Bugatti has unveiled ‘La Perle Rare,’ a bespoke commission based on the W16 Mistral limited to 99 units that closes the book on the 8.0-liter quad turbocharged W16, the engine that defined the glorious Ferdinand Piëch era with record-breaking performance that reshaped the modern hypercar landscape over the past two decades.
Commissioned through Bugatti’s Sur Mesure program, ‘La Perle Rare’ began its journey in August 2023 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where Bugatti’s Manager of Sur Mesure and Individualization, Jascha Straub, met the client who would shape this one-of-one creation.
The exterior theme draws inspiration from Bugatti’s hand-painted ‘Vagues de Lumière’ finish that pays homage to the way the brand’s hyper sports cars reflect light and embraces the power of nature. After extensive exploration that moved from silver concepts to layered white tones, the team developed two entirely new bespoke colors.
A warm, gold infused hue features on the upper surfaces, while a refined warm white envelops the lower body. The dividing white and gold lines required hundreds of hours of hand applied taping, masking, and painting to achieve exact symmetry across the bodywork. Diamond-cut alloy wheels complete the composition with a curated paint mixture that mirrors the gold and white.
Inside, all visible carbon components are finished in white, resulting in an elegant cockpit environment that extends the exterior’s pearlescent theme. Door panels feature alternating white and warm gold linework along concave sculpted surfaces, while warm ambient lighting subtly illuminates the cabin. Machined and polished aluminum elements across the steering wheel, center console, and door handles capture light.
The ‘La Perle Rare’ signature appears in Straub’s own handwriting, stitched along the central tunnel, engraved on the bespoke white and gold engine cover, and painted beneath the rear wing. Rembrandt Bugatti’s Dancing Elephant motif prominently features within the gear selector casing and on exterior body panels, linking modern-day individualization with over a century of design heritage.
“This W16 Mistral ‘La Perle Rare’ is an extraordinary example of what becomes possible when a client’s imagination meets the full creative and technical capabilities of our Sur Mesure offering. From our very first meeting, this project was defined by a shared passion for elegance and precision. Working so closely with our valued customer allowed us to refine every line, every surface, and every reflection, until the car became a truly unique expression of their vision.” - Jascha Straub, Manager of Sur Mesure and Individualization at Bugatti.
Jascha plays a central role in turning ambitious ideas into fully realized Bugatti commissions. Starting out in Bugatti’s design department, he contributed to the exterior of the Divo and Centodieci. He now leads Sur Mesure initiatives, applying that experience to one-of-one creations like ‘La Perle Rare. Bugatti’s Sur Mesure program differs from Programme Solitaire, the French marque’s ultra-exclusive initiative that creates unique coachbuilt one-offs like the Bugatti Brouillard unveiled at Monterey in August last year and, more recently, the Bugatti F.K.P, a tribute to Ferdinand Karl Piëch.
Images: Bugatti
