7 Coolest Cars at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
‘Tis the season for car shows, and for visitors to the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, thrills were to be had. The yearly charitable event, held in Pebble Beach — famous for its golfing background — is considered to be one of the most prestigious auto events in the world. Celebrities are often in high concentration, and some of the world’s most unique, rare, and expensive cars are on display for the world to see.
For auto buffs, Pebble Beach is definitely the place to be this time of year. Collectors from the world over bring their Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, and everything else you can imagine for others to gawk at, and for a lucky few, place bids and take those cars home. It’s also a great chance for the world’s premiere automakers to showcase new and exciting technologies and concepts.
Of the myriad of vehicles to check out, we dug in and chose to highlight seven of the coolest cars that were on display. Of course, there are a hundred vehicles that deserve a spot on the list, but it had to be whittled down somehow. The list includes concepts and vehicles that are about to enter production from several different companies. There’s even a car from a video game that has been given a spark of life in the physical world.
Read on to see seven of the coolest cars from Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
7. Aston Martin DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo
We mentioned that a vehicle from a video had been given life in the real world, and this is it. Aston Martin’s DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo is from the Gran Turismo video game franchise, and a special select few got the chance to see the prototype the company built. Now, the car isn’t actually able to take to the streets, but if it truly lived up to the virtual version, it would be producing a thundering 800 horsepower behind a twin-turbo V12 engine.
If only.
What does make the DP-100?s birth in the real world exciting is that it provides a glimpse into what Aston Martin has coming in the future. The design and engineering are incredible feats in their own right, but the idea is gold. Who wouldn’t want to take the DP-100 for a test drive?
6. Caterham Seven 480
The Caterham Seven 480 is one of two Seven models that are set to hit the U.S. market, the other being the Seven 360. The 480 is a little more powerful, and in our book, that makes it a little bit cooler. Powered by a Ford Duratec 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the Seven 480 cranks out 287 horsepower. But the ride really gets fun on the quickness scale, as the Seven 480 can jump to 60 miles per hour from rest in just 3.4 seconds, on its way to topping out at 140 miles per hour. Once it does hit the market, Caterham’s Seven models will be available for a reasonable price, around $50,000.
5. Jaguar F-Type Project 7
The news that a new Jaguar is on the way is sure to get many car buffs’ blood pumping. What Jag has in store is sure to be an adrenaline machine. Luckily for Jaguar fans, it’s scheduled to hit production in the near future as well, although at a hefty price of $165,000. The F-Type Project 7 is a roadster that delivers serious power, to the tune of 575 horses, making it the most powerful production car Jag has ever produced. It can achieve those numbers behind the strength of a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine, that also gives this car enough jump to top out at 186 miles per hour, and reach 60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds from a standstill.
4. Bentley Continental GT3-R
For the classic car lover, Bentley is taking its timeless design to new levels with the Continental GT3-R. This Continental variant will be one of the more rare vehicles in production in the coming years, as Bentley plans to only produce only 300 units. It was first debuted in Pebble Beach, so attendees were the first to get an up-close look at the GT3-R. The GT3-R will produce 572 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine. That’s plenty of power, and it certainly delivers in quickness as well, hitting 60 miles per hour from zero in 3.6 seconds.
3. Renovo Motors Coupe
Perhaps the vehicle that garnered the most attention is the Renovo Motors Coupe, an all-electric sports car that has a design built to strike at the the heart of muscle car lovers. The design itself is based off of a Shelby Daytona CSX9000, but is outfitted with an electric motor that generates an incredible 493 horsepower and 1000 pound-feet of torque. That’s right, this electric car means business. It has plenty of jump to it as well, blasting through the 60 miles per hour mark in just 3.4 seconds on its way to a top overall speed of 120 miles per hour.
2. McLaren P1 GTR
McLaren fans were in for a real treat at Pebble Beach, as the P1 GTR was on hand to get the crowds rowdy. The GTR is a step up from the standard McLaren P1, which is a hell of a supercar in the first place. But the P1 GTR is all that and more, and can churn out an army’s worth of strength in the form of 986 horsepower. This car will be so exclusive that a driver training program will be offered to those who purchase it, at McLaren’s Technology Center. Pricing and availability hasn’t been revealed as of yet, but as Autoweek puts it: “It’s safe to say that if you have to ask, you can’t afford one.”
1. 1954 Ferarri 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe
It’s difficult to put anything at the top of the “coolest cars” list except for the vehicle that was named Best in Show, and that distinction belongs to the 1954 Ferarri 375 MM Scaglietti Coupe. This marks the first time in the 64-year history of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance that Ferarri has won the top prize, and the first time since 1968 that a car made after World War II has earned the distinction as well. This car represents one of only five remaining that are capable of hitting the road, and is owned by Jon Shirley, a former president at Microsoft.
