Bugatti’s Bonkers New One-Off Mistral Was Inspired by a Dragonfly

Bugatti was inspired by a certain nimble insect for its latest custom creation.

The marqueMarqueA brand name of a car manufacturer, particularly one associated with prestige, such as Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, or Aston Martin. The term emphasizes a make's heritage and identity beyond product lines,Go to Marque Glossary just unveiled a new one-off Mistral that takes design cues from a dragonfly today. The striking blue beauty comes from the team at its Sur Measure atelier, where customers can craft even more specialized versions of Bugatti’s supercars. And this ride isn’t the only insect-inspired vehicle in the marque’s repertoire. The owner of the new Mistral “Fly Bug” previously dreamed up three other cars inspired by creatures in nature: the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse “Hellbug,” the Chiron “Hellbee” and the Divo “Lady Bug.”

Blue leather interior of a luxury sports car with a circular steering wheel and carbon-fiber accents featuring a Bugatti emblem at the center. — The wheel. *Photo: Bugatti*

For the fourth addition to the client’s collection, Bugatti drew from the dragonfly’s iridescent wings and quick speed. As a result, the “Fly Bug” is adorned with its own bespoke paint called Dragonfly Blue, one that shifts from blue to turquoise depending on the light. The car also sports a spotted ellipse pattern that grows darker as you head toward the rear; and, for the first time in the marqueMarqueA brand name of a car manufacturer, particularly one associated with prestige, such as Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, or Aston Martin. The term emphasizes a make's heritage and identity beyond product lines,Go to Marque Glossary’s history, its Macaron oval emblem makes an appearance as part of the graphic on the car’s flank, a choice suggested by the owner that was a rather demanding task, Bugatti says.

The ellipsis design gets darker as it heads toward the rear. Photo: Bugatti

The eye-catching blue hue extends to the interior, too. There, Bugatti crafted an exclusive material—leather laid over Alcantara in a geometric design—just for this ride, which also gives the inside a 3-D effect. That ellipse pattern can be seen across the door panels also, and, in another first for the marqueMarqueA brand name of a car manufacturer, particularly one associated with prestige, such as Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, or Aston Martin. The term emphasizes a make's heritage and identity beyond product lines,Go to Marque Glossary, the graphic covers both the door panel face and the armrest area. Overall, it took Bugatti months to bring the complex “Fly Bug” to life.

Side view of a blue and black convertible sports car with turquoise accents on a white studio background. — The Bugatti W16 Mistral “Fly Bug.” *Photo: Bugatti*

Aside from all that detailed design work, this Mistral is equipped with all its usual specs. The maximalist ride, priced from around $5.8 million, can hit a top speed of 282 mph (in a record for an open-top road car upon its launch) and dart to 62 mph in just 2.4 seconds. The car is also home to that W-16 engine, of course, which produces a cool 1,600 hp. And with Bugatti building just 99 examples of this beastly beauty (all of which are spoken for), we’re sure there’s more stunners waiting to make their debut.

This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.