When you’re buying a multi-million-dollar hypercar like a Bugatti Mistral, there are countless options to choose from even before you start getting into the really bespoke stuff. Selecting your paint shade, upholstery scheme, wheel design and stitching color is just the tip of the iceberg — for instance, on the Mistral, you can replace the elephant sculpture in the shifter with something else, like a mini Statue of Liberty or a screw from a 100-year-old Bugatti, as two customers have done.
There is one option that only a tiny handful of Bugatti owners have gone for, and it’s a real shame: the polished engine covers. Almost every modern Bugatti since the Veyron has had their engine bays exposed to the elements, and many buyers get the W16’s engine covers painted in a matching or contrasting color, or maybe one of a dozen carbon-fiber finishes, instead of the regular gunmetal. The polished aluminum option is very expensive, but that’s not what deters Bugatti customers from optioning it. No, they’re just too wimpy.
More supercars need patina
This is a take I’ve freely said for a long time now, but it came to the forefront of my mind when I was at the 2026 Las Vegas Concours a couple weekends ago. While there wasn’t a lineup of 47 Veyrons like last year, there were 20 modern Bugattis on display, including the Mistral you see here that has the polished engine covers on its W16. I’m not usually one to gush over black cars but it’s a pretty nice spec, and those magnesium wheels are another rare option.
The engine covers, though! Aren’t they fantastic? That’s how they look on a cloudy day, too, and are eye-catching even from a lower angle like that. Despite looking so awesome, fewer than 5% of buyers have gone for the option, and Bugatti’s designers have told me it’s because they don’t want the covers to get dirty and scratched. I think that’s exactly why more people should get them! Who doesn’t love a bit of patina on a high-end car? Just look at the photos of this 2022 Chiron Super Sport that sold on Bring a Trailer last year. Isn’t it neat to see the bright, shiny engine covers all scuffed up?
Daniel Golson/Jalopnik
It’s hard to pin down Bugatti option prices, but looking at the Monroneys (auto nerd speak for window sticker) of other Chiron sale listings helps. On a 2022 Chiron Pur Sport getting the engine covers painted in bright Tangerine cost $8,800, while going for an exposed carbon-fiber finish, like the one you see above, was $12,500. The polished option? $40,700.
OK, yeah, that’s a lot. I know you can afford it, though, because you’re buying a Bugatti, and in the grand scheme of things, it’s not even really expensive. The Chiron’s Sky View roof, for instance, was $62,000, and going for an exposed carbon-fiber body would’ve set you back at least $300,000. So what’s an extra forty grand to get such a gorgeous engine bay? We don’t yet know whether the Tourbillon’s V16 will offer a similar finish (we know it’ll have a carbon engine bay option), but I hope it does — and hopefully a much larger percentage of the 250 buyers will go for it.
