In order to close the last chapter of the era of the internal combustion engine, Bugatti presents the all-new W16 Mistral, the last machine with a brutal W16 engine and the manufacturer’s first roadster in ten years
The W16 Mistral has been designed with adventure in mind, in a style that pays homage to one of Bugatti’s most elegant models, the Type 57 Grand Raid Usine. Defined by clean, curved lines and striking rounded angles, the Grand Raid was an organic blend of art deco artistry and embodied the pinnacle of elegant design. The W16 Mistral represents the same design elements as its predecessor, in a model built for total, unbridled freedom to discover.
According to the Bugatti company, the name Mistral is associated with freedom and represents a powerful wind that blows from the Rhône valley through the cities of the Côte d’Azur and goes to the Mediterranean.
The Bugatti W16 Mistral is the final swansong for one of the most ambitious automotive powertrains ever created – Bugatti’s 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine. Powered by the definitive version, first introduced on the Chiron Super Sport 300+, the Mistral has 1,600hp, allowing for a top speed of 420km/h.
With the roof removed, and a pair of large air intakes directly behind the occupants’ heads, feeding around 70,000 litres of air through the engine every minute at full bore, driving the W16 Mistral connects you to the intricate workings of this revolutionary powertrain like no other Bugatti to date. It emphasises the orchestra between the low down, mighty, rumbling 8-litre displacement intake noise at throttle on and the blow off valve whistle from the four turbo chargers at throttle lift. It is an unmatched aural sensation in the automotive world.
A combination of pure artistic vision and
masterful mastery of the laws of physics
DISTINCTIVE IN EVERY DETAIL
Developed with careful attention paid to Bugatti’s ‘Form Follows Performance’ design language, the W16 Mistral is a completely bespoke design. Its headlights are intricately shaped to function as an aerodynamic aid that funnels air through the light and out through the wheel arch to improve aerodynamic drag. The wider horseshoe grille allows the high temperature engine radiator to be fully fed purely from one intake, leaving the two side intakes to focus only on providing air to the intercooler, and the intricate windscreen masterfully curves just enough to create the rounded visor design, without distorting the driver’s vision.
The top line of the windscreen and side windows flows purposefully around the side air intakes. This character line then flows back underneath the side glass to shoot through all the way to the front horseshoe grill creating a new three-dimensional character for the famous Bugatti C-line introduced on Chiron.
FOCUSED LUXURY
The W16 Mistral’s interior takes its lead from Chiron, carefully honed to deliver an experience that’s both elegant and luxurious, but also functional enough to ensure all information is easily visible at up to 420 km/h.
An intricate woven leather is used on newly designed door panels, meticulously tested and produced to Bugatti quality standards. And in a nod to the W16 Mistral’s illustrious forebears, the gear shifter – machined from a solid block of aluminium – features a touch of wood and an amber insert with Rembrandt Bugatti’s famous ‘dancing elephant’ sculpture locked within. Iterations of this sculpture adorned the bonnet of the legendary Type 41 Royale; the most luxurious roadster ever created.
