Bugatti builds one-of-one W16 Mistral inspired by customer's literary work
Bugatti has created a unique W16 Mistral roadster for a collector, with design inspired by the customer's own continuation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's 'The Little Prince'.
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What Happened
The W16 Mistral 'Le Retour du Jeune Prince' was commissioned through Bugatti's Sur Mesure program. The customer, a discerning collector, met with Bugatti's Jascha Straub in October 2023 in Molsheim to discuss the creative direction. The concept was inspired by the customer's own literary work, a continuation of Saint-Exupéry's novel, with the moon, earth, and stars as central themes.
Customer meets Bugatti Sur Mesure team in Molsheim to begin the commission.
The one-of-one W16 Mistral 'Le Retour du Jeune Prince' is revealed.
The design team created a dedicated colorway with copper and bronze hues and a warm metallic finish. The grille's internal lines follow the upward flow of the hood. The Bugatti Macaron on the grille is finished in gold, and copper brake calipers add continuity. On the rear wing, a constellation of silver stars is hand-applied, and a hidden composition of the prince and the fox appears when the air brake deploys. Inside, the cabin features Terre d'Or and Driftwood leather, with embroidered moon and star motifs, and a 3D-scanned silver rose in the gear shifter.
- Custom copper and bronze metallic paint inspired by lunar light
- Gold Bugatti Macaron on the grille
- Hand-applied silver star constellation on the rear wing
- Embroidered moon and star motifs on leather door panels and headrests
- 3D-scanned silver rose inside the gear shifter
Why this matters
The car showcases Bugatti's Sur Mesure personalization program, demonstrating how luxury automakers can turn a customer's personal story into a one-off design.
Terms in This Story
- Sur Mesure
- French for "made to measure"; Bugatti's bespoke personalization program.
- Macaron
- The brand emblem or logo badge on Bugatti vehicles.
- W16
- A 16-cylinder engine configuration, historically used in Bugatti hypercars.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.