Bugatti Mistral Driver Fends Off Rain Using Good Ol’ Umbrella

The Bugatti Mistral is a Chiron-based roadster. So what happens if the driver encounters a rainstorm? This person creates a makeshift roof out of a Bugatti-branded umbrella.

Of the possible solutions, this seems like the best choice. The umbrella balances between the windshield and the rear nacelles. The driver is going slow, so there’s no concern about the wind blowing away the umbrella. Also, it appears to be just sprinkling rather than a downpour.

18 Photos

The Mistral is oddly quiet. It certainly doesn’t sound like a quad-turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine is rumbling behind the driver. One possibility is that this is a prototype using a small electric motor for propulsion. This makes sense because customer deliveries don’t begin until 2024. We saw Bugatti use a setup like this in the past with the La Voiture Noire show car.

The Mistral debuted during Monterey Car Week in 2022. Bugatti limited production to 99 units, and it pre-sold them all before the unveiling. Each one was the equivalent of $5.3 million (5 million euros).

The vehicle’s design takes inspiration from the Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid. It also features modern styling cues from the brand, like the X-shaped taillights.

Inside, there are high-class touches that include a gearshift that includes milled aluminum, wood accents, and Bugatti’s “dancing elephant” sculpture inside a piece of amber. The door panels have woven leather upholstery.

This application of Bugatti’s W16 makes 1,577 horsepower. When the brand debuted the Mistral, it said: “There can only be one goal in mind: to become the fastest roadster in the world once more.” Bugatti Rimac Chief Technology Officer Emilio Scervo estimated the car could reach at least 261 mph in top speed mode.

Following the unveiling in California, Bugatti took the Mistral on a world tour. It went to the brand’s showroom in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Then, the roadster went to Japan. There was another stop in Southern France.

For a closer look at the Mistral, check out this video: