Bugatti's legendary W-16 engine has been in production since 2005, where it debuted in the Veyron 16.4. It's been a staple of the company's lineup since, powering every model from the brand in various forms.
While the open-top Mistral is technically the final production car to use the W-16, it's not the last car to use the quad-turbo motor. In fact, the one-off Brouillard—revealed on Thursday—might not be the last Bugatti to use the W-16.
Alongside the Brouillard's debut, Bugatti revealed its Programme Solitaire, an ultra-exclusive service for VIPs, allowing customers to order true one-of-one models from the French supercar maker. But as of now, those cars won't be entirely new.
"Bugatti will create up to two Solitaire cars per year, and commissions will use existing Bugatti powertrains and chassis, which includes the W-16," a spokesperson told Motor1.
The wording here is a bit coy, as the only "existing" powertrain in Bugatti's lineup right now is the W-16. The naturally aspirated V-16 set to appear in the Tourbillon won't enter production until next year. So if Bugatti plans to build two one-offs per year, there should theoretically be at least one more W-16-powered car on the way (the Brouillard being the first of the two).
More importantly, Bugatti told us it was "unknown" whether the Brouillard would be the final W-16-powered car, seeing as the second one-off likely hasn't been conceptualized yet. So while this beautiful green machine is the latest Bugatti to use the W-16, it's unlikely to be the last.
Long live the W-16.
