Bugatti Brouillard: new ultra-bespoke arm reveals W16 swansong

The Brouillard retains the Mistral’s 1578bhp quad-turbo W16 and basic body-in-white, but it has been extensively redesigned according to the tastes of its unnamed owner - who took inspiration from company founder and keen equestrian Ettore Bugatti’s favourite thoroughbred horse, named Brouillard. 

The eponymous stallion’s muscular form inspired the Brouillard’s smooth, flowing silhouette, which Heyl said has “no hard lines” and is instead defined by “soft shapes and bulging muscles”. It keeps the Mistral’s distinctive visor-style glasshouse and basic front light design but is otherwise visually distinct, with more minimalist surfacing treatment and a streamlined rear end that culminates in a new, venturi-style fixed ducktail wing. 

The Brouillard’s swap from open to fixed roof was also made in the name of exclusivity. Heyl said: “It’s a one-of-one, so it’s very special to make it a coupé. All 99 Mistrals were roadsters. Why not make a coupé?” 

There are subtle nods to the legendary Veyron hypercar – which turns 20 in 2025 and was the first car to use the W16 engine – including the chunky dual roof scoops (which Heyl said are functional), and the Brouillard’s more overt cab-forward shape.“The main gesture of the car is leaping forward and yet leaning back,” he said. “It reminds me of the novelty of the Veyron.” 

The Brouillard’s owner has emphasised the bespoke nature of their creation with an outlandish green-over-green colour scheme, with the exposed carbonfibre lower body sections tinted to match the satin paintwork. 

The interior upholstery is coloured accordingly, including the equestrian-inspired tartan. 

The substantial redesign showcases just how far Solitaire customers can go in making their car unique. But Heyl said it is important that whatever a customer demands, the final product must still be recognisable as a Bugatti. ”It must retain our trademark signatures that have become the DNA of the brand: the horseshoe grille, the Bugatti line on the side, the vertical centre line,” he said. 

However, he added: “If you do a bespoke one-of-one, you can deviate outside of the norm. It gives the designers some freedom where otherwise we would need to stick to a certain rule book. Yet we are still making it a Bugatti through reinterpreting our DNA elements.” 

Heyl said the Brouillard took around 18 months to complete. The Solitaire division has capacity to create a new bespoke model every six months, which suggests cars two and three are under way already. Future projects may not be publicly revealed, to protect the privacy of the high-net-worth customers, but the Brouillard will make its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance next week to showcase the Solitaire offering.