11 Cars I Saw at Monterey Car Week That Are Calling My Name…And I Need To Drive
This superweek of supercars will turn anyone into a superfan.
If the idea of Monterey Car Week is new to you, let me fill you in: Every August oodles of gazillionaires descend on Monterey, California to show off their car collections and drool over others. So many people show up in their hyper-priced one-of-a-few supercars that it’s essentially a billion-dollar traffic jam for the value of the cars stuck crawling along the area’s narrow roads.
All those car collections draw an oversized gathering of lookyloos and super fans that for one week the Monterey Peninsula becomes one of the hottest car spots on earth.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Monterey Car Week Is Filled With Marquee Events
Monterey Car Week is chock full of car events, from free and family-friendly showcases that fill local streets and parking lots to auctions, car gatherings and swanky VIP-only events that are some of the hottest tickets of the year.
The poshest events are staged by supercar makers for collectors, owners, dealers and VIPs, hosted at private residences around the area and often with a very stringent guest list. Others are open to the ticket-buying public.
Among the top events is the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at the track at Laguna Seca; tickets range in price from $150-$250 and get you a view of the races as well as the chance at a glimpse of celebrities and race car drivers. Guests who can snag VIP access can saunter past the garages, see the cars up close and perhaps even hop into a race car for a hot lap with a pro driver.
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The Quail: The Paris Runway of Car Shows
Attendees at Monterey Car Week with a supercar shopping list need to plan to attend The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. Staged on the golf course at the Peninsula Hotel in Carmel, California, guests should register well in advance; tickets are only sold to qualified attendees and while they are pricey, at $1,600 per person, they include food, Champagne and lots of giveaways such as sun hats, parasols and swag.
On the field at The Quail guests will be able to see concept cars and new models from brands such as Bentley, Aston Martin, Acura, Lamborghini, Porsche, Rivian, Infiniti, Lexus, Cadillac and more; they’ll also be able to personally inspect rare and mostly hand-built models from brand like Bugatti, Czinger, Dacora, Koenigsegg, Morgan and more.
Probably the nicest thing about The Quail is its elevated feel: everyone dresses for the day; attendance is limited, so the field is not overly crowded; and many people bring their kids, who are also dressed for the occasion and soaking in how special this event is.
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The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance: The Super Bowl of Car Shows
The crowning event at Monterey Car Week is “Pebble.” That one word is the main reason so many attend, from true car enthusiasts who wait all year to see some of the most exclusive and classic cars in the world to carmakers who show off their top models and concept cars.
The Pebble Beach Concours is a juried event that awards prizes to the best vehicles entered into competition. The final event of Monterey Car Week, a jury of 90 judges assess each of the 220 entries in 30 categories and award the winners at the end of the day.
Pebble-goers are superfans, arriving at early for tours along the cost and showing up at dawn on the final day to watch the procession of cars make their way onto the field. Then everyone grabs a spot on the lawn near the awards ramp for a front row seat to the awards at the end of the day. The time in between is spent walking the field looking at the cars and talking to owners, noshing on fine foods and sipping Champagne.
And the contestants? They apply to attend—just receiving an invitation is an honor—and then prepare: cars must be authentically preserved and maintained and they must drive onto the field under their own power. A vehicle that wins a ribbon will see its value and interest increase. Winning Best of Show, though, can be like winning the lottery—should the car’s owner decide to sell it.
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What Was the Best of MY Show?
There was a lot to take in during Monterey Car Week. Everywhere you looked there were vintage, exclusive, pricey and fun cars, car owners who love to talk about their cars and car makers showing off their new and concept cars. Here are the new cars and concepts that I had to stop and learn more about—and that I can’t wait to drive.
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1. The Infiniti QX65 Monograph Concept
This will be the next big thing from Infiniti. We didn’t get to climb inside and look around, but we did get a chance to look closely at this athletic sportback SUV. It’s sleek and looks elegant in its eggplant satin paint. This one will be a welcome addition to the Infiniti family.
2. Lucid Gravity X
A concept that I hope becomes an offering to customers is the Lucid Gravity X, or “cross.” The company took the very popular Gravity SUV, lifted the suspension, added recovery hooks, a custom roof rack, all terrain tires, extra lighting for dark trails, underbody protection and signature interior details like orange stitching to remind you this is not your average 3-row SUV. With 828 HP and all wheel drive, this will be a fun car to take off the grid.
3. Ford Bronco Roadster Concept
Another concept that I really hope sees dealer showrooms is the Ford Bronco Roadster Concept. This one might easily be mistaken for a truly vintage Bronco, except for its sleek headlights and modern face. The concept would have to be modified—it’ll need headrests, roll bars and doors for instance—but the idea of a two-door topless Bronco is so very intriguing.
4. The DIY Dream Truck From Slate
Yes, you read that right: this is a truck. But it’s also an SUV. It’s whatever you want it to be and this was my first look at it since it was announced a few months ago in one of the most exciting moments in modern car history. The Slate truck is all electric, will carry a price tag of about $25,000 and come in only one color: Gray. From there, buyers can customize its color, features and even turn the pickup into an SUV.
5. The Aston Martin DBX S May Be the Ultimate SUV
If you ever get a chance to sit in an Aston Martin, I highly recommend it. And if that experience can be had in a DBX, even better. Being surrounded by that much highly refined leather and bespoke design is unlike anything else you’ve ever done.
But the S version of the DBX takes it to another level once its V8 engine comes to life; this sculpted sporty SUV delivers 717 HP and now serves as the flagship of the brand.
6. Maserati MCPura Super Coupe
We’ve loved watching Maserati return to the front line of must-see supercars and the MCPura is the newest one to glimpse—or own. It’s powered by Maserati’s Nettuno engine, a smaller 6-cylinder that produces 621 HP. But don’t let that fool you; this car is carved and finessed to hit every curve and round every corner with precision, on the road and on the track, which is where the brand expects it to shine. So do we.
7. Lexus Sport Concept
This one was a total surprise: Lexus dropped this onto the field at The Quail without explanation or even someone to explain it. No formal name, no details, and no warning. So here’s what I take away: First, it’s a gorgeous new design that shows both an elegant new direction for Lexus but also, hints at a lot of power. It also hints at electrified power; there are no tailpipes. The rear end of the Sport Concept has what seems a space-age multi-function capability; I swear it has a drone embedded in the rear window and a clear crystal fin that might deliver data to the internal system. We didn’t get to see inside but my guess is it’ll be as stunning as the outside.
8. Jaguar Type 00
It’s easy to feel bad for Jaguar. They’ve gotten a lot of hate and head-scratching over the brand’s new design direction and I’ll put it here: the naysayers are wrong.
First, we have Land Rover’s chief of design to thank for the look of nearly every new SUV on the road. His vision has been fundamental to the industry; he clearly sees something in Jaguar’s future that the rest of us haven’t caught up to yet.
Then, we have Jaguar’s transition to electric driving, something that’s a must in markets where the brand sells more volume than it does in the US. Last, breaking down the design, it does all the things a luxury car should: It’s long and lean, it has fancy doors and the interior is minimalist and modern.
This is a concept, of course, but we’ll see Jaguar come to market with design ideas derived from the Type 00 and I can’t wait.
9. McLaren 750S
Supercar fans, race fans, car buyers and even EV fans have McLaren to thank for … a lot: The race to produce more power, the race to increase efficiency, the evolution of elegant, timeless designs, the growing popularity of racing and F1. Over the years McLaren has constantly tinkered with its machines to continually make them better and despite being a small fish in a huge pond, they are a major influence in the supercar world.
McLaren’s latest is the 750s, a twin turbo V8 priced from about $320,000 or so. This two-seat coupe is a performance driver’s dream and will put you in the head of an F1 driver every minute you’re behind the wheel.
10. Acura RSX
Each year Acura uses Monterey Car Week as a launchpad for its newest iteration on the march to an electrified NSX, the brand’s legendary sports coupe. This year we saw the rollout of the RSX, an electric 4-door sports coupe concept that will make its marketplace debut in 2026.
Probably the most notable is the shift in design language: the RSX is comprised of flowing, sinewy surfaces rather than creased metal; its face and rear end are simplified and its stance is athletic but also, accommodating. It strikes me as an EV version of similar sport backs from BMW and Audi and it’s my favorite design style. I really look forward to seeing this one hit the street. And I look forward to the clues it’ll drop about the future NSX.
11. Lamborghini Fenomeno
This is the one car that sadly, not many of us will get to drive. Lamborghini calls it a “few-off” (as opposed to a one-off): they will build only 32 and sell only 29—at a price tag of just north of $3 million (two will go into Lamborghini’s archive). And, they are all already sold, so no, there will not be a dealer demo model that enthusiasts can take a spin in.
But here’s why I love it: Lamborghini has been on a tear lately, introducing was many new cars as they possibly can—for a small supercar brand—with a new model every year for the past few years, adding the the Revuelto, the Temerario and the Urus SE to the lineup. Building these “few-off” models will help the brand to invest in future models, take lessons from new technology introduced in the Fenomeno and increase the overall investment value for Lamborghini buyers.
I can imagine all of these cars, as well as many others showcased at Monterey Car Week, coming back as entries in the Concours, on display at other events and drawing crowds. And really, that’s the purpose of the week: to share the love and enthusiasm by celebrating the pinnacles of the industry and creating special moments around them.
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