Bugatti might have claimed it was done chasing records, but the evidence suggests otherwise. As the curtain falls on the iconic W16 era, Bugatti’s quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter powerhouse delivers one last, glorious performance in the Mistral. And this time, Bugatti’s estimate fell short, by a considerable margin.
Initially, Bugatti pegged the Mistral’s top speed at 420 km/h, already outpacing the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, which clocked in at 408.84 km/h back in 2013. But in reality, this open-top Chiron outdid even Bugatti’s own ambitions, hitting a breathtaking 453.91 km/h on the Papenburg test track in Germany, a full 34 km/h faster than projected. While it’s still 35 km/h shy of the Chiron Super Sport coupe, the Mistral is now officially the fastest roofless production car in history.
The man behind the wheel? None other than Bugatti’s own Andy Wallace, Le Mans winner and holder of Bugatti’s closed-car top-speed record with the Chiron Super Sport 300+, which reached 490.48 km/h in 2019. Only 99 Mistrals will ever see the light of day, and the one that achieved this record is a one-off. Sporting striking Jet Orange accents, it honors the black-and-orange themes of the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport and Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. In an exceptional twist, the Mistral’s owner happens to possess both of these Veyron icons as well as the Chiron Super Sport.
In its triumphant speed run, the Mistral eclipsed the previous record-holder for roofless speed, the Hennessey Venom GT Spyder, which managed 427.6 km/h in 2016. Bugatti’s November 9th speed record attempt was held in the presence of the car’s owner and Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti Rimac. The Rimac Group, which holds 55% ownership in Bugatti Rimac, is backed by Porsche with a 24% stake, Hyundai at 12%, and other investors at 27%.
Intriguingly, the ownership structure directly influenced the decision to host this run at Papenburg instead of Ehra-Lessien, the Volkswagen Group-owned track where the Veyron and Chiron made history. This time, Bugatti had to look elsewhere, but clearly, Papenburg offered no shortage of straight-line thrills.
With the Mistral’s record-setting feat, Bugatti proves it isn’t quite ready to ride off into the sunset at least not quietly. The W16 era may be ending, but it's going out with a spectacular roar.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.webp)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
