The Bugatti W16 Mistral may share most of its mechanical parts with the Chiron but it has its own unique appeal and has a particularly evocative name.
That name makes reference to the mistral, one of the eight dominant winds that envelop the Mediterranean Sea and is known for blowing from the Rhone River through the Côte d’Azur and into the Gulf of Lion in the northern Mediterranean.
Fittingly, as part of its ongoing tour, Bugatti recently brought the W16 Mistral to the foothills of the Côte d’Azur and captured some stunning images of the limited-run hypercar. Given how much wealth is found along the French Riviera, we wouldn’t be shocked if at least one of the 99 W16 Mistral models heading for production ends up residing in the area. It then took the hypercar across the world to Singapore for a photo-shoot at the Marina Bay Waterfront before making its final stop at the Bugatti Singapore Showroom for a private customer event.
Read: Check Out The $5M Bugatti W16 Mistral In These New Photos
Bugatti refers to the W16 Mistral as “the ultimate roadster” and is the firm’s first drop-top since the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. While it is based on the Chiron, it is much more than a convertible Chiron and has completely bespoke bodywork, bearing similarities to the Veyron Barchetta Concept from 2008.
The rear of the Mistral is particularly intriguing due to the presence of LED taillights totally distinct from all other Bugatti models. It also features a rear fascia, bumper, and diffuser laden in the finest carbon fiber imaginable. Other design highlights of the car include the humps on the engine cover. The front, meanwhile, is dominated by a huge horseshoe grille finished in black and bordered by two enormous air intakes.
In terms of power, the car is powered by the Chiron’s familiar 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine, although it is the same as it is in the flagship Super Sport. That means it is good for 1,578 hp and 1,180 lb-ft (1,600 Nm) of torque. Bugatti hasn’t said how quickly the W16 Mistral will hit 62 mph (100 km/h) but has confirmed it tops out at 261 mph (420 km/h).
The entire run of 99 W16 Mistral cars, starting at $5 million each, have already sold out, with configurations beginning this year.
