10 new cars at 2021 Pebble Beach Concours

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has returned for its 70^th year after it was cancelled due to the pandemic last year.

Models from across generations were displayed at the event in California, USA, with several models making their public debut. Here is our list of the show’s most noteworthy new cars from Pebble Beach and the wider Monterey Car Week.

Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider

 

The 1,139hp Valkyrie has gained a drop-top variant, which was presented at the Concours d’Elegance. Despite a marginal change in weight, Aston Martin says the Spider will still top out at over 349kph (or 330kph with the roof off). The hypercar also gains revisions to its carbon fibre tub and aerodynamics, ensuring the Spider closely matches the hardtop’s performance. The Spider is the third derivative of the Valkyrie to be shown, following the standard Valkyrie coupé and the track-only AMR Pro coupé.

Audi Skysphere

 

Attendees of the Car Week earned a first glimpse of Audi’s shapeshifting, self-driving Skysphere concept. The electric roadster is the first of three ‘sphere’ EV concepts that Audi will present over the next few months. Skysphere is a large two-door convertible, which was developed around the principles of Level-4 autonomy. This means that it can drive unaided on roads equipped with the necessary infrastructure. It has a rear-mounted motor that sends 624hp and 750Nm of torque to the rear wheels only for a 0-100kph time of 4.0sec.

Bentley Flying Spur Mulliner

 

Bentley’s most expensive series-production car yet made its public debut at the show. The Flying Spur Mulliner will be the third vehicle from the Bentley Mulliner Collections line-up offered by the Crewe firm's bespoke coachbuild division, joining top-end versions of the Continental GT coupé and convertible. It will be offered with the 507hp, V8 and 635hp, W12 petrol engines. In a first for the Mulliner division, the Flying Spur will also be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Bugatti Bolide

 

While it didn’t appear in the metal, the Bolide was confirmed to be Bugatti's next production car in an announcement at The Quail. The French firm will produce 40 examples of the 1,600hp hypercar that will be sold to customers in 2024. The Bolide weighs just 1,450kg and makes use of Bugatti's quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 engine, powering all four wheels. Its dramatic bodywork is shaped, unsurprisingly, with aerodynamics in mind. Bugatti claims 1,800kg of downforce on the rear wing and 800kg on the front wing at around 200mph.

Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition

 

The Ford GT was displayed at the show in a limited-run edition to pay homage to the prototypes that led to the firm winning Le Mans. The GT features racing decals and exposed carbonfibre and appeared alongside the last remaining 1964 Ford GT/105 prototype, of which five were originally built. This led to the GT40, that claimed a 1-2-3 sweep at Le Mans in 1966. Prices and production numbers haven't been revealed, but the '64 Prototype Heritage Edition will be available to order in January next year for approved GT customers.

Honda NSX Type S

 

Another limited-run model, the Type S will act as the swansong model for the second-generation Honda NSX. Just 350 examples will be produced (with 300 units reserved for the US market). The car will feature improved suspension and updated exterior styling, including a revised front and a new rear featuring a downforce-generating spoiler. Power has been increased from 573hp to 600hp and torque has gone up by 21Nm to 667Nm.

Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4

 

The Lamborghini Countach has returned as a limited-edition, retro-styled hyper-hybrid. Celebrating 50 years since the Countach was first shown in prototype form, it has a design inspired by the iconic 1974 model. Availability will be limited to just 112 examples, as this number denotes the ‘LP 112’ internal project name used during the original Countach’s development. A majority of them have already been snapped up by prospective buyers. Lamborghini says the Countach can travel from 0-100kph in just 2.8sec – 2.0sec quicker than the most powerful version of its 1970s namesake – and on to 200kph in just 8.6sec. Top speed is capped at 355kph.

Lotus Evija

 

The Lotus Evija was presented in a new livery, this time dedicated to Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna. The bright-yellow paint with blue accents was inspired by the 1987 Type 99T that Senna drove to victory at the Detroit Grand Prix that year. The 1,972hp Evija is Lotus's first all-electric car. It appeared alongside the Lotus Emira and Lotus-inspired Radford Type 62-2, taking centre stage at The Quail.

Radford Type 62-2

 

The Type 62-2 is the first car from British coachbuilder Radford. The two-seat coupé is inspired by the 1960s Lotus Type 62 sports car racer and was presented in an exclusive Gold Leaf-inspired livery. The Radford team is fronted by 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button, designer Mark Stubbs and automotive broadcaster Ant Anstead. The Lotus-based car is driven by a Toyota-derived 500hp, 3.5-litre supercharged V6. Just 62 examples will be made in total.

Pininfarina Battista

 

The Pininfarina Battista was finally shown in production specification in California two years after being announced at the Geneva motor show. The Evija rival has been described as the "the most powerful road-legal Italian car ever built" and is expected to further the competition in the hyper-EV segment, taking 1,900hp and 2,300Nm from a quad-motor Rimac powertrain. The ultra-exclusive Anniversario edition also appeared in public for the first time. Just 150 Battistas will be produced, five of which will be specified in the Anniversario trim.