Bugatti Completes Final W16 Mistral as Legendary 16-Cylinder Road-Car Era Ends

KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 2026 – Bugatti has completed production of the W16 Mistral, marking the end of the French manufacturer’s open-top tribute to its legendary quad-turbocharged W16 engine.

The final production example recently departed Bugatti’s historic Atelier in Molsheim, France. It is the 99th car in the highly exclusive W16 Mistral series and represents the closing chapter of the engine’s road-going history.

Finished in a personalised two-tone combination called “Pearl” and “Sparkle,” the final roadster was designed to embody the expression “The last of its kind.” A dedicated plate inside the cabin carries the same phrase alongside a silhouette of the W16 Mistral.

The interior features Magnolia leather and Grey Carbon Matt surfaces, together with carefully crafted details celebrating Bugatti’s design heritage. Ettore Bugatti’s signature appears on several parts of the vehicle, including the headrests, aluminium door sills and engine cover.

A frozen crystal glass element positioned on the central armrest bears the inscription “Spirit of the Wind.” The decorative component reflects Bugatti’s longstanding relationship with French luxury crystal manufacturer Lalique while referencing the Mistral name, which is associated with a powerful wind in southern France.

The W16 Mistral is powered by Bugatti’s 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine. The powertrain became one of the company’s defining engineering achievements after its introduction with the Bugatti Veyron in 2005 and later continued through models including the Chiron.

Production of the roadster began in early 2025 following its original unveiling in 2022. Only 99 customer examples were planned, making the Mistral considerably rarer than the Chiron, of which 500 units were produced.

The Mistral’s place in automotive history was strengthened in November 2024 when Bugatti official test driver Andy Wallace reached 453.91 kilometres per hour, or 282 miles per hour, in a specially prepared World Record Car at the ATP Automotive Testing facility in Papenburg, Germany. The achievement established the Mistral as the world’s fastest open-top production car.

Its design draws inspiration from the Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid, combining historical references with modern aerodynamics and high-performance engineering. Rather than simply removing the roof from a Chiron, Bugatti developed the Mistral as a distinct roadster with its own bodywork and structural solutions.

The completion of the final Mistral comes shortly after Bugatti inaugurated La Manufacture, its new production facility in Molsheim. The facility is expected to become the manufacturing home of the Bugatti Tourbillon, signalling the company’s transition towards its next generation of hypercars.

The Tourbillon replaces the W16 architecture with a naturally aspirated 8.3-litre V16 engine supported by an electrified powertrain. The transition represents a major technological shift for Bugatti while preserving the brand’s focus on performance, craftsmanship and limited-production exclusivity.

Although Bugatti is moving towards a new engineering era, the final W16 Mistral serves as a tribute to the engine that transformed the manufacturer’s modern identity. From the Veyron and Chiron to the record-breaking Mistral, the W16 established new standards for speed, power and luxury in the hypercar industry.