Joined by Bugatti’s deputy design director Frank Heyl, car vlogger Alexandra Mary Hirschi is much obliged to talk us through the limited-edition W16 Mistral. Better known as Supercar Blondie, the 36-year-old Aussie correctly highlights that “it’s the very last Bugatti that’s gonna ever be produced with a W16,” signaling the bitter end of this mill.
Essentially a Chiron Super Sport with the roof chopped off, this fellow produces 1,578 horsepower. Alex says 1,600 horsepower, although those are metric ponies. Peak torque is officially rated at 1,180 pound-foot (1,600 Nm), which is more than enough to shame heavy-duty diesel workhorses.
Speaking of which, the torquiest heavy-duty diesel workhorse on sale today is the Ram HD with the High-Output Cummins. From a displacement of 6.7 liters and no fewer than six cylinders arranged in a line, the Indiana-based company squeezed out a simply ridiculous 1,075 pound-foot (1,458 Nm).
Turning our attention back to the multi-million-dollar W16 Mistral, opening the driver’s door isn’t exactly conventional. Instead of an exterior handle, you simply press the lower part of the B right behind the B pillar to open the driver’s door. Heyl then enters the scene, explaining that the driver-side B will morph into a fuel door in 2024 when the first example of the breed will be delivered. Both doors will be treated to good ol’ exterior handles.
99 units will be produced in total, each priced at €5 million before options and taxes. Back on August 19th, when the Molsheim-based automaker lifted the veils off this amazing machine, €5 million used to mean $5,020,675.
Heyl tells Alex that Ettore Bugatti’s favorite colors were black and yellow, hence the black paintwork and yellow-finished brake calipers. The interior features a little more yellow, as well as a gear shifter that integrates a touch of wood and an amber insert with Rembrandt Bugatti's dancing elephant.
Named after a strong wind, the Mistral is a true roadster. It doesn’t have a roof, but an emergency soft top that should come in handy in case of rain.
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
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