A record of 453 km/h with the wind in your hair!

Well, not entirely with the wind in his hair, because the driver of the Bugatti W16 Mistral World Record was thankfully wearing a helmet.

Andy Wallace, Bugatti development driver and incidentally winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988, was entrusted with a W16 Mistral World Record for this moment of glory. After a quick lap to warm up the tires, the British driver was able to unleash the 1600 horsepower of the feline supercar to reach 200 km/h on the sharp turns of the German test track in Papenburg. This phase acted as a launch pad before unleashing the full power of the car down the straights to reach the astonishing speed of 453.91 km/h. And at that point, the car was configured as a convertible! Let’s remember that the record for a Bugatti with a closed cockpit belongs to the Chiron Super Sport 300+ at an incredible speed of 490.48 km/h.

This record is likely to stand for many years for a simple reason. What manufacturer would be bold enough to compete with Bugatti in the high-speed convertible market? Driving at 400 km/h without a roof makes no sense, of course, but for Andy Wallace, it would almost be a formality! “Throughout the testing program that led us to this point, I felt the incredible stability of the car. I even had the impression that it was always asking for more,” explained the driving virtuoso. When the big day arrived, right in the thick of the action, it was an extraordinarily exciting experience for me. Feeling all the elemental forces from the open cockpit, and hearing the roar of the W16 engine coming from the air intakes just near my ear, all made this achievement incredibly moving. A record like this pushes the boundaries of automotive innovation and cannot be achieved without extreme concentration but also, above all, immense dedication and teamwork. It’s a real testament to the passion that drives all Bugatti employees when it comes to making history. ”

For the first time in Bugatti history, the owner of the car was present to witness the event. And as if owning a car holding a world speed record wasn’t enough, the very wealthy lucky owner had the opportunity to join Andy Wallace for another lap, reaching a similar speed to the record. Enough to set a new, unofficial record for the fastest speed achieved by a passenger in a production car!

ALSO READ: Over 420 km/h in a Roadster. How is that possible?