New Concepts and Models from Monterey Car Week
A bevy of impressive concept cars and expensive production models debuted this weekend. Take a look at them in this roundup from Monterey Car Week!
A Weekend Spectacular
Thousands of people gathered at the 2022 Monterey Car Week to look at dozens of new cars that were shown. Some people came prepared, armed with their checkbooks! The Cars movie special edition Sally Porsche sold for $3.6 million during the festivities. Carroll Shelby’s Ferrari went for $22 million!
While plenty of classics were on display at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, it’s the concepts, prototypes, and bespoke models that have everyone talking. A full weekend of debuts capped off the annual event. Tech-filled electric vehicles (EVs) were certainly some of the highlights. Automakers paid tribute to classics with several design elements while simultaneously leaping forward into the future! Take a look at all the hits in this recap of the 2022 Monterey Car Week.
Acura Precision EV (and Acura ZDX)
It’s a recycled name with new purpose! Acura is bringing back the ZDX, a name once used on a 2013 flatback SUV, but this time it’s Acura’s first all-electric SUV. It’s said to be heavily influenced by the Precision EV concept, as shown in the image above, that was showcased at the 2022 Monterey Car Week.
The Precision EV concept is an example of design themes that will be used for all upcoming SUVs under Acura’s name. According to Acura designers, the shape of the Precision, along with its blue paint and matte finish, was inspired by Italian power boats. Inside is a cabin that borrows elements from a Formula 1 cockpit. A yoke steering device replaces the traditional steering wheel. Door panels, seats, and carpet are made of several recycled and sustainable materials. There is an extra-long, curved touchscreen too.
Could the ZDX look at all like the Precision EV? The ZDX is set to be released by 2024 so things are likely to change before the ZDX hits dealerships near you, but it seems that Acura is testing the waters for the eventual fully-electric ZDX with this Precision concept. The Acura ZDX will be using the GM Ultium battery platform that’s also being used in the Chevrolet Blazer EV and the upcoming 2023 Honda Prologue.
Aston Martin DBR22
This two-seater coach-built design embraces the thrill of an open-cockpit sports car with a completely new body form. The front grille borrows from curvier DBR1 and DB3S models by utilizing a carbon fiber design. The subframe was built with 3D-printed aluminum parts. There is no roof and no windshield to speak of. Inside the cockpit is a mix of leather and more exposed carbon fiber.
While the green coloring stands out, it gets even more impressive under the hood with a 5.2-liter V12 twin-turbo engine that provides peak outputs of 705 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque! It goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds. Speed maxes out at 198 mph. If it drives as smooth as it looks, this car is a showstopper! The DBR22 is available as part of Aston Martin’s in-house bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin. For the right (high-figure) price, it sounds like it can be exclusively yours.
Bentley Mulliner Batur
It’s the $1.95 million hard-top coupe you’ve all been waiting for. The Bentley Mulliner Batur takes its name from Lake Batur on the island of Bali, Indonesia, and it’s the successor to the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar. For this vehicle, Bentley used digital chassis technology that they also used on the Continental GT Speed. It’s powered by a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine. The Batur puts out 730 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque with that twelve-cylinder piston engine.
Narrow LED headlights and an angular grille are results of the minimalist design concept used for this shiny silver two-seat grand tourer. Any time you get into this range of limited models, you can bet there is going to be luxury inside, too. You can see the intricate stitching in the seats. It comes with laser-etched veneers and high-gloss painted wood. There’s also the 18-carat gold interior detailing. Bentley went sustainable at the same time. Carpets are made of recycled yarn and leather-like textiles are made from byproducts of the coffee roasting process. Flax-based composites, an alternative to carbon fiber, were also used.
Bentley is making just 18 Batur models, but it’s already sold out so you won’t be able to get this vehicle any time soon even if you have the bank account for it.
Bugatti W16 Mistral
Bugatti is ending its chapter on the internal combustion engine with the W16 Mistral. The open-top supercar uses the W16 quad-turbo engine to make 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 0 lb-ft of torque. As part of the sendoff, Bugatti designers are paying homage to the Type 57 Grand Raid with black and yellow color schemes. Inside the cockpit is handcrafted material. A mixture of pale driftwood, bright yellow, and dark brown harkens back to the Grand Raid, but this interior is anything but dated! There’s even an elephant sculpted into the gearshift. It’s to honor Rembrandt Bugatti, the brother of Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti.
The Mistral is a spectacle on the outside, too. In the rear are the famous Bugatti X-treme taillights. Up front are four horizontal LED headlights laying on top of each other in a vertical stack. The black of the tire is contrasted by silver hub caps, which leave plenty of space to give a glimpse of the inner workings of the wheel and yellow parts fastened to it. The last-of-its-kind Bugatti W16 Mistral comes in black, yellow, or blue body paint. Bugatti will make and sell 99 production models of the Mistral. All of them have been spoken for.
Cadillac Celestiq
Cadillac unveiled photos of the CELESTIQ show car in July, but it was on display publicly for the first time this week at the Monterey Car Week. General Motors offered an in-person preview of their all-electric flagship sedan. This halo model uses an Ultium-based EV architecture. The company hasn’t offered full details on the powertrain yet, but it will be available in both AWD and 4WD drivetrains.
Designers turned to early Cadillac sedans and the 1957 Eldorado Brougham as they pulled from elements to represent the pinnacle of luxury. There are elements of the Lyriq along with plenty of other new features. High-definition screens are affixed throughout the cabin. Behind each of the front row seats are additional LED displays. Passengers can customize their cabin experience with a smart glass roof that allows for four zones of variable lighting. Passengers can also activate electronic digital blinds. This is being touted as the most advanced Cadillac vehicle ever made.
The CEELESTIQ will be the first production vehicle built in GM’s Global Technical Center, an $81 million effort from the Detroit-based car manufacturer. Details on production models should be announced later this year.
Czinger 21C V Max
Your need for speed should be quenched by the Czinger 21C V Max. It’s designed to achieve top speed with the use of artificial intelligence and human brainpower. In-house designers delivered a hybrid powertrain with a 2.88-liter twin-turbo V8 making 1,250 horsepower. The 21C V Max can also be configured to get up to 1,350 horsepower.
This coupe is the second body style that startup Czinger Vehicles introduced using 3D-printed production. The body itself utilizes distinct rounded features and an extended, aerodynamic-driven tail profile to reduce drag, maximize stability, and reach optimal levels of downforce. Carbon fiber overlays the interior and sculpted inner door panels. The 21C V Max is one of three Czinger vehicles that will be available for purchase at a starting price of $1.7 million.
DeLorean Alpha5, Alpha5 Plasmatail, & Omega 2040 concept
Why show off just one car when you can show off three? That’s exactly what DeLorean did. Now, of course, everyone enjoyed the red-colored Alpha5 launch edition that incorporates some of the same beloved design elements we all recognize from the Back to the Future movies. The reimagined throwback attracted quite a crowd. Still a coupe and still recognizable as a DeLorean, the Alpha5 brings with it a few 21st-century updates. This DeLorean is curvier than its predecessor. The cabin is modern, but there’s a simplicity to it as well. It is all electric this time around with top speeds of 155 mph and a range of over 300 miles with a 100+ kWh battery. We don’t know all the battery details, and we don’t know when it will be for sale (apparently at around $125,000). Before you can buy the Alpha5, you will be able to buy a miniature version of it. Hot Wheels announced an upcoming DeLorean Alpha5 die-cast car for the 1:64 collectors out there.
What really stood out was their insane, futuristic Omega 2040 concept, which looks like it could make a good Mars rover with a cyberpunk twist. It has a very sleek silhouette with a shiny silver finish. What’s a DeLorean without gull-wing doors, right? It’s got those. The Omega 2040 also has massive chunky wheels with textured rubber that looks like it could make off-roading in a post-apocalyptic setting easy. This lifted two-seater would fit right in (in the year 2040) with some of the ridiculous racers in the Baja 1000!
Along with the Alpha5 and the Omega 2040, DeLorean brought out the 2024 Alpha5 Plasmatail, an extension of the original coupe. It’s got similar lines as the other two Pebble Beach highlights. The Plasmatail looks equally futuristic with LED headlights and silver coloring. DeLorean specs indicate the Plasmatail can go 0 to 50 mph in 2.99 seconds with the same 100 kWh battery pack and 300+ range as the Alpha5. Where DeLorean takes future production models is anyone’s guess, but their concept cars are definitely entertaining to examine!
Faraday Future 91 Futurist
Faraday Future, a Los Angeles-based startup, brought their FF 91 Futurist electric sedan to the Concept Lawn at Pebble Beach for demo rides. Car enthusiasts were able to sit inside the vehicle that measures 206.7” in length. It puts out a claimed 1,050 horsepower through the use of a motor and 130 kWh battery pack. It’s supposed to be able to achieve an estimated range of 378 miles off of that. Recharging can be done with direct current at a rate of 500 miles of range per hour. Faraday says the FF 91 can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.39 seconds! It’s also equipped with 10 front and rear facing cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, 13 long- and short-range radars, and one high-definition 3D sensing system that uses light detection.
The high-end, high-performance, luxury, intelligent EV has been in the works since 2017, but a lack of funding has prevented the FF 91 Futurist from being anything more than a cool concept. Production and deliveries appear to be closer than ever since Faraday just announced it has secured potentially as much as $600 million in funding.
Kia EV6 GT
The all-electric Kia EV6 GT is the most powerful production car in the company’s history and the new halo model for the South Korean automobile manufacturer! It was seen in North America for the first time at The Quail. The EV6 GT is electrifying the Kia brand with a dual-motor e-AWD powertrain.
A 77.4 kWh battery pack made primarily of nickel, along with part cobalt and part manganese, works with a front-mounted 160 kW motor and 270 kW rear motor. Combined output equals 576 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque. Getting from 0 to 60 mph will take 3.4 seconds in the EV GT. Speed maxes out at 161 mph. This Kia doesn’t only go fast. It also charges fast. It has 800V fast charging capabilities, powering up to 80% battery capacity in under 18 minutes at 350-kW chargers.
To increase performance, the EV6 GT has a dedicated sport suspension with electronically controlled dampers. It also utilizes an electronic limited slip differential by directing torque to the wheels with the most grip when cornering. There are several drive modes, too: eco, normal, sport, snow, GT drive mode, my drive mode, and drift mode. Customers will have a chance to buy it sometime in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Lamborghini Urus Performance
This car certainly makes a statement! You’re not likely to miss the green or yellow Lamborghini Urus Performante cruising down the street. It looks fun to drive and, according to the specs, it probably is. It boasts 666 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque from an eight-cylinder engine, accelerating from 0 to 602 mph in 3.3 seconds. This sporty SUV used that horsepower when climbing to the top of Pikes Peak in 10 minutes and 32 seconds, 17 seconds faster than the previous hill climb record set by the Bentley Bentayga in 2018! Speed was enhanced from previous versions of the Urus thanks to designers dropping 103.6 lbs in the Performante. Interested buyers need to contact their nearest Lamborghini dealer to get their hands on one of these.
Lincoln Model L100 concept
Shiny, futuristic, and innovative. Those are a few ways to describe the Lincoln Model L100 concept. The L100 is aptly named as this year marks 100 years of the Lincoln brand. This luxury sedan concept really stands out when the roof is propped up and the rear-hinged doors are open. Inside is a digital floor, canopy, and ambient lighting. A chess piece actually replaces the steering wheel. Fabrics include recycled suede with accents of amethyst. Giving a nod to the past, designers included a crystal greyhound hood ornament that was originally chosen by Edsel Ford in the 1920s when the 1922 Model L was in production.
Lincoln says this concept uses battery cell technology, but didn’t get into specifics. It’s meant to be an all-electric vehicle, but chances are this one won’t be up for production so speed, range, power, and other stats are unknowns. Still, the concept allows Lincoln to show everyone what they can do and what some of their future designs may look like, pulling elements of the L100 into production vehicles.
Lucid Air Sapphire
The Lucid Air Sapphire isn’t as avant-garde as some of the other vehicles on this list, but it’s maybe just as impressive. It houses the company’s very first three-motor powertrain. A single motor in front works in tandem with the twin rear-drive unit, which was developed and manufactured by Lucid Air. Together, the unit delivers over 1,200 horsepower, making it one powerful sedan!
Lucid Air used this battery system with new heat exchanger technology and an increased coolant flow rate to deliver a 0 to 60 mph acceleration in less than two seconds. This vehicle goes over 200 mph. The Sapphire uses an AWD system, but Lucid Air also uses torque vectoring to provide torque to the rear wheels in opposite directions, promoting straight-line or turn-in stability. The system applies regenerative braking on the inside of the wheel in tight corners.
Black leather trim and blue contrast stitching are used on the 18-way power sport seats which have heating, cooling, and massaging functionality. The cockpit panel is made of glass and the touchscreens look like they provide plenty of space to control all of the cabin dynamics. The Sapphire is available to reserve in the United States right now. It’s selling for $249,000 with a $25,000 reservation fee.
McLaren Solus GT
Wow! Just look at this car! It looks like part racecar, part fighter jet, and part space pod. The Solus GT began as a concept sketch, transformed into a video game selection, and is now a real-life concept. As you can see by the shape of the Solus GT, aerodynamic principles played a big role in determining how to get the most speed out of this vehicle. Made for one passenger, the sliding canopy opens, allowing access to the cockpit. The seat is secured in place with plenty of visibility for the roadway ahead, likely a track of some kind. McLaren built the Solus GT for extreme track performance, after all!
The GT gives the driver the speed of a a 5.2-liter V10 engine that goes up to 200 mph. That equals 828 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. It’s not the most powerful vehicle from the Monterey Car Week, but those numbers aren’t too shabby! McLaren advises interested buyers to contact their preferred retailer, but only 25 models will be produced and they’re all apparently already purchased.
Polestar 6
Polestar’s expanded lineup will include this 884-horsepower hardtop convertible: the Polestar 6. This all-electric performance roadster is based on the Polestar 02 concept that was revealed in March. Dual high-powered electric motors and the 800-volt architecture that can be found on other Polestar models will be used here as well. It will have an estimated range of over 300 miles. The output equals 884 horsepower and 663 lb-ft of torque. 155 mph is the maximum speed for the Polestar 6, achieving 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds.
The Polestar 6 will go into production in 2026. Customers can reserve their spot in the production line now. The first 500 production cars will be sold exclusively as the Polestar 6 LA Concept edition with exclusive features like custom-designed 21-inch alloy wheels, special side graphics.
Rimac Nevera
The all-electric Rimac Nevera hypercar is named after a Mediterranean storm on the open sea near the coast of Croatia because it’s powerful and charged by lightning. With 1,914 horsepower and 1,740 lb-ft of torque, making 0 to 62 mph in 1.97 seconds, the name makes a lot of sense! It makes out at 256 mph and has a 120 kWh battery capacity.
Carbon fiber is used on the frame to provide the Nevera with the core strength needed to reach such speeds. Four electric motors are used to drive power to each of the four wheels. One motor for each wheel. The Nevera calculates the amount of torque deployed to each wheel over 100 times a second.
Visitors at the Monterey Car Week got a first-hand look at the production version of the Nevera with its quality materials and intuitive infotainment that combine to make a modern, comfortable cabin. There’s a contact form on the Rimac website so that anyone with a legitimate sales inquiry can email them.
More Concepts to Come!
That’s a wrap for this year’s Monterey Car Week! Whether you’ve placed an order for one of these vehicles and are now waiting for it, or whether you’re still waiting for the right vehicle to come along, take a look at some vehicles headed to dealerships soon. Look at our Sneak Peek of the 2023 Honda CR-V and our Sneak Peek of the Hyundai Ioniq 6. You can stay up-to-date with the latest developments on the most popular models, but you can also relive some memories by clicking through our lists like the Crazy Concept Cars of 2021!
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