2017 Pebble Beach highlights

PEBBLE Beach has come and gone once again leaving a trail of the world’s most exotic and rare cars in its wake. Here’s our favourite hardware from the 2017 Concours d’Elegance.

Following on from the imposing and just plain huge Mercedes-Maybach 6 concept that sailed into the show a year ago, its convertible twin debuted this year, showing off its topless tendencies, and proportions so larger than life that it could occupy three suburbs at once.

Like the coupe version of 12 months previous, the Cabriolet is powered by a 559kW electric drivetrain, which has freed up the under-bonnet space for other purposes. The vast bonnet hinges along its centre line revealing a tailored luggage area like a massive makeup set.

At night, the two-person white leather cabin and organic flowing lines are flooded with eerie blue ambient light. Think Cherenkov radiation in a Jacuzzi.

BMW weighed in to the show with its convertible Z4 Concept that heralds the third-generation production version of the car maker’s two-seater sportscar. While not all the design features are expected to make it through to the final version, the concept does, at least, suggest that the showroom version will turn heads.

Infiniti wheeled out its Project 9 jaw-dropper, proving that not all new concepts have to look like they are from the future.

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With a classic single-seat, open-wheeled racer aesthetic, the wild show car seamlessly slotted into the Pebble Beach scenery alongside some of the world’s rarest cars many decades its senior.

Pebble Beach also doubles as the world’s most exclusive delivery stage with the well-heeled using the event to pick up their newest toys in spectacular style and vanity.

US-based Cuban entrepreneur Michael Fux proved that he has no fux to give when he very publicly took delivery of his fuchsia McLaren 720S with white leather interior. The car was a product of McLaren’s Special Operations (MSO) – the branch that lets you do almost anything you want to one of its models provided you have the moolah to pay for it.

The pink Mac will slot into the car nut’s sprawling collection which contains a Rolls-Royce Wraith and Phantom, also decorated in his own unique Fux Fuchsia colour.

Bugatti was also out to make a customer happy and brought along the first Chiron to be delivered to a North American customer.

Like McLaren, the words ‘standard equipment’ are rarely uttered in Bugatti sales rooms and US Chiron #1 was handed over in bumblebee-inspired black and yellow with matching interior and almost certainly cost more than the $US3m ($A3.8m) ‘entry-level’ price.

It wasn’t just new metal up for sale either with a number of classic and vintage cars going under the hammer for eye-watering sums of cash as part of the various events staged for the Monterey Car Week.

Anyone accustomed to rare car auctions will be familiar with the Ferrari 250 GTO frequently breaking sales records, but this year’s Pebble Beach sales show was stolen by the British equivalent.

With the final hammer falling at $US22.6m ($A28.5m) for the first of just five Aston Martin DBR1s ever made, the stunning racer set a new record for the most expensive British car sold at auction.

Also finding new homes was a McLaren F1, the final price of which was not disclosed but was expected to have easily equalled or exceeded the $US14.5m ($A18.3m) estimate, and a Porsche 917K that was predicted to fetch up to $US16m ($A20.2m).

With so much attention on Monterey each year with fantastic hardware both old and new, it’s no wonder increasing numbers of car brands are turning to the show as one of their main events of the year.