Basically a Chiron with the roof chopped off, the 1578-hp Mistral made good on Bugatti’s promise that it’d be the fastest roadster in the world.
How fast would you dare to drive a carâ100 mph? 200 mph? Now, what if the car had no roof? Even on a closed course with medical personnel standing by, that might make you rethink your limits. But for Andy Wallace, Bugatti’s fearless official test driver, the thrill of speed is an invitation to push the boundariesâroof or no roof.
On November 9, Wallace did just that, piloting a 2024 Bugatti Mistral to a jaw-dropping top speed of 282 mph, setting a new world record for the fastest open-top car. No roof. No fear.
The record-breaking run took place at the ATP Automotive Testing Facility in Papenburg, Germany, a 7.64-mile oval track built for extreme performance. Wallace’s approach was methodical: he entered the banking at 124 mph, precisely calculated, before unleashing the Mistral’s full 1578 horsepower on the straight. From there, it was all about holding steady and trusting the raw power of Bugattiâs hypercar.
With the wind howling and the open sky above, Wallace didn’t just break the record; he shattered the notion of whatâs possible when you combine engineering excellence with nerve-rattling speed. And with a top speed of 282 mph, the 2024 Bugatti Mistral has certainly earned its place in the history books.
Despite Bugatti’s long history of shattering world records, the Mistral’s achievement holds a unique distinctionâit’s the first record-breaking run that was attended by the car’s owner. And it gets even wilder: after the official run, Andy Wallace didnât just take a victory lap. He offered the owner a second, high-speed run, which Bugatti suspects may have been the fastest-ever passenger ride in history. Imagine blasting down the track at nearly 300 mph with the wind rushing past and the world reduced to a blur, all while sitting in the passenger seat. Now that’s a thrill few can ever claim.
The Mistralâs record is also a bittersweet milestone. It marks the end of an era for Bugatti, bringing the curtain down on the iconic quad-turbo W-16 engine that powered the legendary Chiron. To commemorate this moment, Bugatti has produced just 99 examples of the Mistralâa limited run of ultimate performance machines, each starting at a cool $5 million. It’s a fitting tribute to an engine that redefined what hypercars could achieve, and with the Mistral, Bugatti is sending it off in the most spectacular way possible. For the lucky few who can afford one, this isnât just a carâitâs a piece of history, and perhaps the fastest passenger ride anyone will ever experience.
When Bugatti unveiled the Mistral, they didnât just chop off the roofâthey reimagined the entire concept of open-top hypercar performance. The Mistral isnât merely a convertible version of the Chiron; itâs a radical evolution. With its newly aggressive front end, sharper lines, and a more purposeful stance, the Mistral looks like it means businessâalmost daring you to test its limits. But despite all the visual changes, one thing remains unchanged: the heart of the beast.
Under that sleek, wind-swept exterior lies the same beastly quad-turbo 8.0-liter W-16 engine that powers the Chiron. But donât let that familiarity fool you. This engine still cranks out an eye-watering 1,578 horsepower, a blistering amount of power that rockets the Mistral to insane speeds with ease. And that power is sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, ensuring that every ounce of that fury is put to the tarmac in the most efficient, pulse-quickening way possible.
When the Mistral debuted in 2022, Bugatti had a clear, audacious goal: to surpass the 254-mph record set by the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse back in 2013. The Mistralâs 282-mph top speed? Mission accomplished. Not only did it meet expectationsâit obliterated them, cementing its place as the new benchmark for open-top speed. In the world of hypercars, the Mistral doesnât just raise the barâit redefines it.
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