The Last Bugatti Mistral Brings the Marque’s W-16 Era to an End
Bugatti’s W-16 era is now officially over.
The French hypercarHypercarAn extreme, limited-production performance car that sits above supercars in power, technology, price, and exclusivity, often featuring hybrid powertrains and advanced aerodynamics. Hypercars act as rolling engineering showcases, and modelsGo to Hypercar Glossary maker unveiled the 99th and final Mistral on Thursday. The boundary-pushing roadster will be the last series-production vehicle to leave the marque’s Molsheim atelier with a W-16 in the engine bay.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of the W-16 to Bugatti’s modern history. The engine—which features four banks of four cylinders in a W configuration—has powered every single one of the brand’s vehicles since it was taken over by the Volkswagen Group in 1998. That includes its first modern hypercarHypercarAn extreme, limited-production performance car that sits above supercars in power, technology, price, and exclusivity, often featuring hybrid powertrains and advanced aerodynamics. Hypercars act as rolling engineering showcases, and modelsGo to Hypercar Glossary, the Veyron; its successor, the Chiron; and their many derivatives.
But times are changing. Earlier this year, Porsche sold off its 45 percent stake in Bugatti Rimac—which is what Bugatti became after merging with Rimac in 2021—ending VW Group’s control over the automaker. In addition to that, the company’s next car, the TourbillonTourbillonA watch complication invented around 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet that rotates the escapement in a cage to counter the effects of gravity on accuracy. Tourbillons are mesmerizing and very difficultGo to Tourbillon Glossary, will be its first to feature the company’s new hybrid powertrain, which mates a three-foot-long, naturally aspirated V-16 with a trio of electric motors.
Which is why the final Mistral is also the final Bugatti, at least of the series-production variety (more on that in a bit) to feature a W-16 engine. Aptly dubbed “The Last of Its Kind,” the $5 million roadster is finished in a two-tone finish that combines Pearl with Sparkle. The interior, meanwhile, is done up in Magnolia and Grey Carbon Matt leather and features the signature of the automaker’s founder, Ettore Bugatti, stitched into each headrest.
As eye-catching as the Mistral is on the outside, its most beautiful feature remains its 8.0-liter W-16. The mechanical masterpiece produces 1,578 hp and 1,180 ft lbs of torque. Thanks to all that grunt the car can rocket from zero to 62 mph in 2.4 seconds and can hit a top speed of 282 mph. That last figure isn’t just a theoretical target either. The one-off Mistral World Record hit the mark in the fall of 2024, making it history’s fastest open-top production car.
While the Mistral represents the last official W-16 that Bugatti will build, there is, of course, a loophole. Those who’ve been up enough cache with the brand, and have extremely deep pockets, can commission a vehicle with the engine through the company’s new one- and few-off division, Programme Solitaire. In fact, the team’s first two cars, the Brouillard and FKP Hommage, both feature the mill.
Click here for more photos of the final Bugatti Mistral.
FAQs
The 99th and final Bugatti Mistral marks the end of the marque’s W-16 era. It is the last series-production Bugatti to leave the Molsheim atelier with the 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged engine that has powered the brand’s modern hypercars since the Veyron.
The Bugatti Mistral produces 1,578 hp and 1,180 ft lbs of torque, allowing it to accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 2.4 seconds. A Mistral World Record reached 282 mph in 2024, making it the world’s fastest open-top production car.
Bugatti will no longer use the W-16 in its regular production models, as the forthcoming Tourbillon introduces a hybrid V-16 powertrain. However, select clients may still commission one- or few-off W-16 vehicles through Bugatti’s Programme Solitaire division.
This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.