- Bugatti set another top speed record for open-top cars despite withdrawing from the hunt in 2019.
- The Bugatti W16 Mistral reached 453.91 km/h (282 mph) with Andy Wallace behind the wheel.
- The €14m Mistral with the special livery joined Bugatti’s other record cars in a special collection.
Bugatti has announced a new speed record, this time set by the W16 Mistral. The Chiron-based roadster reached a top speed of 453.91 km/h (282 mph), becoming the fastest open-top car in the world.
Andy Wallace, Bugatti Pilote Officiel, and Le Mans winner, sat behind the wheel of the hypercar, exploring its full potential at the Papenburg track in Germany. Note that the 453.91 km/h (282 mph) he achieved on November 9, is a full 34 km/h (21 mph) over the official top speed of the limited-production Bugatti W16 Mistral.
More: Koenigsegg Jesko Sets Four World Speed Records
The impressive feat was achieved by the unique Bugatti W16 Mistral World Record Car which costs a whopping €14,000,000 ($14,743,700). This is nearly triple the starting price of the $5-million hypercar, although it comes with a cool livery and plenty of bragging rights.
The World Record Car treatment includes Jet Orange graphics on the lower body and matching wheels, contrasting with the black carbon exterior. A similar theme continues inside the cabin with orange accents.
A new era of speed – BUGATTI W16 MISTRAL becomes fastest open-top car in history.#BUGATTI #BUGATTIMistral #W16Mistral #WorldRecord
— Bugatti (@Bugatti) November 14, 2024
–https://t.co/mCEE0ghyaw pic.twitter.com/nvSVGzNaYA
Bugatti didn’t mention any upgrades on the chassis or the 1,578 hp (1,600 PS) quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 powertrain, but said that the record attempt followed “months of intricate preparation, and meticulously planned testing to explore the car’s immense capabilities.”
Interestingly, the unique W16 Mistral belongs to a special client who owns the full collection of Bugatti’s World Record Cars as part of “The Singh Collection” in Punjab, India. The dream garage includes the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport that reached 431.07 km/h (267.8 mph) in 2010, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse that reached 408.84 km/h (254 mph) in 2013, and the more recent Chiron Super Sport 300+ with the impressive 490.48 km/h (304.7 mph) record in 2019.
Besides having the privilege of owning a big part of Bugatti’s history, the special client enjoyed a memorable weekend with the team. Following the successful record attempt, he joined Andy Wallace on what may be the fastest passenger ride ever, reaching “almost the same speed”.
On a side note, Bugatti officially withdrew from chasing speed records in 2019, but the Molsheim brand couldn’t resist one more go at it. Now we’re curious about the potential of the all-new Bugatti Tourbillon which has a top speed limiter at 445 km/h (277 mph).
