Monterey Car Week 2024: 10 Craziest Car Launches

Every year, the entire automotive industry turns its attention to Monterey Car Week. And not just for the auction action or the Concours judging, but because Car Week has become a weeklong extravaganza of hypercars, supercars and outrageously expensive restomods in recent years.

This year’s crop of newly revealed makes and models certainly didn’t disappoint, from the fastest EV in the known universe to insectoid Italian superstars and, of course, plenty of bespoke Porsches. Choosing the 10 wildest requires judgment that inevitably borders on personal bias, but pretty much everyone has to agree that the following list of absolutely insane cars, which has become a classic Monterey Car Week trend, clearly defies rational understanding.

A Look at the Craziest Cars in Monterey

• Kalmar 9X9
• Rimac Nevera R
• Eccentric V12
• Pagan Utopia
• Bugatti Tourbillon
• Pininfarina B59 Gotham
• Ruf Rodeo
• Lamborghini Temeraria
• Tour Superleggera Veloce12
• Maserati MC20 GT2 Stradale

The Craziest Cars at Monterey Car Week 2024

Kalmar 9X9

Danish mad scientist Jan Kalmar only builds one car based on Porsches, all of which require exorbitant development costs and thus stratospheric price tags. But the Kalmar 9X9 coming to The Quail could take the cake and legitimately set the stage for a new era of retro-styled hyper-restomods that maximize absolute performance at and beyond the limits of rationality. Based on the 993-generation 911 but using a spaceframe chassis more than the original body, the 9X9 produces 930 horsepower from a turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six, along with a modern PDK transmission and all-wheel drive to handle all that power. Kalmar predicts a seven-minute flat-lap time on the Nürburgring, thanks in part to an electronically limited top speed of almost 3,200 pounds, exactly one more than the historic 959.

Rimac Nevera R

Your friend Rimac first took the electric car industry by storm with the world-beating E30 BMW and then ushered in a new era of EV performance with the Nevera hypercar. But sales somehow fell short of expectations, leading Rimac to introduce the Nevera R this year. More than just a redesign, the R’s exterior gets improved aerodynamics to match a beefed-up powertrain with new battery chemistry and four new motors now producing a total of 2,107 horsepower. The results? 0-60 acceleration takes just 1.74 seconds, and the EV covers the quarter-mile in just 8.23 ​​seconds. Top speed on the road will be 217 mph thanks to Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, but with Rimac supervision, the R can reach 256 mph. And in addition to being the world’s best sprinter, the Nevera R is also the world’s fastest-charging EV.

Eccentric V12

Dark purple is arguably the best color for angular supercars, but capturing the metallic flakes of Eccentrica’s Lamborghini Diablo-based V12 restomod requires near-perfect lighting conditions. Founder Emanuel Colombini remembers how raw the early Diablos felt and wanted to update one of the most impressive designs with modern performance. So the barking-crazy V12’s V12 engine itself received new valves, camshafts, and electric throttle bodies with full exhaust to crank out 550 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. A special six-speed manual transmission with shorter gear ratios still allows for a top speed of 208 mph—for the 1990s legend, whose production was limited to just 19 units.

Pagan Utopia

Pagani’s status at the pinnacle of hypercar design is undeniable, now that there’s a Roadster version of the latest and greatest Utopia. Still powered by a twin-turbocharged Mercedes-AMG V12, the Utopia Roadster apparently uses more than 40 different composite materials, including Carbo-Titanium HP62-G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62 (just Google it) to help the open-top version weigh the same as the coupe. Just consider that the steering wheel started out as a single 94.8-pound block of metal that was milled down to just 3.53 pounds over 28 hours. And of course, all the gleaming exposed mechanical details look even better with the roof removed.

Bugatti Tourbillon

Bugatti invited the media to preview the Chiron’s successor earlier this year, but it arrived in Monterey ready to unveil the Tourbillon for public viewing for the first time. Instead of a quad-turbocharged W12, the latest generation of Bugatti’s exclusive vision for ultra-luxury uses a naturally aspirated V16 paired with a hybrid system that can rev to 9,000 RPM and produce a total of 1,800 horsepower. The new aerodynamic exterior hints at the technological prowess beneath the skin, but the intricately jeweled dashboard stole the show, with fans of the brand at The Quail marveling at the striking design in person.

Pininfarina B59 Gotham

This year, Pininfarina made a move right out of left field by partnering with Warner Bros. to introduce a new Batman-themed hypercar. Designed as if Bruce Wayne himself had specified a series of EVs in four different forms, the B95 Gotham kicks off a series of four vehicles celebrating 85 years since the comics first appeared. The others to be revealed later will be the Battista Gotham, B95 Dark Knight and Battista Dark Knight. Pininfarina claims that these cars, which share a chassis based on Rimac’s Nevera, are the most powerful cars ever built in Italy, with 1,900 horsepower. Batman logos abound, just don’t ask if they’re all black.

Ruf Rodeo

The uninitiated Porsche enthusiast might think of Porsche’s own 992-generation 911 Dakar when looking at Ruf’s new Rodeo. More knowledgeable fans of Stuttgart engineering might recall the Dakar rally success of the 959 or the 953 before it. But Ruf’s own story includes the legendary Pikes Peak hill climb before the road to the summit was paved, and this new model takes Western dirt track spirit to the extreme. Built on an in-house carbon-fiber monocoque, the Rodeo’s 3.6-liter twin-turbo flat-six sends 610 horsepower to all four wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. Pushrod suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes and an interior trim scheme reminiscent of Ralph Lauren farming round out this new king of safari-style 911s.

Lamborghini Temeraria

Lamborghini’s last hybrid model before the brand shifts its focus to full electrification takes center stage in The Quail, with a screaming twin-turbo V8 capable of revving up to 10,000 RPM and working in harmony with a trio of electric motors. But the aim isn’t to save the environment or maximize all-electric range, instead Lambo hopes the Temerario can set a new standard for straight-line acceleration and handling thanks to advanced programming from its torque vectoring software. Meanwhile, the softened appearance barely sheds the angularity of previous models, allowing the power and performance to do more of the talking.

Tour Superleggera Veloce12

Italian automaker Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera has chosen to unveil a new vision for the company’s future under CEO Markus Tellenbach this year in Monterey. Rather than focusing on one-off specials, the Veloce12 will be limited to 30 vehicles based on the Ferrari 550 Maranello. The V12’s output is a marginal 25 horsepower increase, but the design firm’s focus is on building an iconic grand tourer that would have been just as if Ferrari had used modern technology and materials in the 1990s. Carbon fiber for the body panels, billet aluminum trim, and sumptuous leather for the upholstery and accessories certainly improve on everything that made Maranello stand out decades ago. The Veloce12 looks promising, but it needs further development, so coming to The Quail with a clear vision in place will help customers better understand the overall concept.

Maserati MC20 GT2 Stradale

As Maserati continues to feel renewed pressure to perform in terms of sheer sales, the company has decided to introduce a higher-performance version of its MC20 supercar in Monterey this year. The new MC20 GT2 Stradale increases the output of the awesome Nettuno V6 to 640 horsepower, offers weight savings and drive modes dedicated to track performance. The MC20’s already controversial—and therefore very enjoyable—traction control programming allows for wide slip angles and aggressive understeer, shedding more than 120 pounds of curb weight while increasing the power feels more fun. Meanwhile, downforce is up to 1,102 pounds at 173 mph and can top out at over 200 mph.