No one can accuse the Bugatti Chiron of lacking in power especially with its majestic W16 powertrain. But the Mistral happens to be the sharpest iteration of this genre of cars along with throwing in the sensation of driving a roofless rocket.
Related: Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport is the most powerful, most expensive supercar out there
The Mistral is essentially a Chiron that has lost its roof and gained a whole lot more in the process. Bugatti is also using this model as a send-off for the W16 engine as its forthcoming models will use some form of electrification.
The W16 first came in the Bugatti Veyron in 2005 and it changed the automotive world and introduced a new genre of hyper cars. The way the engine was positioned along with the amount of power deplored was unheard off back in the day. Yet, even today that engine continues to impress with its relentless locomotive like power and brute force. It is pure displacement at its best and with the roof taken off, the Mistral is quite possibly the most desirable recipient of this powertrain.
Bugatti Mistral: Fastest roadster in the world
The name Mistral comes from a powerful wind that blows from the Rhône River valley, through the towns of the Côte d’Azur in southern France and into the Mediterranean. The car uses the latest 1600 PS iteration of the W16 also found on the Chiron Super Sport along with its own bespoke design plus engineering.
The Mistral simply is not about chopping the roof from a Chiron as considerable chassis upgrades have been grafted in. The design is a lot bolder and imposing from the Chiron – if such a thing can ever be said. The Mistral also takes various design cues from other extreme Bugatti’s like the Bugatti Bolide with the aggressive front-end along with chiselled haunches. Bugatti has also taken a leaf from its yesteryears with the 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid serving as the inspiration.
New supercar: The Bugatti Mistral
Some of the distinctive visual attributes regarding the Mistral are the aerodynamic headrests which melt into the bodywork backwards along with the V-shaped windscreen. Even the colour is a subtle nod to the Type 57 Roadster.There are hints of ‘truffle brown’ and subtle yellow accents all over. The design pays homage to Ettore Bugatti, who also chose the black and yellow combination for many of his personal cars, including his Type 41 Royale.
The curved windscreen is also an alluring design trait. And the way the character line flows to the horseshoe grille is pure Bugatti. The vertically stacked headlights or even the X-tail-lights also round off a sinister persona.
Only 99 being made
The Mistral is also destined for clearer skies and sunny weather around South of France with no actual roof. But the car will have a foldable soft-top for emergencies.
However, with the amount of power at one’s disposal, it is easy to scamper away when the rain gods play foul. With 1,600 PS, it is the fastest roadster in the world and a serious way to mess up your hairstyle at terrifying speeds.
At $5 million each and with only 99 being made, the Mistral is an indulgence of everything that we love about Bugatti wrapped in a roadster silhouette.
Images: Bugatti
Somnath Chatterjee grew up around cars and most of his childhood was spent obsessing over supercars. Years later he decided to start writing about them and hasn’t looked back since. While he has had his fair share of cars, the world of automobiles never ceases to amaze him. Travelling all over the world to drive them along with sharing that experience is what ultimately keeps him going. He hopes to drive a Ferrari 288 GTO someday because, well, do you really need a reason?
