Bugatti unveils bespoke W16 Mistral ‘Le Retour du Jeune Prince’ hypercar

Bugatti’s in‑house Sur Mesure programme has produced a one‑off W16 Mistral roadster commissioned by a writer‑collector. The car, named “Le Retour du Jeune Prince,” is a handcrafted tribute to Antoine de Saint‑Exupéry’s The Little Prince and to the client’s own literary sequel. Built at Bugatti’s Molsheim factory, it features the ultimate 8.0‑litre W16 engine delivering 1 600 hp, a copper‑bronze exterior with a hand‑painted silver‑star sky, and interior leather in “Terre d’Or” and “Driftwood” tones. Unique details include a 3‑D‑scanned silver rose on the gear‑shift knob and a hidden Easter‑egg that reveals a scene of the Prince and the Fox when the air‑brake deploys. The commission costs about €5 million and is part of Bugatti’s Programme Solitaire, which limits ultra‑exclusive builds to one or two units per year, extending the life of the legendary W16 powertrain after its planned phase‑out. The car exemplifies a growing trend among ultra‑high‑net‑worth clients for narrative‑driven, museum‑quality automotive art rather than pure performance.