Fascination: Electric cars are the stars at Monterey Car Week 2023: Pebble goes electric

2023-08-20 23:59:38

Fascination: Electric cars are the stars at Monterey Car Week 2023 Pebble goes electric

Lamborghini Launcher

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With the Monterey Car Week, what used to be a classic meeting place in Pebble Beach has become the car show of the modern age. No other event in the United States offers more novelty. No big surprise: most of them are electric.

Gone are the days when car manufacturers presented their most important innovations at trade fairs such as the Detroit Motor Show, the former neighboring event in Chicago or at other events in New York or Los Angeles. The new models will be on the Monterey Car Week either at its own event or at a luxury happening like that of The Quail in a stylish and equally image-enhancing way.

The big electro star comes from Santa Agata d’Bolognese and listens to the melodic name Lanzador, named after a successful bull of the 1990s. An electric SUV that is almost five meters long and is said to have a minimum output of 1,000 kW / 1,360 hp. The new Volkswagen Group platform for electric high-floor vehicles offers, among other things, all-wheel drive, air suspension, roll compensation and rear-wheel steering. In addition, there is the latest battery technology and luxurious space for four people, luggage and enough energy from the underbody for at least 500 kilometers. The only disadvantage: the market launch for the new electric star in the Lamborghini portfolio is not until 2028.

The prospects for the new Rimac Nevera Time Attack, which celebrated its world premiere at The Quail, are no better. Its name says it all, because it bears witness to the new record time with which the electric Nevera lapped the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring: 7:05.298 minutes. In doing so, he improved the previous electric record time by an impressive 20 seconds. However, the small series of twelve vehicles in the striking black and green paintwork and with additional design details is already sold out. So the Rimac fans have to wait for further records. “There will be – you will see,” promised Rimac CEO Mate Rimac when he handed over the first vehicle to customer Jeff Miller.

The Pininfarina B95 is even a touch more exclusive. The open two-seater is reminiscent of the Italian sports car creations from the late 1950s. The electric drive of the Pininfarina Battista with 1,400 kW / 1,900 hp ensures spectacular driving performance, which allows the open joker to reach speeds of up to 300 km/h. The T-shaped battery pack can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in 25 minutes with a maximum charging capacity of 270 kW. Five different driving modes use torque vectoring to give the driver the opportunity to adapt power delivery and handling to the driving conditions. The price for the small series of ten vehicles is simply breathtaking: 4.4 million euros each. Deliveries will begin in 2025 – just in time for the company’s 95th anniversary.

At the same event, Rolls-Royce unveiled its Specter, an electric luxury coupe whose 430 kW / 584 hp electric motors are powered by a 102 kWh battery pack. A real show with the British electric coupé is not only the design, which is worth seeing, but also the grandiose workmanship inside with an individualization that knows no bounds. The price is accordingly: at least 389,000 euros.

A real beauty is the electric Maserati GranTurismo Folgore, somewhat upstaged at the Pebble Beach luxury event by the spectacular MC Xtrema. The electric version of the luxury coupé is powered by three 300-kilowatt electric motors, which together put an output of 560 kW / 761 hp on the road. The 800 volt charging technology should ensure short downtimes on the Hypercharger. From a standing start it takes 2.7 seconds to reach 100 km/h and with a top speed of 320 km/h things are looking bleak for the competition like the Porsche Taycan or the Audi Etron GT.

The new Kia EV9, which also celebrated its official public premiere at the Monterey Car Week, is much more down-to-earth. The start version of the 5.01 meter long electric SUV with the extremely self-confident design is powered by a 283 kW / 385 hp electric all-wheel drive. The 100 kWh battery pack is intended to enable the six/seven-seater to have a range of almost 500 kilometers before the next charging stop. The elegantly equipped Launch Edition costs at least 83,190 euros in Germany. Further drive variants will follow.

Not for the first time, Hispano Suiza presented its electric hyper sports car at the Monterey Car Week. The body of the 1.6-ton two-seater is made of carbon fiber, as is the monocoque, which weighs just 195 kilograms. The polarizingly drawn electric athlete has an output of 820 kW / 1,114 hp, which means a power-to-weight ratio of 1.46 kg/hp. This gargantuan power is generated by two permanent magnet synchronous motors, each mounted on the rear wheels. They ensure a top speed of 290 km/h and an image spurt from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2.6 seconds. Its range: 400 kilometers.

If that is not enough in terms of performance, then the American small series manufacturer Czinger has the right answer ready. The Czinger 21C is a 932 kW / 1,250 hp hyper sports car that is powered by an eight-cylinder hybrid engine with a displacement of 2.9 liters to achieve the most sporty top performances. The body of the car, which weighs just 1,250 kilograms, is largely created using a 3D printer and the design was created using artificial intelligence. On the Laguna Seca race track not far from Monterey, the future athlete holds the best time for a production vehicle with 1:25.44 minutes.

It could only be more fun in the electric Meyers Manx 2.0. The new edition of the beach buggy from the 1960s is powered by an electric motor on the rear axle, which is said to have an output of 150 kW / 204 hp. The customer can choose between two battery packs with 20 and 40 kWh, which should guarantee ranges of 250 and 500 kilometers. The curb weight of the Manx new edition: less than 800 kilograms. However, not all of the new models at the Monterey Car Week have an electric motor under the generally extremely streamlined tin, aluminum or carbon skin. With its new AMG GT, Mercedes presented a real Porsche 911 hunter and a direct competitor of the Aston Martin DB12, which was also unveiled in The Quail for the first time as an open Volante version. Bentley pulled the cloth from its top model Bentayga EWB Mulliner and Porsche attracted puristic driving dynamics with its 718 Spyder RS ​​as well as Ford with its 800 hp new top model Mustang GTD. And if something should be more elegant, then the Ferrari Roma Spider is always tempting.

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