Lucas Condon collaborated extensively with Bugatti’s head of design, Frank Heyl, as well as color, materials, and finish specialists in the Berlin studio, to create the Fly Bug exactly as he envisioned it. It took them about ten months to get everything in order, working with modelers, graphic artists, and engineers every step of the way to ensure that every line, curve, and texture was spot on.