A car show just for the one percenters? Welcome to Top Marques
Need a hypercar made of unobtainium? This auto show in Monaco has you covered.
Marques in Monaco is probably the least conventional car show we've been
to in some time. Video shot by Elle Cayabyab Gitlin, edited by Jennifer
Hahn.
MONTE CARLO, MONACO—From time to time we have reason to visit
this odd little principality nestled between France and Italy on the
Mediterranean. This year our trip happened to coincide with Top Marques,
a fittingly Monegasque take on the car show—almost nothing but
wall-to-wall supercars.
Finding the cars at Top Marques was easier said than done; after wandering around the displays of jewelry, diamond-encrusted barbells, and watches (including one stand with two MilSubs, a Double Red, and a pair of COMEX Sea Dwellers—watch nerds will appreciate that) we eventually found the cars at the back and up an escalator.
The first to greet us was an acid green Porsche 918 Hybrid sitting next to McLaren's 675LT, a car that's wowed just about everyone who's driven it. (Yes, we're still sad there was no US press car we could review.) Also present was one of our favorite mid-2000s supercars, Maserati's MC12. This more-exclusive take on the Ferrari Enzo (25 built compared to a little more than 400) was designed to bulldoze all opposition in GT1 racing—even though it was never technically legal according to the rules.
But those cars were almost conventional compared to some of the other metal and carbon fiber on display at the Grimaldi Forum.
Take the Vulcano Titanium. OK, I'll admit it, when I heard that someone had built a supercar out of the same stuff as the SR-71 my brain refused to process it properly. Why would they do that, I wondered? It's expensive, it's not that light, and it's a total bugger to work with. After chatting with the people from Vulcano, I came away with a newfound respect for their endeavor.
As it turns out, titanium is indeed a total bugger to work with. The car's chassis is a mix of carbon fiber and aluminum—it's just the body panels that are Ti, but even those were a gigantic pain to make. It couldn't be welded without discoloring and warping, and the traditional Italian method of panel forming (hammers and a buck) was no good thanks to Ti's memory. With that in mind, the complex curves and creases on the car seem more impressive, and it did look good under the lights. Vulcano says this will be the sole Titanium, presumably because no one needs to go through that headache all over again.
Listing image by Elle Cayabyab Gitlin
Next: the Apollo Arrow.
This bright orange hypercar is the successor to Gumpert's Apollo, a
road-legal racer which sat atop Top Gear's lap board for years. The
Arrow has a 1000 metric horsepower (986hp/735kW in our numbers). It was,
unfortunately, almost impossible to photograph. Lots of clever aero
though. The Mazzanti Evantra
looked a little clumsier. (The name is Etruscan, apparently.) It might
be the first supercar we've seen with suicide doors. Just five Evantras
will be made, each with a 7.0L V8 packing 751hp.
Donckervoort
is a Dutch company that has been building its mad take on the Lotus 7
for nearly 40 years now, and you may well have enjoyed their creations
virtually in Gran Turismo and Forza. Their D8 GTO weighs just 1,532lbs/695kg and has almost 400hp.
Top Marques had several Bond cars on display. A pair greeted us on entry: a 1976 Lotus Esprit, which turned into a submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me, followed by the Esprit Turbo from 1980's For Your Eyes Only (the only Q Branch modification we saw for this one was the high-explosive theft deterrent.)
Bond's DP10 from Spectre was also on display, although that wasn't our first encounter with the DB10—we also met one at last year's LA Auto Show. The Jaguar C-X75 was driven by Bond's nemesis in the film, and we really wish the company had put that car into production. Originally meant to compete with the 918/LaFerrari/P1, the C-X75 was to be powered by a gas turbine with a hybrid system. That then gave way to a 1.6L turbocharged inline-4 with a hybrid system (which would have given it F1 chops until F1 decided to go with the 1.6L V6 instead). In the end the production car was cancelled, but Jaguar built some V8-powered mules for the movie. This was one of them, proudly wearing some filmmaking scars and drawing a hefty crowd.
More than a few modified cars made their way to Top Marques as well. In addition to a host of vans outfitted as luxury offices on wheels, there was also what appeared to be a mobile panic room—a converted Mercedes van with bulletproof panels for the oligarch who has something to fear. There were cars from tuners like Hamann and Gemballa, but the one that really blew us away was GP Supercars' Audi RS6—every body panel had been replaced with carbon fiber, and the work was exquisite. You'd hope so, for almost $236,000 (€209,000). They'll also make you a carbon fiber toilet or bath, should you so wish.
Effeffe's Berlinetta oozed Old World charm. The Lada Niva done up like a rally car was an unexpected delight that held its head high among the supercars—Jackie Ickx's name on the door probably helped. There were a few Fiat 500 Jollys (think an Italian version of a beach buggy), including one converted to electric power by Newtron. (Yes, I know, I incorrectly call it a Topolino in the video.)
We mentioned the actual hoverboard, right? Unlike the wheeled devices that catch fire, this one from Arca actually levitates, courtesy of 36 lift fans. It has 272hp, but if you want one, be prepared to spend almost $15,000. Also, it's extremely loud, and there's quite a gust of wind from underneath, as you'll see in the video above.
Finally, for some even a one-off supercar is too mainstream. Happily Top Marques had you covered with its selection of boats. And a helicopter. The Kormaran K7 was our pick of the bunch. Carbon fiber, pontoons, hydrofoils, and three water-jet engines. As for the price? If Sir has to ask...
Finding the cars at Top Marques was easier said than done; after wandering around the displays of jewelry, diamond-encrusted barbells, and watches (including one stand with two MilSubs, a Double Red, and a pair of COMEX Sea Dwellers—watch nerds will appreciate that) we eventually found the cars at the back and up an escalator.
The first to greet us was an acid green Porsche 918 Hybrid sitting next to McLaren's 675LT, a car that's wowed just about everyone who's driven it. (Yes, we're still sad there was no US press car we could review.) Also present was one of our favorite mid-2000s supercars, Maserati's MC12. This more-exclusive take on the Ferrari Enzo (25 built compared to a little more than 400) was designed to bulldoze all opposition in GT1 racing—even though it was never technically legal according to the rules.
But those cars were almost conventional compared to some of the other metal and carbon fiber on display at the Grimaldi Forum.
Take the Vulcano Titanium. OK, I'll admit it, when I heard that someone had built a supercar out of the same stuff as the SR-71 my brain refused to process it properly. Why would they do that, I wondered? It's expensive, it's not that light, and it's a total bugger to work with. After chatting with the people from Vulcano, I came away with a newfound respect for their endeavor.
As it turns out, titanium is indeed a total bugger to work with. The car's chassis is a mix of carbon fiber and aluminum—it's just the body panels that are Ti, but even those were a gigantic pain to make. It couldn't be welded without discoloring and warping, and the traditional Italian method of panel forming (hammers and a buck) was no good thanks to Ti's memory. With that in mind, the complex curves and creases on the car seem more impressive, and it did look good under the lights. Vulcano says this will be the sole Titanium, presumably because no one needs to go through that headache all over again.
Listing image by Elle Cayabyab Gitlin
Elle Cayabyab Gitlin
Once you've made it past the watches and the
diamond-studded barbells (not joking), the first car to greet you is
this acid green Porsche 918 Hybrid.
Top Marques had several Bond cars on display. A pair greeted us on entry: a 1976 Lotus Esprit, which turned into a submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me, followed by the Esprit Turbo from 1980's For Your Eyes Only (the only Q Branch modification we saw for this one was the high-explosive theft deterrent.)
Bond's DP10 from Spectre was also on display, although that wasn't our first encounter with the DB10—we also met one at last year's LA Auto Show. The Jaguar C-X75 was driven by Bond's nemesis in the film, and we really wish the company had put that car into production. Originally meant to compete with the 918/LaFerrari/P1, the C-X75 was to be powered by a gas turbine with a hybrid system. That then gave way to a 1.6L turbocharged inline-4 with a hybrid system (which would have given it F1 chops until F1 decided to go with the 1.6L V6 instead). In the end the production car was cancelled, but Jaguar built some V8-powered mules for the movie. This was one of them, proudly wearing some filmmaking scars and drawing a hefty crowd.
More than a few modified cars made their way to Top Marques as well. In addition to a host of vans outfitted as luxury offices on wheels, there was also what appeared to be a mobile panic room—a converted Mercedes van with bulletproof panels for the oligarch who has something to fear. There were cars from tuners like Hamann and Gemballa, but the one that really blew us away was GP Supercars' Audi RS6—every body panel had been replaced with carbon fiber, and the work was exquisite. You'd hope so, for almost $236,000 (€209,000). They'll also make you a carbon fiber toilet or bath, should you so wish.
Effeffe's Berlinetta oozed Old World charm. The Lada Niva done up like a rally car was an unexpected delight that held its head high among the supercars—Jackie Ickx's name on the door probably helped. There were a few Fiat 500 Jollys (think an Italian version of a beach buggy), including one converted to electric power by Newtron. (Yes, I know, I incorrectly call it a Topolino in the video.)
We mentioned the actual hoverboard, right? Unlike the wheeled devices that catch fire, this one from Arca actually levitates, courtesy of 36 lift fans. It has 272hp, but if you want one, be prepared to spend almost $15,000. Also, it's extremely loud, and there's quite a gust of wind from underneath, as you'll see in the video above.
Finally, for some even a one-off supercar is too mainstream. Happily Top Marques had you covered with its selection of boats. And a helicopter. The Kormaran K7 was our pick of the bunch. Carbon fiber, pontoons, hydrofoils, and three water-jet engines. As for the price? If Sir has to ask...