Bugatti W16 Mistral La Perle Rare: Heritage Meets Beauty
Bugatti W16 Mistral La Perle Rare
When Bugatti closes a chapter, it doesn't go quietly. W16 Mistral is the final curtain call on one of the most extraordinary engine programs in automotive history. Only 99 examples of the W16 Mistral exist, and have already sold to respective Bugatti clients. Among those 99, La Perle Rare stands alone. A hypercar shaped by "elemental beauty."
The Commission
2023 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Jascha Straub, Bugatti's Manager of Sur Mesure and Individualization, first met the client behind this build. They drew inspiration from a pearl’s shimmer, and the way it dances with light. La Perle Rare is French for 'the rare pearl', a name that also served as the creative direction for the entire build.
Sur Mesure represents the brand’s most exclusive level of personalization, bringing high-end collectors together with designers and engineers to commission one-off builds that go far beyond a traditional options list. The program is rooted in craftsmanship, technical depth, and the pursuit of creating something the world has never seen.
With a base price of $5 million before personalization, the W16 Mistral sits at the very top of the hypercar market. In the case of La Perle Rare, the owner spared absolutely nothing to achieve a specification that reflects the capabilities of Sur Mesure.
Exterior Design
Drawing from Bugatti's hand-painted 'Vagues de Lumiere' design language, Straub developed a two-tone composition that visually separates the upper and lower body.
Two entirely new colors were created for the commission: a warm gold-infused tone across the upper surfaces and a refined warm white along the lower body.
The dividing lines between the two were achieved through a painstaking process of hand-applied masking, followed by weeks of supervised paintwork.
Diamond-cut wheels received a custom paint blend to mirror the same gold-and-white interplay found on the body.
Interior and Personalization
Inside, all carbon components were finished in white to establish a focused, jewel-like cockpit. Door panels feature alternating white and gold linework following sculpted concave surfaces, while machined aluminum trim elements throughout the cabin capture light with the same precision as the exterior. Warm ambient lighting further reinforces the pearl-inspired aesthetic.
Personal touches run throughout the car. Rembrandt Bugatti's iconic Dancing Elephant sculpture appears on both the gear selector casing and the exterior body panels. The name 'La Perle Rare,' rendered in Straub's own handwriting, is embroidered along the central tunnel, engraved on the engine cover, and painted beneath the rear wing. The result is a vehicle that honors Bugatti's heritage while serving as a singular expression of one client's vision. Bugatti Press Release.
Very Driver
Very Driver