The annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is the culmination of a week of automotive events held on the Monterey peninsula in California.
Traditionally a key event in the historic motoring and motorsport calendars, in recent years Pebble Beach has taken on increasing significance for car manufacturers wanting to showcase modern machinery.
Key among the new cars this year is the McLaren P1 GTR. Billed as the ultimate version of McLaren's P1 hypercar, it'll go on sale in around a year's time for just under £2 million.
Bodywork additions – such as a new fixed rear wing – improve aerodynamic performance, while output from the P1's twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 engine has grown from 903bhp to 986bhp. Owners will also be entered into the McLaren P1 GTR driver programme, which features training and access to simulators.
The P1 GTR is only one of a number of new cars shown by McLaren, as the firm also unveiled its track-only version of the 650S, dubbed the 650S Sprint, as well as new versions of the P1 and 650S tuned by McLaren Special Operations.
Lamborghini has also taken the wraps off its Huracán-based racer, the LP 620-2 Super Trofeo. While the car only gets a 9bhp increase over its road-going sibling, with the standard car's 5.2-litre V10 engine pushed to 611bhp, it weighs 250kg less than the standard Huracán.
Among the major changes to the Super Trofeo is the adoption of rear-wheel drive, which has sparked rumour of a new version of the Huracán along the lines of the special-edition Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni.
Pebble Beach also provided our first look at Land Rover's fastest model ever, the 542bhp Range Rover Sport SVR. Set to go on sale for £93,450 following its debut here, the V8-powered Range Rover can crack 60mph in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 162mph.
Also on display is the first of Jaguar's new Lightweight E-type models. Designed to the exact specification of the 1963 originals, the first of the new cars – dubbed Car Zero – was revealed on Friday. Six other examples, using chassis numbers left over from the original 18-strong production run, will be sold at an estimated price of £1m.
The aluminium-bodied cars retain the original's 3.8-litre straight-six engine, which produces 335bhp and 280lb ft of torque. The event also offered US enthusiasts their first chance to see Jaguar's F-type Project 7.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin showed off four new models from its bespoke Q division. The cars, based on the Vanquish coupé, Vanquish Volante, DB9 Volante and V12 Vantage S, are all customised with special paintwork and new cabin upgrades. They sit alongside the new 565bhp V12 Vantage S Roadster, which had its first public outing at Pebble Beach.
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Wonderful until the 70's for
Classic race cars and other