The Bugatti W16 Mistral Is the $5M Chiron Roadster Bugatti Stated It Would Not Produce

To be precise, the Mistral roadster differs from the Chiron roadster in name and exterior design. Derived from a cold, northwesterly wind in southern France, the “Mistral” moniker distinguishes it.

The design inspiration for the Mistral comes from the 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid. Its distinct features include a V-shaped, curved windshield that seamlessly merges with the side windows. Notable enhancements are observed in the Mistral’s profile, removing the Chiron’s familiar C-shaped silhouette and introducing new engine air scoops on the roof, strategically positioned behind the passenger compartment to accommodate the engine’s air intake. These scoops possess the remarkable ability to support the car’s weight during a rollover and are meticulously crafted from a “bespoke carbon fiber structure,” as per Bugatti’s specifications.

The front end of the vehicle exhibits a unique design distinct from the Chiron. While maintaining Bugatti’s signature horseshoe-shaped grille, it features vertically oriented headlights in contrast to the Chiron’s horizontal arrangement. Each headlight showcases a stacked, four-light strip, symbolizing the car’s four-wheel drive system and quad turbochargers. Enthusiasts familiar with the Bugatti Bolide will recognize the X-shaped taillight design adopted by the Mistral.

The interior boasts newly crafted door panels featuring woven leather. Noteworthy is the gear shifter, meticulously fashioned from solid aluminum and adorned with a wood-and-amber insert housing Rembrandt Bugatti’s revered “dancing elephant” sculpture.

Powering the Mistral is the renowned W16 engine from the Chiron Super Sport 300+, capable of producing a claimed 1,578 horsepower. Bugatti underlines the fact that the W16 engine in the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, the last roadster they produced, generated 1,184 hp. With a more potent engine configuration in the Mistral, Bugatti aims to retain its status as the producer of the world’s fastest convertible.

It surely seems like this will be the final W16-powered vehicle Bugatti will manufacture. Its design lead, Achim Anscheidt, mentioned in the car’s debut, “We recognize the W16 Mistral will forever be significant in Bugatti’s history, marking the concluding occasion that possibly the most superior automobile power unit is utilized in a street-ready production vehicle.”

Bugatti will exclusively craft 99 units of the W16 Mistral—each valued at 5 million euros, or $5 million—and all of them have already been purchased. Deliveries are scheduled to commence next year. This is one of those automobiles that we all can admire from afar but probably will never have the opportunity to physically engage with.

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