The W16 mistral is Bugatti's most extreme roadster – a final roadgoing appearance for the iconic W16 engine – A masterpiece that celebrates the symbiotic pinnacle of design and engineering..
A combination of pure artistic vision and mastery of the laws of physics is seamlessly brought together by Bugatti design and engineering teams. At the front of W16 Mistral, a new wider, deeper and more three-dimensional iteration of the famous Bugatti horseshoe grille allows the high temperature engine radiator to be fully fed purely from one intake, leaving the two side intakes to focus only on providing air to the intercoolers.
The airflow around the front corners is managed by two intakes; one by the wheel and one seamlessly integrated within a new three-dimensional headlamp design. The air is guided from an area of high pressure to low pressure area in the wheel well, which would otherwise create turbulence and drag, affecting W16 Mistral’s performance.
With the new roadster profile, the team incorporated a reinvented Bugatti C-line, which traditionally marks the profile of the Chiron5. The design line that wraps around the side air intake now connects into the top edge of the side windows and then three-dimensionally transforms across the top edge of the windscreen. Crucial to the visual identity of W16 Mistral – which appears to leap forwards – the creation of this new line was no simple task.
All air taken through the sides gets channeled across the two radiators – one on each side – over the rear wheels and then out through the W16 Mistral’s X-shaped taillights – an elegant reinvention of the Bolide’s6 iconic design. The vents emerge in the triangular negative space in between the ‘X’ beams of the light, creating a pressure drop between the side intakes and the outlets at the back of the W16 Mistral which helps to manage the temperature of the engine, even under high loads.
W16 Mistral will run in ‘Top Speed’ mode with the minimum amount of rake on rear wing to reduce drag, but the rear diffuser has been optimized because downforce created by a diffuser comes with very little penalty for drag. The diffuser edge has been elevated to increase its rake angle and expansion ratio, helping to maintain both W16 Mistral’s sure-footed handling and its record-breaking top speed. As well as its reputation as the ultimate roadster.
Only 99 examples of the W16 Mistral will be built, priced at 5 million euros net, with deliveries due to begin in 2024. The entire production run of W16 Mistral is already sold out.
