Bugatti W16 Mistral accelerates to 453.91 km/h and becomes the fastest roadster in the world

Bugatti has set a new open-top speed record for a roadster: the W16 Mistral roadster has reached 453.91 km/h (282 mph), becoming the fastest convertible in the world. Driven by Andy Wallace, Bugatti’s official driver and winner of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The record was set on November 9 at the test track in Papenburg, Germany, exceeding the official top speed of the production version of the Mistral by 34 km/h.

The special edition W16 Mistral, which costs €14 million (about $14.7 million), is distinguished by its exclusive design. The carbon fiber body, bright Jet Orange accents and unique wheels harmoniously blend with the interior, decorated in a similar color scheme. Although the company did not disclose whether any changes were made to the powertrain, the car used the same 8.0-liter W16 engine with four turbines and a capacity of 1,600 hp.

The record-breaking Mistral has become part of The Singh Collection in Punjab, India, which already houses other Bugatti record-breakers, including the Veyron Super Sport, Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse and Chiron Super Sport 300+. After the record-breaking run, the car’s owner personally tested it in action, driving alongside Andy Wallace at speeds close to the record.

Despite Bugatti’s announcement in 2019 that it would no longer compete in top speed races, this success was another historic milestone for the brand. It now remains to be seen whether Bugatti will be able to surpass its achievements again, for example with the Tourbillon model, which has a claimed top speed of 445 km/h.