Bugatti has secured the land-speed record for a production open-top car with its Mistral roadster. The hypercar clocked an impressive 282 mph (453.91 km/h) earlier this month at Germany’s ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg high-speed track.
This achievement marks a return for Bugatti in the land-speed record pursuit, a practice briefly abandoned under former CEO Stephan Winkelmann. In 2019, a Chiron Super Sport 300+ became the first production car to exceed 300 mph (484.6 km/h), solidifying Bugatti’s dominance in the hypercar segment.
Under the leadership of Mate Rimac, founder of Rimac Automobili and current CEO of Bugatti, the French marque has reignited its passion for top-speed challenges.
In an interview with Top Gear following the Mistral’s record run, Rimac said he discussed with tyre supplier Michelin whether a tyre could handle speeds of 500 kph.
“Can we put the five in front of the top speed record?” Maybe next. Let’s see,” he told Top Gear.
While modified vehicles have surpassed the 300 mph barrier achieving this feat with road-legal tyres that meet Bugatti’s stringent safety and durability standards remains a significant hurdle. Aerodynamic stability at such extreme velocities is another crucial consideration. For perspective, these speeds are nearly double the takeoff velocity of a passenger jet.
Michelin has been actively developing road-legal tyres capable of handling 300 mph and beyond since at least 2018. Bugatti collaborated with Michelin to create a set of Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres specifically for the Chiron Super Sport 300+. Michelin reportedly tested these tyres up to 317 mph (510 km/h) in the U.S., although the testing methods remain undisclosed.