Few global auto shows compete with the quality of new car debuts during Monterey Car Week in Carmel, California.
Few global auto shows can compete with the quality of new car debuts during Monterey Car Week in Carmel, California. The annual multi-day festival of all things automotive—classic car concours, product launches, races, auctions, rallies and plenty of posturing—has replaced the traditional auto show as among the best places to be for car brands and enthusiasts alike.
This year, more than 20 automakers showed their best efforts to attract elite car buyers: There were electric crossover concepts with doors that open in reverse, and one-of-one supercars covered in gold and intricate hand-painted pictures of other cars. Elsewhere, 3D-printed hypercars and an SUV that runs on hydrogen attracted prospective clients.
And while the traditional status symbols of horsepower and torque still held sway (Exhibit A: The 1,877-hp Pininfarina B95, above), these days the best new cars are using technology, rather than brawn, to seduce buyers with promises of how they can improve their lives.
Most new technology revolves around leveraging electric power, as in the Fisker Rōnin. Priced at $385,000, the electric convertible hails from the polarizing company best-known for its charismatic and prolific chairman, Henrik Fisker. Limited to 999 vehicles, it promises an unprecedented (and as-yet unverified) 600 mile range. Production is will start in the second half of 2025, according to company documents.
There were lots more electric supercars to see: Mate Rimac’s eponymous Croatian company debuted a special “Time Attack” edition of its record-breaking all-electric Rimac Nevera hypercar. Priced at $2.1 million, the Nevera can bolt from 60 mph in 1.85 seconds; top speed is 258 mph. The new model celebrates several speed the company has set; it boasts 1,813 hp and a limited-edition run of just 12 being built. They’ve all already sold.
Lamborghini’s Lanzador is a conceptual model of a future EV, with seating for four. It will have the versatility of the Lamborghini Urus and high ride height inspired by the off-road capable Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato; it also has two electric motors, one for each axle, providing all-wheel drive. The rig hints at a model slated for 2028, the company says.
Italian innovator Pininfarina showed the PURA Vision, a concept crossover with carriage-style doors (they open in reverse) and seating for four, plus a wine cooler and a central touchscreen that can be powered down to disappear into the dashboard. Pininfarina hasn’t released a pricing estimate, since it’s still in conceptual state, but the idea could become a near-competitor to the four-door and electric $1.8 million Koenigsegg Gemera.
The brand also showed the new Pininfarina B95, a $4.8 million electric open-top car fusing classic racing style with new technologies, and an “Edizione Nino Farina” of its existing $2.2 million Pininfarina Battista.
Plenty of electric vehicles on display were not anywhere near as expensive as those above. Many will offer the kind of practicality is more broadly appealing to consumers. Acura debuted its all-electric 2024 Acura ZDX Type S, its first all-electric crossover.
Kia showed the all-electric Kia EV6 crossover, with a limited edition in dark green.
Infiniti brought the Infiniti QX Monograph Concept, a design exercise the company says is inspired by its Japanese heritage and intended to show a vision of future styling language. The towering SUV features lighting that looks like digital piano keys and a panoramic roof.
BMW showed its i5 M60 and iX5 Hydrogen, two road-going vehicles leading the German automaker’s aggressive alternative fuel goals. An electric sedan, the BMW i5 M60 has an estimated range of up to 256 miles. It joins the iX crossover and i4 sedan, among others, in BMW’s all-electric line. The BMW’s iX5 Hydrogen crossover is based on the BMW X5 and was unveiled as a concept at the IAA show in 2019. Now, a fleet of roughly 100 are on the road for demonstration and trial purposes for various target groups, the company says.
Internal Combustion Power
Mercedes-Benz showed a smattering of vehicles both electric and not. The German automaker brought its Maybach EQS electric SUV, as well as the Maybach Night Series and Vision One-Eleven concept, a modern take on the historic C111 supercar. It also unveiled its new Mercedes-AMG GT, the successor to the powerful and sleek coupe it first started making in 2015—now with optional four seats. A special edition of the Mercedes-AMG SL made an appearance, too: the 2024 Mercedes-AMG SL 63 Manufaktur Big Sur, available solely for the U.S. market in limited numbers.
That AMG GT will have plenty of company in the internal combustion segment. Despite advancements in power and range for battery-powered vehicles, ICE engines retain the bulk of car sales worldwide. Consumers in Monterey saw the 2024 Aston Martin DB12 Volante, the open-top version of the Aston Martin DB12, with a twin-turbo V-8 engine producing 670 hp. The car can run 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Top speed is 202 mph. Pricing will start around $265,000. The British brand also displayed a jewel-toned Valour, a special-edition V-12 limited to 110 units.
There was also the new Porsche 718 Spyder RS, a mid-engine roadster producing 493 hp and 331 pound-feet of torque, priced at $162,150. It arrives at dealerships in spring, 2024. Lotus showed a new track-only Lotus Type 66 powered by a mid-mounted V-8 producing 830 hp and 550 pound-feet of torque.
RUF, the former Porsche tuner cum independent manufacturer making Porsche-like vehicles on their own bodies and chassis —and which also makes performance parts for various Porsche models—debuted a new design study in honor of the Porsche 911’s 60th anniversary. The Bavarian manufacturer will also show two new vehicles: the RUF R Spyder, a design concept inspired by classic sports roadsters, and the RUF BTR Twin, a twin-turbo variant of the BTR2 sports car. Pricing has yet to be announced on the new vehicles, but, for reference, a 1997 RUF BTR2 sold for $720,000 at a Gooding & Co. auction in May.
McLaren showed the 2024 McLaren 750S, a lighter and more powerful version of the outgoing 720S. It drops 66 pounds and gains 30 hp, along with other improvements, to help it surpass its predecessor. The 750S coupe starts at $331,740; the Spider version starts at $352,740.
Maserati revealed the Maserati MCXtrema. Built only for the track, it is based on the existing $212,000 MC20 V-6 sportscar but offers additional technical specifications and 730 hp. It is limited to just 62 units made.
Hennessey debuted the $3 million Venom F5 Revolution Roadster, a limited-production variant of its Texas-Made $2.1 million Hypercar. Those cars use a twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V-8 engine and claim a whopping 1,817 hp.
Danish brand Zenvo Automotive pubically revealed its Zenvo Automotive Aurora, expected to have a 2.3-second 0-62 mph time and a top speed of more than 280 mph. The €2,590,000 ($2.8 million) supercar comes in two different variants, and it has a combined powertrain of a 6.6-liter quad-turbocharged V-12 engine and an electric motor producing a total of 1,850 hp. It can travel 35 kilometers (21 miles) on pure electric power. Production begins in 2025.
Ford, meanwhile, debuted the $300,000 Ford Mustang GTD, an 800-hp V-8 coupe the company says will begin deliveries in late 2024.
Czinger Vehicles revealed the Blackbird, the latest iteration of its 3D-printed 21C, a $2 million hypercar with a turbocharged V-8 engine. The Los Angeles-based company is calling the 1,350bhp vehicle a “founders’ edition” that pays homage to American innovation and the SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane.
Super Specialized and Rare
Then there were the vehicles in Monterey that celebrated exquisite and often bespoke specifications. This type of car trades on its ultra-rarity and, or, its ability to deliver a client’s fondest wishes for what a car should be.
Bugatti debuted a one-of-one customer car representing the brand’s halcyon days. The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport “Golden Era” celebrates the French marque’s history with artwork of historic Bugattis painted on its sides, including the Type 41 Royale from the 1920s and the Type 57 SC Atlantic, often considered one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. Made by Bugatti’s special Sur Mesure team, the 16-cylinder car was privately handed over to its new owner in Monterey. The company declined to identify the person, but Bugatti Greenwich is the dealer handling the exchange.
Rolls-Royce‘s new Droptail is a coachbuilt sibling vehicle to the V-12 Boat Tail from 2021 and Sweptail from 2017. A low-slung roadster with a removable hard-top, the $30 million-plus Droptail has a V-12 engine, seating for two and curved grille design never before seen in a Rolls-Royce vehicle. Only four will be made. The brand also showed the ineffable Rolls-Royce Spectre, its first production EV.
Ferrari is catering to its high-dollar clients with track-inspired cars. The Ferrari SF90 XX is the first road-legal car in Ferrari’s exclusive XX Programme, offering a select group of clients extreme cars legal only for track use. The new supercar draws on the program’s concepts, and features a fixed rear wing, the first to appear on a road-going Ferrari since the well-known Ferrari F50.
Under normal driving it has 786 hp, but combined with a new boost feature for the electric motors, total system output is 1,016 hp. Ferrari says the car has a 2.3-second zero-to-62-mph time, 0.2 seconds quicker than the SF90. The Ferrari XX Spider is the open-top version of the same limited-edition model.
Even Land Rover got in on the low-volume action. It brought a special 2024 Range Rover SV Carmel Edition similar to last year’s 2023 Range Rover SV Carmel Edition, which was limited to just 17 units and priced at $345,000. But this one is even more expensive and rare: Created by SV Bespoke solely for the North American market, the latest Carmel Edition comes only as a long-wheelbase edition and costs $370,000. Just seven will be made.
