Bugatti Mistral Pairs V12 Might With Minimalist Luxury

Although Bugatti had gone through more than one stall and restart in its 116-year history, it has continued to define the supercar, each iteration demanding a new set of superlatives. So it’s fitting that, to wind down the era of the French marque’s groundbreaking W16 engine, it developed the maximalist Bugatti Mistral, an ode to open-air motoring that recently set a roofless speed record of 282 mph and starts at about $5.8 million. Introduced in 2022, with all 99 examples already spoken for, the model began deliveries this February, giving Robb Report the chance to pilot one.

While this herculean roadster employs the same 1,578 hp quad-turbocharged engine found in the Chiron Super Sport 300+, it gains the visual plot twist of scoops, contours, and vents that lend a more charismatic edge than its smooth-as-silk sibling. The most dramatic shift comes at the sharply carved tail, where X-shaped accents recall the track-only Bolide.

Able to launch from zero to 62 mph in 2.4 seconds, the Bugatti Mistral also set a speed record for roadsters at 282 mph. Daniel Wollstein

The Mistral’s exterior styling gives it enough identity to mark a departure from form, but the leather-lined cockpit reveals familiar signatures: an analog speedometer that goes to 500 kph (310 mph), peerless hides, cool-to the-touch metal controls, and a miniature replica of Rembrandt Bugatti’s dancing-elephant sculpture inside the shifter. Behind the wheel, I am struck by how the Mistral’s controlled fury contrasts with the calm of the interior’s minimalist design.

No matter how many hypercars you’ve driven, the Mistral still astounds with its breathtaking power at any throttle opening. Brush the accelerator and you’re whisked away; press it a mere quarter down and you’re flying; flatten it and, well, Godspeed on your catapult to the horizon—62 mph arrives in 2.4 seconds. The easily accessible velocity feels intoxicating and is accentuated with a rich sonic layer cake: the whoosh of air sucking into the engine, the hiss of spooling turbos, the chuff of blowoff valves, and the deep-bass thrum of combustion pulsing through a large trapezoidal exhaust vane.

*From left to right*: The leather-lined cockpit is imbued with restrained elegance; a miniature of Rembrandt Bugatti’s dancing-elephant sculpture is showcased in the gearshift. Daniel Wollstein

Unlike the closed-coupe Chiron, which cocoons you from its inner workings, the Mistral delivers a raw mechanical sound bath, tempered only by a pop-in wind deflector (fixed in examples for North America)—just aft of the seats—that reduces cabin turbulence and shields air-flow. The experience not only highlights the uniqueness of the W16 but also underscores the immense forces that allow the Mistral to reach nearly 300 mph with the top down—a mind- (and wind-) blowing feat that cements it as the fastest roadster on the planet. (A removable roof panel is offered only as an emergency measure against weather.)

The Mistral is disarming with its deft handling and supple ride, closing the chapter on the late Ferdinand Piëch’s vision of the ultimate automobile—one he set in motion as head of Volkswagen Group when he green-lit development of the 2005 Bugatti Veyron. Piëch championed the W16 for its space and packaging efficiency, insisting that no other configuration could achieve the marque’s extraordinary goals.

The quad-turbocharged W16 engine delivers 1,180 ft lbs of torque. Daniel Wollstein

Now, with wunderkind Mate Rimac carrying the Bugatti baton, the forthcoming 1,800 hp Tourbillon features a propulsion system that seems at once three steps forward and one step back: a trio of battery-powered motors paired with a naturally aspirated V-16 mill. Seen through that prism, the Mistral earns its place in history as a remarkable bridge between two epic epochs.

This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.