Peter Lyon
November 16, 2024
Powered by a 1,578-hp 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine, the Bugatti Mistral has just set a new speed record for open-top cars with a top speed of 454 km/h.
And with this record, an era for the W16 engine comes to an end, with this engine being phased out and replaced by the 8.3-litre naturally aspirated V16 engine that powers the Bugatti Tourbillon. The track-only Bugatti Bolide, is now the only home of the W16 engine.
Instead of Ehra-Lessien, where Bugatti has traditionally done their record-breaking top-speed runs, the 12.3 km oval track at the ATP Automotive Testing Facility in Papenburg, Germany, was host for the record-breaking run.
This is because Ehra-Lessien, which was still owned by Volkswagen, was no longer available to the French hypercar manufacturer when Volkswagen sold Bugatti and established a new joint venture with Rimac.
One particular challenge was the Papenburg track. With Bugatti official test driver Andy Wallace at the wheel, the Bugatti Mistral had to sustain a much higher speed of 200 km/h coming out of the banked corners in order to reach the top-speed run because its four-kilometer straights are half as long as those at Ehra-Lessien.
“Achieving a record like this pushes the limits of automotive innovation and calls for a great deal of concentration, commitment, and cooperation.” Andy continued, “It’s a real testament to the passion that everyone at Bugatti has for creating history.”
This accomplishment is all the more remarkable because the owner of the record-breaking Mistral was there to see it happen, making it the first time that a customer had ever attended such an event in Bugatti’s history.
To commemorate the special day, the car’s owner was given a once-in-a-lifetime high-speed run in the Mistral alongside Andy Wallace, reaching speeds that set what Bugatti claims is an unofficial record for the fastest-ever passenger ride.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
To be honest, we’d expect nothing less than such records from Bugatti—the fastest open-top speed plus the fastest passenger ride. Whereas the Mistral reached 454 km/h, the record-holding closed-cockpit top speed is 490 km/h achieved by the Chiron Super Sport 300+. Apparently, the record-setting Mistral is a one-off model costing around $14.7 million.
