Bugatti Chiron breaks 300 mph
Test driver Andy Wallace piloted a specially-prepared Bugatti Chiron to 304 mph, setting a new mark for street legal cars.
Bugatti is ready to ride like the wind.
The French hypercar builder has unveiled the last car it will ever build with the brand's legendary 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine before it launches its first electrified model.
The W16 Mistral is a roadster named after a wind that blows through southern France and is based on the Chiron Super Sport, which is capable of reaching a top speed above 300 mph.
The engine is rated at 1,600 horsepower, and the car has an expected top speed of over 260 mph with the top off.
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The W16 Mistral has a 1,600-horsepower engine. (Bugatti)
Bugatti plans to attempt to break a 254.04 mph record for open-top cars previously set by its predecessor, the Veyron Super Sport Vitesse.
Technically, the W16 Mistral is always open as there is no formal hardtop for it, but Bugatti said it will come with an emergency cover. The Vitesse had one that was supported by a collapsible umbrella-like structure.
The W16 Mistral is based on the Chiron. (Bugatti)
Much more than a chop-top, the Mistral's body differs from the Chiron's, and its structure has been reengineered to accommodate the large opening that has been created.
Air intakes for the engine are behind the passengers' heads to enhance the aural effect of the 70,000 liters of air that enter them every minute at full throttle.
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The price for the car has been set at $5.1 million, but don't go breaking open your piggy bank. Bugatti said it will build only 99 of them, and the entire run has already been sold out.
The air intakes have been positioned behind the passengers' heads. (Bugatti)
That's $500 million worth of very fast cars gone very quickly.
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Bugatti last year merged with electric sports car company Rimac and has a new powertrain in development for its next car.