The Best of Monterey Car Week 2025
With multiple debuts of exceptional new cars and concepts, high-dollar car auctions, the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and other signature attractions, Monterey Car Week in California is an annual event that captures the attention of car enthusiasts across the U.S. and beyond.
The 2025 edition that took place from August 8-17 was no exception, of course. If you were away on vacation or if you simply missed it, here are some of the highlights:
Chevrolet Corvette CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo
Chevrolet has given a glimpse into the future of high-performance cars. Two Corvette concepts, the CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo, debuted at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering. While not intended for production, both will serve as inspiration to shape the Corvette’s design language for years to come. They were designed and built at the Chevrolet Performance Studio in Warren, Michigan.
The Corvette CX was developed from the ground up to provide the ultimate high-performance driving experience on the open road or the track. It’s a four-motor AWD electric supercar generating over 2,000 horsepower, incredibly. The entire front section opens up like a fighter-jet-inspired cockpit canopy. Meanwhile, the CX.R Vision Gran Turismo imagines the future of Corvette GT racing, and future gamers will be able to drive it in Gran Turismo 7. The familiar yellow and black colour scheme honours the Corvette GT race cars of the past 25 years, more prominent active aero features come into play, weight is reduced, and the combination of a V8 engine with three electric motors supplies a total of 2,000 horsepower.
Cadillac Elevated Velocity
Another GM star in Monterey was an all-electric, high-performance crossover concept from Cadillac called Elevated Velocity. It’s designed to exhilarate on-road and off-grid alike, while foreshadowing potential future Cadillac design cues. Raising the bar much higher than the new LYRIQ-V and OPTIQ-V, it features a blend of extreme performance, cutting-edge advanced technologies and signature bespoke luxury craftsmanship. The bold exterior combines with a refined interior that elevates occupants’ wellbeing (Elevated), while the lifted platform on 24-inch wheels is calibrated for daring off-road performance in the most extreme desert locales (Velocity). Alas, Cadillac did not specify power or acceleration.
Ford Mustang GTD Liquid Carbon and Bronco Roadster
The highly exclusive Ford Mustang GTD has spawned a new variant that will certainly please carbon fibre enthusiasts. Unveiled at the Laguna Seca racetrack as part of Monterey Car Week, the Mustang GTD Liquid Carbon sports a dark body made entirely of carbon fibre panels and manages to reduce weight by 13 lbs compared to the Carbon Series model equipped with the Performance Package. The cabin is also unique to this car, but the supercharged 5.2-litre V8 under the hood generates the same 815 horsepower.
Ford, which loves to draw on the rich history of its legendary models to make purists dream, also celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Bronco with a concept paying homage to the 1966 Bronco U13 Roadster. Painted in a colour inspired by the classic Wimbledon White, its roofless and doorless body style is paired with a streamlined cabin featuring a few modern touches. And unsurprisingly, the 7-speed manual transmission offered on the 2026 Bronco is part of the mix, as well.
GMSV Le Mans GTR and S1 LM
Have you heard of Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50? Inspired by the McLaren F1 and the Brabham BT46B F1 car with a rear-mounted fan, this three-seater supercar with a naturally aspirated V12 and highly advanced aerodynamics has just spawned two special models. The first is the GMSV Le Mans GTR, a nod to the famous endurance race where McLaren F1s secured an overall victory in 1995. The body has been completely redesigned in a style that’s reminiscent of the prototypes that raced on the famous French circuit. A total of 24 units will be built.
The second car, dubbed S1 LM, will have five copies—all of them ordered by a single customer. It also features some distinctive elements from the McLaren F1 GTR that raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, such as the five-spoke wheels, large front air intakes and quad central tailpipes. According to the manufacturer, output exceeds 690 horsepower, with a weight that should be around one ton only.
Lexus Sport
The stunning Lexus Sport Concept debuted at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering as a progressively styled, future-focused sports car that signals the way forward for Lexus design. Featuring a wide, low-profile two-door form, it is reminiscent of the iconic LFA yet looks almost production-ready. However, we’ll have to wait for more information, as no technical details have been shared. Rumours suggest it could have over 800 horsepower.
Acura RSX Prototype
Honda’s luxury brand hosted the world debut of the Acura RSX Prototype, which has nothing to do with the late compact coupe other than the name. This next-generation all-electric crossover also turned heads during Monterey Car Week with a dramatically styled exterior finished in Propulsion Yellow. It will become the first model engineered in-house on the new Honda-developed EV platform, expected to arrive in the second half of 2026, and the first to use ASIMO OS, a new global operating system designed to learn the preferences and driving behaviour of the vehicle’s owner to deliver an ultra-personal in-car experience. Look for a powerful dual-motor all-wheel drive unit, sport-tuned front suspension and Brembo brakes, too.
