While the show car has already been showcased at various events, what we see here is the very first W16 Mistral equipped with a W16 engine. This is a test vehicle that still needs to pass all tests before production.
The W16 Mistral is expected to be the last Bugatti to feature a 16-cylinder engine. According to insiders, however, there won't be a fully electric car following, which is actually very good news. Nevertheless, many lament the end of the legendary W16 engine era. Logically, the Mistral is also the last car based on the Chiron. So far, we've had the Chiron, Chiron Sport, Chiron Pur Sport, Chiron Super Sport, Divo, Centodieci, La Voiture Noire, and Bolide, all of which used the Chiron as a foundation. But let's take a closer look at the Mistral:
Since the introduction of the Veyron in 2005, the W16 engine has been the beating heart of every Bugatti. The road car that concludes the W16 engine era was always meant to be something special: exclusive, elegant, and powerful. It has to be the very best of its kind. That's the W16 Mistral: the ultimate roadster. For such an impressive and significant car, a lot of emphasis was placed on the badge it should carry. The roadster is far more than just an evolution of the Chiron; it needed a name associated with freedom, elegance, and speed. The inspiration came from the Mistral, a strong wind blowing from the Rhône Valley over the chic cities of the French Riviera to the Mediterranean. And since the engine is so central to the character of this roadster, it stands side by side with this mighty wind: W16 Mistral.
The W16 Mistral is based on the definitive 1,600 PS version of the W16 engine, first used in the Chiron Super Sport 300+, and offers performance like no other open car before. In its design and technology, it is entirely tailored; the existing monocoque was not simply cut off above the A-pillars to make room for the new open design but was revised and redesigned to create a more rounded silhouette without compromising performance. Only 99 units of the Bugatti W16 Mistral will be produced, with a price of 5 million euros net, and deliveries are set to begin in 2024. The entire production of the W16 Mistral is already sold out, which is not surprising.
The W16 Mistral spotted in Germany is, of course, still in a very primitive form. For example, the grilles for the air intakes seem to have been simply makeshift. Also, the headlights do not appear to be final, and neither do the wheels, as they are test wheels still derived from the Chiron and were already mounted on every test car.
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