Bugatti’s W16 Engine Era Closes With Final Mistral Build
The 99th & final W16 Mistral rolls out of the Atelier in Molsheim just days after Bugatti inaugurated its new atelier, La Manufacture…
A new W16 Mistral recently rolled out of the Atelier in Molsheim, marking the end of production for Bugatti’s W16 engine, which spanned the Veyron, the Chiron and, in open-top form, the W16 Mistral. Finished in a two-tone livery of Pearl and Sparkle, this closing example embodies the words that have defined the W16 Mistral hyper sports car since its unveiling: “The last of its kind,” company officials stated in a press release. The car arrived just days after Bugatti inaugurated its future atelier, La Manufacture, the soon-to-be home of Tourbillon production in Molsheim.
A Record-Setting Legacy
The W16 Mistral was originally unveiled at Monterey Car Week in 2022. In November 2024, Bugatti Pilote Officiel Andy Wallace took the one-of-one W16 Mistral World Record Car to 453.91 km/h (282 mph) at ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg, a top speed that made the W16 Mistral the fastest open-top production car in the world.
At the Silverstone Grand Prix in 2026, the W16 Mistral World Record Car that claimed that speed record in 2022 was officially handed over to its owner, marking a symbolic milestone in the model’s production journey, noted the release.
Following the record-breaking moment, the Bugatti Sur Mesure team in Molsheim and Berlin continued to work closely with customers to create personal interpretations of the roadster, with no two W16 Mistrals alike. The latest bespoke creation, the one-off W16 Mistral “Blanc Éternel,” was unveiled earlier this month.
Where the core concept of the W16 Mistral draws on the spirit of the Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid, the last W16 Mistral to leave the Bugatti Atelier in Molsheim nods to the spirit of the car itself: “The last of its kind,” in reference to the final roadgoing swansong to the W16 engine, the company said. Inside the cabin, a dedication plate pairs this mantra with a silhouette of the W16 Mistral.
While the exterior is finished in a combination of Pearl and Sparkle, paired inside with Magnolia and Grey Carbon Matt, the hypercar’s design reaches back further still, to the origins of the modern Bugatti era, when Ferdinand Piëch set out the ambition that would define the W16: a car capable of exceeding 400 km/h, yet composed enough to arrive at the opera that same evening.
Craftsmanship & Heritage Details
Ettore Bugatti’s signature is stitched into the headrests, rendered in aluminum along the door sills, and reimagined in place of the usual Bugatti signature on the engine cover’s inner trim. The armrest plate is created in collaboration with Lalique. Cast in frozen crystal glass and titled “Spirit of the Wind,” it references the long-standing relationship between Bugatti and Lalique and echoes the sculpture given to W16 Mistral customers when they configured their cars.
The customer—working hand in hand with Jascha Straub, manager of Sur Mesure and Individualization at Bugatti, and entrusted partner, Bugatti Riyadh—shaped one more personal detail: a falcon head, in place of Bugatti’s usual elephant sculpture, sits atop the gear shift, complemented by a sketch embroidered in Anthracite across the door panels.
Closing Out an Era
“With this car, we wanted to bring together everything the W16 Mistral has stood for since the first sketch: an incredible open-top driving experience paying tribute to the incomparable character of the W16, alongside details that hark back to the brand’s rich heritage, and to Ettore in particular,” said Straub. “The color combination feels effortlessly elegant, true to the spirit of the W16 Mistral in every detail. It is a deeply personal car, and a fitting one to close out production.”
The W16 Mistral’s production story comes to a close with 99 examples built, each shaped around its owner, and each carrying forward the philosophy of the engine that has defined Bugatti for two decades, the company said.
“The W16 Mistral was always conceived as the ultimate open-top expression of the W16 engine—a car built to let our customers feel that incredible engineering masterpiece in its purest form, with the roof down,” added Hendrik Malinowski, managing director of Bugatti. “Seeing production of this model complete, a few days only after opening La Manufacture, is a special moment for everyone who worked on it—and perfectly sets the tone for what’s still to come from Bugatti.”
