Bugatti goes open-top with a new car that piques our interest and boggles our minds. The new Bugatti Mistral is the only open-top car using the Chiron platform.

We thought the new Bugatti Tourbillon was quite an achievement, but it seems that another incredible, high-priced, high-performance car from this brand is on its way. The new Mistral is in its final phases of testing, which means this new convertible could be the fastest and most powerful open-top car in the world when it arrives. We’re certainly interested in what this amazing new roadster brings to the table.

What powers this new Bugatti?

As you might expect from a car that shares the Chiron platform, the Mistral uses the same 8.0-liter W16 engine as its platform mate. This will be the last Bugatti to use this legendary engine, which makes it even more intriguing. There will only be 99 versions of the 1600-horsepower, drop-top Mistral produced.

This incredible machine should sit at the top of performance, price, and prestige for the next few years. Bugatti has a knack for making some of the most iconic and amazing cars in the world, and this new model should follow that same path.

A symbol of pure excess

Can you get your hands on the Bugatti Mistral? Not a chance. Even if you had the $5 million it cost to purchase this amazing new Bugatti, all 99 versions have been spoken for. It’s unlikely most of us will ever see this car in person, but a few might make it to closed tracks to showcase the performance and glory of the W16 engine. As the last car to use this engine, the Mistral is a fitting sendoff for the massive power plant, and that means this car deserves to show off now and then on the world stage.

It’s the convertible Chiron

The Chiron was never offered as a convertible car, which makes this new Bugatti even more interesting. The Mistral is the first open-top car from this brand since 2012, making it a dozen years back to the Veyron since the brand offered a car with this look and feel. Saving the convertible build to be the final days of the W16 engine creates a fitting end to it. The Mistral was unveiled at Pebble Beach during the Monterey Car Week to signal the transition from gas to electric powertrains for the brand.

Why is Bugatti going electric?

The Volkswagen Group was Bugatti’s parent company for many years, but they ended control over Bugatti and transitioned it to Rimac. This change to the Croatian EV automaker signaled the transition from massive gas-powered engines to hybrid and electric models. Future Bugatti supercars are likely to be built using similar powertrains as the Rimac models that we’ve seen and admired. The new Bugatti Tourbillon signals a blend of gas and electric, using an 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine and a hybrid electric motor setup. This car should help the brand make the transition to electrification.

More than a convertible

The new Bugatti Mistral isn’t simply a convertible version of the Chiron, even though it shares a platform with the venerable supercar. The design team improved the front end to give it elements from previous models. This front end has qualities found in the Bugatti Divo and La Voiture Noire. This new car has fender-mounted lights and the trademark horseshoe grille with a long front snout. It’s easy to recognize the car as a Bugatti; that front look has become a signature style of this high-end luxury brand for many years.

Moving away from the front, the Mistral has a cut-down windshield that curves up like a visor to meet the shallow side panels. We talk about this car being an open-top model without a roof, but it will be offered with a temporary clip-in panel that can be used if the driver gets caught in some foul weather while driving the Mistral. The last convertible Bugatti was the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, which had a targa lift-off roof section to complete the roof as needed. The Mistral’s roof is much less of a permanent item, which makes it a fully converted car and not one that should be driven with the roof panel in place very often.

A dynamic rear light signature

The view most drivers might get of the new Bugatti Mistral is of the rear end. This look is incredible, with an X-shaped set of rear lights and the Bugatti name connecting the two sides of the X in the center. This look gives this car an amazing finish as it drives past.