autoevolution
 

Bugatti W16 Mistral Makes European Debut, It’s Already Sold Out

The W16 Mistral, the ultimate roadster entitled to wear license plates, will number 99 units. Priced at 5 million euros, which is $4.8 million at current exchange rates, the Chiron Super Sport-based model sold out long before it made its world premiere at Monterey Car Week's The Quail.
Bugatti W16 Mistral European debut 9 photos
Photo: Bugatti
Bugatti W16 Mistral European debutBugatti W16 Mistral European debutBugatti W16 Mistral European debutBugatti W16 Mistral European debutBugatti W16 Mistral European debutBugatti W16 Mistral European debutBugatti W16 Mistral European debutBugatti W16 Mistral European debut
A month later, the French automaker brought its latest hypercar back to the Old Continent for its European debut, which took place in the park adjacent to the stunning Château de Chantilly. Located north of the capital city, Paris, the château's Musée Condé is home to a fine collection of French paintings.

Entered in Sunday’s Chantilly Concours d’Elegance, the W16 Mistral didn’t win anything, which is a bit curious. The Aston Martin DBR22 won Best of Show, whereas the Hispano-Suiza H6C Dubonnet Xenia and Talbot Lago T26 GS Barchetta Motto fetched the pre-war and post-war awards.

A barchetta-styled roadster powered by a 705-horsepower V12, the DBR22 is definitely special. But on the other hand, it pales in comparison to Bugatti’s 1,578-horsepower special edition. The final application of the 8.0-liter W16 that made Bugatti the world’s premier hypercar brand, the W16 Mistral develops 1,180 pound-foot (1,600 Nm) on full song. This tune is shared with the Chiron-based Centodieci and the Chiron Sport Sport+.

Loosely inspired by the Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid Usine, this fellow is expected to start deliveries in 2024. “Even though the legacy of the road-going W16 ends with the W16 Mistral, we continue the legacy of the roadster, first established by Ettore Bugatti more than a century ago,” declared Mate Rimac, the chief executive officer of Bugatti Rimac.

Finished in Ettore’s favorite colors, the W16 Mistral shown at Château de Chantilly isn’t a production-spec vehicle. Pressing the lower part of the B right behind the B pillar opens the driver’s door. Speaking to Alex from Supercar Blondie, deputy design director Frank Heyl explained that production-spec vehicles will feature conventional door handles. The driver-side B, if you were wondering, will be repurposed into a fuel door.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories