Monterey Car Week 2025 once again proved why it remains the world’s most coveted automotive pilgrimage—a gathering where heritage masterpieces and bleeding-edge hypercars share the spotlight. Across Pebble Beach and The Quail, collectors and manufacturers alike unveiled rare prototypes, one-off commissions, and race-bred legends. From a 1924 Hispano-Suiza crowned Best of Show to futuristic track weapons and swan songs of iconic nameplates, the event was a study in contrasts: elegance colliding with extreme performance.
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: A Hispano-Suiza Reigns Supreme
While The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering increasingly steals headlines with modern debuts, Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance still carries the most prestige. This year, the show’s highest honor went to Lee and Penny Anderson’s 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Nieuport-Astra Torpedo, a car as rich in history as it is in design.
Commissioned by André Dubonnet—the French aperitif heir and racing driver—the Hispano-Suiza once competed in both the Targa Florio and the Coppa Florio. Its coachwork, executed by Nieuport-Astra, is a symphony of lightweight elegance and hand-crafted detail. As Concours chairwoman Sandra Button put it, “This Hispano-Suiza ticks every possible box… technically advanced, meticulously hand-crafted, light, and lovely.”
The Andersons’ victory wasn’t just about collecting another accolade; it was a reminder that Monterey is as much about celebrating artistry and heritage as it is horsepower and speed.
The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering: Modern Icons on Display
If Pebble Beach is about preservation, The Quail has become the launchpad for the future of luxury performance. At its 22nd edition, manufacturers like Bugatti, Lamborghini, Hennessey, Pagani, and Lexus revealed bold new visions—while bespoke builders like Gunther Werks and Gordon Murray Special Vehicles reminded everyone that craftsmanship still thrives in the analog age.
Bugatti Brouillard: A Solitaire Masterpiece
Among the most talked-about debuts was the Bugatti Brouillard, a one-of-one hypercar unveiled under the marque’s Programme Solitaire. The name nods to Ettore Bugatti’s favorite horse, and the car itself is an equestrian tribute rendered in engineering excess.
Its quad-turbo W16 delivers around 1,600 horsepower, yet the real theatre lies inside: tartan fabric upholstery, green-tinted carbon accents, embroidered horse motifs, and even a miniature horse sculpture embedded in the gear lever. Owned by an anonymous collector, the Brouillard set the tone at The Quail: hyper-luxury has become as much about narrative and symbolism as speed.
Ferrari F50 GT1: Best of Show at The Quail
If Pebble Beach awarded nostalgia, The Quail’s Best of Show went to raw racing heritage. Art Zafiropoulo’s 1996 Ferrari F50 GT1—a one-off prototype—stole the spotlight. With a 750-hp V12, carbon-fiber monocoque, and race-ready aerodynamics, the car was Maranello’s answer to the GT1 racing era.
Clad in exposed carbon fiber with black Speedline wheels, the F50 GT1 earned induction into the Rolex Circle of Champions, Monterey’s hall of fame for all-time winners. Zafiropoulo received a bespoke Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36, underscoring the car’s place as one of Ferrari’s most extreme and rarest machines.
Lamborghini Fenomeno: A New Benchmark for Sant’Agata
If Lamborghini is known for drama, the Fenomeno raised the curtain higher than ever. Limited to just 29 units, the hybrid hypercar pairs a naturally aspirated V12 with three electric motors to produce nearly 1,080 hp. The result: 0–62 mph in 2.4 seconds and a top speed north of 217 mph.
Its name isn’t just marketing flourish—the Fenomeno marks a philosophical shift for Lamborghini’s V12 bloodline, embracing electrification without sacrificing the operatic howl that defines its heritage.
Hennessey Venom F5 LF: The American Underdog Evolves
While European giants grabbed attention, Texas-based Hennessey reminded the world that the U.S. can still build hypercars to rival anyone. The Venom F5 Revolution LF, commissioned by collector Louis Florey, is a bespoke evolution of Hennessey’s record-chasing platform.
Draped in Cocoa Brown–tinted carbon fiber with River Sand Metallic accents, the car pushes a 2,031-hp twin-turbo V8—but here’s the twist: it’s paired with a six-speed gated manual. Horology-grade switches and a bolt-action parking lever add to the tactile appeal, reinforcing Hennessey’s pursuit of analog purity in an increasingly digital age.
Gunther Werks Project F-26: The Slantnose Reimagined
Gunther Werks’ reputation for reinterpreting Porsche icons reached its zenith with the Project F-26. A love letter to the Slantnose 911s of the 1980s, the car wields a Rothsport Racing–tuned twin-turbo flat-six producing 1,000 hp and 750 lb-ft of torque.
Wrapped in carbon fiber bodywork with fighter-jet styling cues, it’s not just fast—it’s a poster car for the modern analog generation. With only 26 examples planned, exclusivity is guaranteed.
Gordon Murray S1 LM: A Client’s Fantasy, Realized
Few designers command as much reverence as Gordon Murray, creator of the McLaren F1. His Special Vehicles division debuted the S1 LM, a Le Mans–inspired homage commissioned by a single client.
With a naturally aspirated 4.3-liter V12 revving to 12,100 rpm, central driving position, and carbon fiber bodywork with a split rear wing, the S1 LM channels the spirit of the 1995 F1 GTR. Only five will ever be built, with deliveries slated for 2026.
Pagani Zonda Arrivederci: A Swan Song
For collectors, few debuts carried as much emotional weight as the Pagani Zonda Arrivederci. Chassis No. 140 marks the final factory-built Zonda, closing a chapter that began in 1999.
Commissioned by Kris Singh, the car wears exposed silver carbon fiber with red-and-blue stripes, a candy-red interior, and bespoke wheels. As a farewell, it’s pure Pagani—deeply artisanal, unapologetically dramatic, and rich in storytelling.
SSC Tuatara Striker: Track Weaponry Refined
SSC brought a dose of brute force with the Tuatara Striker, a track-oriented variant of its record-breaking hypercar. Powered by a twin-turbo V8 capable of 1,750 hp on E85, the Striker adds 1,100 pounds of downforce at 160 mph thanks to its aggressive aerodynamics.
It’s a car designed less for boulevard posing and more for lap-time dominance, though its sculptural design ensures it never goes unnoticed.
A Jewel of the Past: Porsche 906 Spyder Vasek Polak
Among the modern hypercars, a historical gem stood proudly on the lawn: the 1966 Porsche 906 Spyder (chassis 906-136). Once campaigned by Vasek Polak’s racing team in SCCA events, it was modified by Porsche engineer Alwin Springer for lightweight advantage.
Painstakingly restored to its 1970 racing livery, it’s a reminder that Monterey Car Week isn’t just about excess horsepower—it’s about the stories that shaped motorsport history.
Lexus Sport Concept: A Hint of the Future
Rounding out the weekend was the enigmatic Lexus Sport Concept, a low-slung two-door coupe with wide haunches, an active rear wing, and proportions that suggest serious track potential. Lexus hasn’t confirmed specs, but whispers of a twin-turbo V8 with rear transaxle hint at ambitions far beyond luxury grand touring.
For Lexus, the concept signals a more emotional design era, blending sculptural beauty with motorsport DNA.
Why Monterey Still Matters
Every August, Monterey becomes more than just a car show. It transforms into a cultural summit for design, performance, and collecting. Where else could you find a 1924 Hispano-Suiza, a final Pagani Zonda, and a 2,000-hp Hennessey Venom F5 LF sharing the same stage?
For collectors, it’s validation. For brands, it’s theatre. And for enthusiasts, it’s a rare chance to see the extremes of automotive artistry—from the past century’s finest craftsmanship to tomorrow’s radical visions.
In a world chasing EVs and AI-driven mobility, Monterey Car Week 2025 proved there’s still room—and appetite—for cars that are less about utility and more about passion, performance, and permanence.
