Some of the coolest car debuts spotted at Monterey Car Week 2024

From Lamborghini’s hot new successor to the Huracan to a real-life Batmobile by Automobili Pininfarina (sort of), these are some of the most exciting new car drops that made our inner child smile at the annual Monterey Car Week, a series of seminal automotive events and an annual celebration of exquisite motoring held in California every August.
LAMBORGHINI TEMERARIO
And just like that, Lamborghini drops the all-new Temerario, its hybrid successor to the Huracan. The Temerario, which is Italian for ‘reckless’ (of course), follows the launch of Lamborghini’s first hybrid vehicle, the Revuelto, last year and ushers a new chapter for the brand as its first V8 in history.
Its twin-turbo V8 engine, designed and developed from scratch in Sant’Agata Bolognese, is paired with three electric motors that altogether discharge 920 CV (907 hp) of power and 730 Nm of torque. It’s also the first and only production super sports car engine able to reach 10,000 rpm, says Lamborghini. So here you have a hybrid Raging Bull that can rocket up from 0-100 km/h in a blistering 2.7 seconds, with maximum speed registering at over 340 km/h.
The Temerario sits on a longer wheelbase than the Huracan, making it the roomiest non-Urus Lamborghini yet, boasting a luxurious interior with new ‘comfort seats’ (hurrah for a high-performance supercar that’s actually comfortable), more headspace in the cabin and more space for luggage in the frunk and rear, too.
RIMAC NEVERA R
Who really needs a 2,107 hp hypercar? That’s an existential question only 40 of the world’s car lovers, presumably billionaires, will be able to answer, as the Rimac Nevera R is strictly limited to a production run of only 40 units worldwide.
The Croatia-based carmaker’s latest creation is a fully electric hyper sportscar pitted as an alter ego to its record-breaking Nevera hyper GT but quicker.
It’ll rocket up from 0-100 km/h in a mind-numbing 1.81 seconds, shoot past the 200 km/h point in 4.38 seconds, tear through the 300 km/h mark like a bat out of hell in 8.66 seconds, and clock a top speed of 412 km/h. Insane? Yes. But those billionaires should be used to handling all that power.
AUTOMOBILI PININFARINA B95 GOTHAM
Speaking of bats, how about a real-life Batmobile, as imagined and made manifest by Automobili Pininfarina? Well, sort of.
This unique ‘one-of-one’ creation is the first collaboration between the Italian ultra-luxury coachbuilder and Wayne Enterprises, a new luxury entity inspired by the upscale lifestyle of comic book fictional billionaire Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products as the studio celebrates 85 years of the DC superhero.
While we don’t know if the bespoke B95 Gotham will be a heavily armored tactical assault vehicle equipped with the kind of military-grade gadgets and gizmos to help Batman do his superhero work, what we do know is that Automobili Pininfarina has crafted an extraordinary tail-finned hypercar that could not rate higher on collectability – brought to life from the pages of Gotham City and into 3D.
The open-topped two-seater Barchetta sets a new standard for electric hypercars with its powerful 120kWh battery and four motors that collectively produce a staggering 1,900 horsepower, propelling the car from 0-100 km/h in less than two seconds.
In lieu of a bat motif, find instead some strategically positioned ‘Wayne Enterprises’ logos on the body, chassis plate and door plates, while the driver’s side door plate is further engraved with the famous Bruce Wayne quote, “All men have limits… I ignore mine”. Expect some wings, naturally, in the form of butterfly doors.
While maybe not armed with crime-fighting gadgetry, we think both Bruce and his alter ego would approve of the gorgeous tan leather cockpit featuring a bespoke Wayne Enterprises-inspired HMI display, replete with your very own ‘Alfred’ virtual assistant voice inspired by the Wayne family’s loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth.
CADILLAC OPULENT VELOCITY CONCEPT
Like liquid gold poured into a space-age mould, General Motors teased a new all-electric, ultra sleek concept car so futuristic that only your grandchildren might get a chance to drive it.
The Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept is a zero-emission luxurious 2+2 coupe flaunting the most gigantic butterfly doors ever seen on a car. There are no handles; just place your palm on the side for five seconds and it magically opens. Very demure, very mindful.
Though the American manufacturer hasn’t released indicative performance figures, the hypercar’s low-slung stance and fastback silhouette show it means business. As do the super cool LED lighting on the front and rear 3D taillights plus lighting strips embedded directly into the wheel.
The radically minimalist feel continues on the inside of the cabin with both synthetic-covered seats and a centre console that appear to levitate.
In the ‘Opulent experience’ mode, passengers sit back and enjoy being driven as hands-free Level 4 autonomy kicks in. In the ‘Velocity experience’, the yoke-shaped steering wheel, which looks more like a gaming console and pedals, slowly emerge from some otherworldly hidden realm should the driver decide to take over. Coolest thing we’ve seen from Cadillac yet.
MASERATI GT2 STRADALE
Everything about Maserati’s new street-legal race car screams speed. From its chiselled body and racing-derived aero to its scorching performance, the new sibling to Maserati’s GT2 champion racer is one of the fastest 0-100 rear-wheel drives on the road today.
Under the hood is Maserati’s own twin-turbo V6 Nettuno engine spitting out 640 horsepower (10 hp more than the MC20) and catapulting the Italian-bred racer past the century sprint in just 2.8 seconds (all mechanical, no electric help), up to a top speed of over 320 km/h.
No doubt, we can thank its ultra lightweight construction for shoving the GT2 Stradale along at lightning speed, sculpted from a carbon fibre body kit and carbon fibre monocoque chassis, while carbon fibre features extensively throughout the cockpit, too.
Maserati engineers have also managed to deliver impressive aerodynamics of up to 500 kg downforce at 280 km/h, balanced between 130 kg on the front and 370 kg on the rear to keep the car glued to the tarmac.
Meanwhile, carbon ceramic brakes, carbon-fiber racing seats fitted with a 4-point racing harness, and a GT2 rear wing inherited from Maserati’s Corse GT2 racer further nod to Maserati’s racing pedigree.