Monterey Car Week

Author: Melany Aguirre

Monterey Car Week is the most anticipated car event every year. If you weren’t able to attend, here are some announcements you missed.

The Bugatti Brouillard (named after Ettore Bugatti’s favorite horse) was shown this year and is the first project for Bugatti’s new “Programme Solitare”, which was made to build rare and personal cars based on Bugatti’s designs. The hypercar has an 8-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine that produces 1,578 horse power. It goes from 0-60 in 2.4 seconds and has a top speed of 261 mph. The hyper car is all wheel drive with 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and carbon-ceramic brakes with 8-piston calipers in the front and 6-piston calipers in the back.

The Lamborghini Fenomeno is the new hybrid that they announced and only 29 were made. It’s said to be their most powerful V12. It combines a 6.5 liter V12 aspirated engine with three electric motors. This V12 makes 835 CV at 9250 rpm and 725 Nm maximum torque. It can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.4 seconds and can go up to or higher than 350 km/h. Also equipped with CCM-R Plus carbon-ceramic brakes.

Lastly, the Corvette CX.R Vision Gran Turismo, while only being a concept, is a stunning car. The car was made for the future of Corvette GT racing and will be available as a car in Gran Turismo 7. It’s equipped with a mid-mounted 2.0-liter dual-overhead-cam twin-turbo V8 that revs to 15,000 rpm and produces up to 900 horsepower. The car has an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and runs on renewable e-fuel. There are three electric motors for each front wheel, and a third for the gear box for instant torque. 

Monterey Car Week is a great place to hang out with car lovers and see dream cars you would never see normally on the street. Car week starts the second or third week of August. The best days to go if you want to see cars without the crowds are the first 5 days. The first weekend in Laguna Seca holds the Rolex pre-reunion and you can see many classing hyper cars and race cars on track (tickets can be 70 dollars). 17 mile drive is the best place to take pictures because car owners go there to have photoshoots done. 

Wednesdays hold the actual Porsche reunion at Laguna Seca. Thursday events are RM Sotheby’s held at the Portola Hotel, (wristbands are 70 dollars), The Ferrari Owners Club, Mecum Auctions, Tour d'elegance at Pebble Beach, and Legends of The Autobahn. Friday’s hold actual auctions like Gooding & Company, Mecum Auctions, RM Sotheby’s, and Bonhams.

Even if you can’t afford these cars or events, they’re amazing places and pieces of technology that fit in stunning bodies. Hopefully, we get good cars announced next year and more amazing events.