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Photo: Bugatti
The writing has long been on the wall for most, if not all, players in the luxury automobile space. Electric is in, which means petrol guzzlers of yore are out. And doubly so for Bugatti, ever since the storied marque merged last year with Croatian electric vehicle (EV) startup Rimac.
Say your goodbyes to the venerated W16 powerplant, which first debuted with the ridiculously speedy Veyron in 2005 to widespread appreciation from well-heeled gearheads. After all, it’s not often that you’d find a two-door capable of roaring down the asphalt at 407kmh.
The engine went on to feature in many an iconic Bugatti build, including the likes of the Chiron and Bolide. It has achieved legendary status, which is why the brand decided to send it off in style. Meet the W16 Mistral Roadster, an open-top tribute to a magnificent engine.
Design inspired by the old-school 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Grand Raid
Credit: Bugatti
As the end of an era, it gets an equally weighty name, referring to a winter wind that blows through the Mediterranean and France. The vehicle’s design, on the other hand, draws inspiration from an old-school Bugatti roadster: the 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Grand Raid, lending its black and yellow accents to the new build.
Also included, a curving windscreen inspired by the 1934er’s V-shaped windscreen that wraps around the A-pillars like a faux visor; two roof-mounted engine air scoops are another reference to the older vehicle, while character lines that flow into the front horseshoe grill hearken to the more recent Chiron.
Exact performance figures haven’t been released, but with the power of 1,600 horses under the hood — the same as the world-record breaking Chiron Super Sport 300+, which hit 490kmh — one can only expect a number at least in the high four hundreds.
If all this makes you feel like shelling out some €5 million (S$6.9 million) for a W16 Mistral Roadster to call your own — well, you can’t. Only 99 examples will ever be made, and they’ve already been spoken for. Deliveries will begin in 2024, so with any luck, you might just see them whizzing past you like a flurry of snow.
Find out more: Bugatti
