How close we came to a Volkswagen supercar

In last week's magazine you may have read Matt Prior's review of the new Bugatti Mistral - an open-air take on the Chiron, and the very last model to carry the four-turbo W16 engine that had its debut in the Veyron back in 2005.

- By RICHARD LANE

The Mistral's pedigree can be traced back further than the Veyron, though. In 1998, the year Volkswagen bought Bugatti (as well as Bentley, Cosworth and Lamborghini, Ferdinand Piëch being on the acquisitional rampage), the company unveiled a sensational roadster at the Geneva show. Though neither we nor VW knew it at the time, this car was laying the groundwork for future Bugatti roadsters. The engine had a short, W-layout (the block was just 510mm long) and was exposed to the elements amidships. The cockpit was luxurious by supercar standards, and practical to the extent that two golf bags could fit in the boot. Top speed mattered more than handling. And but for the jutting roll hoops, the long-tail silhouette and face were elegantly uncomplicated.

It was called the W12. Volkswagen had previously shown a coupé, but we didn't get to drive the tin-top, whereas just six weeks on from Geneva, Autocar special correspondent Bern Ostmann was in Germany to try the roadster. VW was intending to put these cars into production, and within just two years (the impetuous hand of Piëch again), so it was key the car was seen as a credible rival to Ferrari.