New Bugatti Mistral: the W16 engine is DEAD

Опубликовано 19 августа 2022, 17:33

The Mistral is Bugatti's final W16-powered road car, and potentially the fastest roadster on the planet...

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The age of W16-engined Bugattis is coming to a close. Having powered every one of its cars since the firm’s rebirth for the new millennium, the W16 will see out its final days at the heart of this: the W16 Mistral.

The W16 Mistral borrows its core mechanicals from the Chiron, which was destined to be coupe-only from launch. It uses a redesigned carbon fibre monocoque to provide open-air motoring, and as a send off for the W16 engine, it’s fitting that the Mistral gets the most powerful version of the quad-turbo motor - a Chiron SuperSport-derived 1,578bhp 8.0-litre unit.

The engine is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, propelling the Mistral to 261mph. Bugatti isn’t stopping there, however - it will be gunning for the title of world’s fastest roadster in due course, which is currently held by the 265.6mph Hennessey Venom GT Spyder.

To do so, Bugatti has reconfigured the Mistral’s aerodynamic and cooling package compared with related coupes, such as the Chiron and one-off La Voiture Noire. The overall look is similar to the latter, with a wider horseshoe grille at the front to channel air to a high temperature engine radiator, flanked by two openings to feed the intercoolers.

Just 99 W16 Mistrals will be built, and having already been revealed to current Bugatti owners and enthusiasts, each one has been sold for 5 million euros. The first examples will hit the road in 2024 - our man Yousuf Ashraf provides the full rundown in this walkaround video.

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