If Julian Fellowes’s popular show The Gilded Age had taken place during the automotive era, the season finale might have found the city’s elite not at a ball in Newport but at the concours at Pebble Beach. That’s right, everyone, it’s Monterey Car Week time. Put on your fanciest hat as the Car and Driver staff joins the car world’s high rollers at the seaside.
This year’s Car Week promises reveals of limited-edition supercars and first looks at one-off concepts. We’ll also find rare survivors, modified classics, all-star race cars, and, of course, an excess of exclusive (and perhaps also excessive) parties. We’ll do our best to marry into high society and prevent our sordid former lives from becoming public knowledge. We’ve got our classy staffers Michael Aaron, K.C. Colwell, Drew Dorian, Joe Lorio, Eric Stafford, Dave VanderWerp, and myself (Elana Scherr) on the scene, and we’ll be sharing photos, drives, and videos here in real time as well as on our social accounts.
Check back throughout the week for updates, and let us know in the comments if there is something you’d like us to cover. —Elana Scherr
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Thursday, August 14
“Clark, I don’t think this is the Holiday Inn Wally World.” —Joe Lorio
Who among us has not gone out to the driveway and had to make the hard choice between the Chevy Equinox and the GMA T.50? —Elana Scherr
I had a heck of a fun driving day today, covering only 50 miles but all of them twisty and a few of them unpaved. That the BMW M2 is a good-natured steed for pavement is no surprise but it was unexpectedly compliant on the dirt. Someone should start an M2 Safari movement, if they haven’t already.
The reason I was off-roading the wee Bimmer was twofold. One, I wanted to meet up with Michael Emery, who organizes a Baja California, Mexico, adventure called Slow Baja which I plan to run this year, and more importantly, has a dachshund named Frank. I needed to meet Frank.
It wasn’t all self-serving, though. I really wanted to check out a new event at Monterey Car Week headed up by the Overcrest Rally team, called Sportscar Vacationland. Part campsite born of neccesity (a Motel 6 room during Car Week is a $400/night expense) and part just plain fun, Sportscar Vacationland offers a week’s camping at a winery up in the hills of Carmel and on Thursday, a one-night art installation with custom cars and interactive displays, a reading nook where you can peruse the new Larry Chen photo book, movie night, and a general get-together for folks who might never have a Concours car, but love their beaters and daily drivers just as much. There’s still time to run up there (it’s worth it for the drive itself), but we’ll have photos from tonight’s event thanks to artist Syd Cummings, who was busy decorating the Jamiroquai Cosmic Girl Diablo with a flower wreath when we got there but promises to send us images of the finished piece to put up later. —Elana Scherr
You can always count on The Inn at Spanish Bay to have some amazing cars sitting out front. Car spotters can be found day and night capturing the wide variety of rare machines that rotate through these coveted spots.
We spotted a Ferrari F40, a Pagani Huayra roadster, and a McLaren P1 HDK (or High Downforce Kit) among some other cars. Only 9 P1s have been fitted with the HDK, making this an exceptionally rare spot . . . but this is Monterey Car Week, so we’re sure there will be something more rare soon enough.—Michael Aaron
Legends of the Autobahn once again gathered Audis, BMWs, Mercedes-Benz models, and other German cars. Only Porsche is left out (Porsche gets its own car show). Here are a few cars and owners that helped make this a worthwhile stop on our MCW itinerary.
The Tour d’Elegance is underway. The Concours cars drive on public roads from Pebble Beach to Big Sur and back. So cool to see them in motion. —Joe Lorio
My morning consisted of a drive up Carmel Valley Road to a ranch to get a sneak preview of Ringbrothers’ latest project, which will debut tomorrow at The Quail. More on that later. In the meantime, I can say I’m thoroughly enjoying my Giulia press car. I forgot how fun these are to drive, and Carmel Valley Road’s twists and turns really highlight the Alfa’s handling. Caleb Miller and I drove this same road in an E39 BMW M5 last year, and although the Giulia is certainly down on power from that car, it is just as fun to drive on those tight curves. —Drew Dorian
Awaiting the start of the Tour d’Elegance, which affords an opportunity to see (many of) the Concours cars in motion. But first, it’s like the world’s most expensive traffic jam. —Joe Lorio
Wednesday, August 13
Motorlux is a wild show and includes both high-dollar supercars and high-dollar private planes. How’s that for variety? Since I spent all day in a Giulia, the star of the show for me is the gorgeous Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. I’m told it will be on display at some other events this week so I’ll try to get some better pictures next time so everyone can appreciate the sparkle of this red paint. —Drew Dorian
Finally pulled into Monterey after a day’s worth of driving up from Los Angeles. Alfa Romeo loaned me a sweet little Giulia Veloce for the trek. Met up with Elana Scherr in Calabasas and caravaned alongside her bright green BMW M2. After a lunch at the charming Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, we parted ways so I could rush up for my first car week event: Motorlux. —Drew Dorian
The 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL680 Monogram Series was my steed for the majority of my drive up to the peninsula from LA. The car is currently offered in just two variants: Red Ambience and White Ambience. The red version wears Garnet Red Metallic, a Manufaktur color, paired with a Crystal White interior—including the carpets. Remove your shoes before entering.
All Maybach SL680s are powered by a 577-hp twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8. Compared to other SLs, the Maybach version has a revised suspension and drive modes for more relaxed cruising. It also ditches the vestigial rear seats in favor of a leather-upholstered parcel shelf.
The Maybach-pattern convertible top is standard; the Maybach-pattern hood is a $6500 option. With it, the bottom line was $232,550—suitably excessive for Pebble Beach. —Joe Lorio
Drove a leg in this pristine final-year R129 Mercedes-Benz SL500 (just 8200 miles on the odometer!). I’ve always been a fan of this generation of SL, and today’s drive only cemented that opinion. —Joe Lorio
All packed with the essentials for a Car Week road trip: floppy hat, snacks in the cupholders, and a manual transmission. Let’s go! —Elana Scherr
PCH pit stop on the road to Pebble Beach. —Joe Lorio
Ready, set, go! A 2002 Mercedes 500SL Silver Arrow leads a parade of Mercedes-Maybach SL680s from LA to Pebble Beach. —Joe Lorio
Tuesday, August 12
The road to Monterey starts with a flight to California. Leaving from Newark, so . . . fingers crossed. When I land, I’ll be driving a Maybach SL up from LA. —Joe Lorio
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