Image: Bugatti
Every car-lover's heaven
Monterey Car Week. A week in late August circled in every car enthusiasts' calendar. If you don't know what 'the week' is, picture this: those cars you normally only see in a museum (or don't see at all), like Ferrari 250 GTOs and McLaren F1 GTR Longtails? They clog the streets of Monterey, California, like Corollas and i30s do down Chapel Street on a Saturday morning.
Essentially one of the most significant weeks in the global motoring calendar (up there with Goodwood Festival of Speed, Le Mans 24h, and the Monaco GP), the week comprises events, club gatherings, the much-anticipated RM Sotheby's Auction, and the storied Pebble Beach Concors d'Elegance, to name a few attractions. The most exciting part of the week is that a whole host of unicorn-rare cars come out of the woodwork to participate in the festivities - seeing one of these cars on the road is almost too good to be true, but in the numbers you can see in California it's something else to behold.
Essentially one of the most significant weeks in the global motoring calendar (up there with Goodwood Festival of Speed, Le Mans 24h, and the Monaco GP), the week comprises events, club gatherings, the much-anticipated RM Sotheby's Auction, and the storied Pebble Beach Concors d'Elegance, to name a few attractions. The most exciting part of the week is that a whole host of unicorn-rare cars come out of the woodwork to participate in the festivities - seeing one of these cars on the road is almost too good to be true, but in the numbers you can see in California it's something else to behold.
With so much happening throughout the week, and so many cars being spotted, we've spent the best part of the past week researching the most significant news, summarising the best events, and digging into the depths of Instagram to bring you the things you need to know about Car Week.
In this Part I, we bring you the most significant announcements from the car world - the cars that you need to know about.
In Part II, we'll look at auction highlights, and show you our favourite posts from the Insta-verse.
In this Part I, we bring you the most significant announcements from the car world - the cars that you need to know about.
In Part II, we'll look at auction highlights, and show you our favourite posts from the Insta-verse.
Significant announcements & launches
With the car worlds' eyes on Monterey during car week, it's traditionally a time when major manufacturers make big announcements. Launch of a prototype, racecar, or entirely new models are all expected occurrences, and this year was no different, with the likes of Ferrari, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Aston Martin (amongst others) all making big announcements. We've detailed the highlights for you below.
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BUGATTI
Who would have thought that the Bugatti Chiron's nearly two-tonne chassis would be appropriate for a 'track special'? Bugatti does, so have made the Divo; a high-downforce (90kg more downforce than the Chiron) track-munching beast. Limited to only 40 units, they're all already sold to existing Chiron owners at double the price - 5 million Euros, to be precise. It's 8 seconds faster than the Chiron around the Nardo test track, however doesn't include the 'top speed mode', unlocked in the Chiron with an extra key. Boo. The quadruple-turbocharged W16 engine remains (putting out a staggering 1,102kW), as well as much of the design language from the Chiron. |
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LAMBORGHINI
Going with the theme of 'releasing a crazier version of an already crazy car', Lamborghini announced the Porsche GT2 RS-killing Aventador SVJ. Having snatched the 'Ring-king throne back from Stuttgart, the SVJ has apparently 'taken inspiration from a space ship to a fighter jet', according to Lamborghini. Judge for yourself, but we can see the resemblance. The J stands for 'Jota' (the letter J in Italian), a designation reserved for Lamborghini's most hardcore of offerings. Hardcore it is; its 570kW V12 making it the most powerful series-production V12 Lamborghini has ever produced. As if one release wasn't enough, the SVJ 63 (no, not a Mercedes-AMG version...) was also revealed - the 63 referring to Lamborghini's founding year, 1963. Featuring ALA 2.0 (an updated version the aero system that made the Huracan Performante so slippery through the air), the car can intelligently shift from no downforce to full downforce in 500 miliseconds. 900 SVJs (including 63x 63s) will be put into production, and commence delivery early 2019. |
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FERRARI
Whilst it may have been a predictable model in the 488 evolution, the 488 Pista Spider is just as beautiful as we would have imagined. It's also going to be much rarer than the Coupe, just as the Speciale Aperta was to the 458 bloodline. The Spider is Ferrari's 50th convertible model in history; sure to make it a future collectible. But as with most cars on this list, you won't be able to get one; they're all already sold out to Ferrari's creme-de-la-creme of customers. The Spider has essentially the same performance figures to the Coupe from its 530kW 3.9L twin-turbo V8: it hits 100km/h in 2.85 seconds, 200km/h in 8, and onto a top speed of 340km/h despite its 100kg weight gain over the Coupe. A cool option is carbon wheels, manufactured by Carbon Revolution in Waurn Ponds (yes, in Victoria!) - it's great to see some local companies thriving on the world stage. |
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ASTON-MARTIN
Whilst not a 'new' car per-se, Aston Martin will be commissioning 25 DB5 'Goldfinger' editions for its ultra-wealthy clients. Essentially a James Bond fanboy's dream, the Goldfinger is a new DB5, including a host of gadgets and tech that could be found in James Bond's original DB5. The only one that has been confirmed is revolving number plates, but at the very least we'd hope for an ejector seat... Unfortunately not road-legal anywhere, the Goldfinger is going to have to remain a very expensive piece of film and motoring history artwork, at 2.75m GBP a pop. It is to be manufactured in the Aston Martin Works factory in Newport Pagnell, England, where the original DB5s were made. The only colour option available is 'Silver Birch' (as per the original), and will include some 'sympathetic modifications to ensure highest levels of build quality and reliability', according to Aston. With a surprisingly generally negative reaction across social media, it will be interesting to see the completed production models and whether public perception changes. Deliveries will commence 2020. |
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AUDI
A lot more prototypical than a lot of this list, Audi has announced the PB18 e-tron concept; an electric car to (try to) end all electric cars. Using the R18 e-tron Le Mans LMP1 racecar as inspiration, its three electric motors crank out 570kW and 800Nm combined, giving it a 0-100km/h time of just over 2 seconds. The most notable feature of the PB18 is its driver's seat and steering wheel. Sitting on laterally mounted rails, it can move into the center of the car for track driving (to channel your inner F1 heroes), or on the side for regular street driving. Refreshingly, Audi has specifically avoided any sort of 'autonomous driving' features in the PB18, kicking out the preconception that electric=autonomous. This is one electric car designed around the driver involvement and enjoyment, which gives us a little hope for the future of the car... Bring on the production version. |
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MERCEDES-BENZ
Another electric concept. Don't roll your eyes at this one, because the MB Vision EQ Silver Arrow is one beautiful and clever machine. Unfortunately more of a trial of technology than any indication of future production models, it's designed with a heavy influence from the stunning 1937 W125, a car which incredibly hit 432.7km/h in the 1930's. According to MB, it's possible to race past Silver Arrow racecars virtually, while driving this one. A virtual racetrack and opponents are projected onto the windows in-front of and behind the driver, enabling you to race them virtually. Don't ask how that works, but count us in. Other features you'll notice are those wheels (the rears are 26-inches!); they each have 168 spokes, made from lightweight aluminium. The cockpit lifts entirely forward F16-style, revealing a seat that looks incredibly perfect in driver position, and there's that massive retracting rear wing, which doubles as an airbrake. How cool. |
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BMW
Somewhat more accessible to the average person than the other unicorn cars released during the week, BMW has launched a new Z4, as well as re-launching the 8-Series; the first 8-Series since 1999. The Z4 shown at launch was the M40i, pushing out 250kW from its 3L inline-six. With a heavy facelift, the Z4 now looks much more aggressive and muscular than the previous generation, which seems to be the general trend in the car world. The new 8 Series indirectly replaces the 6-series, and although it's a large car (46mm shorter but 7mm wider than the 6) it's still designed to have the usual driving dynamics marketed by BMW. Of course, an M-version is on its way, too, in both two and four-door guise, named the M8. It won't be until early 2019 for the base models to arrive, but later in the year for the M versions. We can't w8, just look at that concept! |
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RIMAC
Well established Croatian electric hypercar manufacturer Rimac has released a special edition of its standard C_2, named the C_2 California. Essentially the same as a regular C_2, the California is still the same all electric 1,408kW, 2300Nm weapon, with the addition of champagne bottle holders, new designed alloy wheels, and an electric blue paintjob. Those champagne bottle holders had better be deep, because the C_2 has a top speed of over 400km/h, hitting 100km/h in just 1.85 seconds (claimed). In what world... 150 copies are to be made, each priced at around $2m USD. |
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INFINITI
Our last, but certainly not least important announcement is the Inifini Prototype 10 Concept. You'll notice design cues similar to an SLR Stirling Moss, or a classic 50's racecar with a tonneau cover over the passenger side, a design which we certainly like. Running an 'electrified' drivetrain (your guess as to hybrid or fully electric is as good as ours), the Prototype 10 is designed purely with the driver in mind, to maximise enjoyment and drivability. Maybe this electric revolution won't be so bad after all... That being said, it remains only a prototype, with no production versions confirmed. The Prototype 10 is "a physical representation of [Infiniti's] electric future", according to the head of design. All Infinitis will have some sort of electrification as of 2021. |
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