The Evolution of Automotive Excellence: A New Contender Emerges
For decades, the landscape of automotive gatherings has been dominated by established giants. Brands like Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Goodwood Festival of Speed, and The Quail have long been considered the pinnacles of automotive celebration. These events draw enthusiasts, collectors, and manufacturers to showcase the finest vehicles, ranging from historic classics to cutting-edge hypercars. The standard definition of a concours d’elegance is “a show or contest of vehicles and accessories in which the entries are judged chiefly on excellence of appearance and turnout.” However, as the automotive world evolves, so do the events that define it.
The question of which event is superior has become a recurring debate. Is Goodwood better than Pebble? What about Amelia Island, Moda Miami, or Retromobile? For many attendees, the answer is clear: Pebble Beach remains the king of the concours domain. Yet, a new challenger has emerged, one that threatens to usurp Pebble’s throne and redefine what it means to be a premier supercar event: The Concours at Wynn Las Vegas.
This comprehensive analysis explores the rapid ascension of the Las Vegas Concours, its impact on the automotive landscape, and its potential to eclipse established events like The Quail.
Why The Quail’s Reign is Being Challenged
The Quail, formally known as The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, has long been regarded as a significant prelude to the main event on Sunday at Pebble Beach. For a substantial and growing segment of the car community, The Quail has already surpassed Pebble Beach in relevance. This group consists primarily of enthusiasts interested in modern and new supercars and hypercars. Many car enthusiasts make the trip to Car Week but skip the Sunday event because they have no interest in “a bunch of old cars.”
Furthermore, the closure of the Geneva International Motor Show has created a significant gap in the supercar calendar, a void that The Quail has managed to fill effectively. The Lamborghini Aventador, for instance, made its debut at the 2011 Geneva show, followed by the Veneno in 2013. The Aventador’s successor, the Revuelto, was unveiled online, but the Temerario (the Huracán’s successor) was first seen at The Quail in 2024. Similarly, the seven-figure Fenomeno debuted at the 2025 Quail. Bugatti introduced the Chiron in Geneva in 2016, but the Divo (2018) and Mistral (2022) were both first unveiled at The Quail. Numerous other cars have followed this trend, solidifying The Quail’s position as the premier show for these types of vehicles.
However, the automotive landscape shifted significantly with the 2025 Las Vegas Concours. While I attended the 2024 event and enjoyed it, it struck me as more of a regional or provincial gathering. The cars were impressive, but they were the usual suspects. If not for a project I was working on with Czinger, which brought me along as a guest, I likely wouldn’t have attended this year. But as I found out, I was incredibly fortunate to be there. The 2025 Las Vegas Concours represents a monumental step forward, potentially signaling a major shift in the hierarchy of global automotive events.
The Scope and Scale of the 2025 Las Vegas Concours
The scale of the 2025 Las Vegas Concours was nothing short of staggering. The event at Wynn Las Vegas hosted an astounding 48 Bugatti Veyrons. Considering only 450 Bugatti Veyrons were built in total, and only 100 were sold in North America, having 48 of them in one location is simply unbelievable. Actually, there were 49 Bugatti Veyrons at the event, including a beautiful white Vitesse Super Sport celebrating the Veyron’s 20th anniversary. Bugatti also showcased the Bolide, Centodieci, Chiron Super Sport, Divo, Mistral, and a model of the upcoming Tourbillon—the 18-cylinder hybrid that will replace the Chiron. Displaying more than 10 percent of all Bugatti Veyrons ever built in one place left me absolutely speechless.
The event catered to Pagani enthusiasts as well, with more than 40 Paganis in attendance. While I didn’t get the exact count (my attention was focused on the Veyrons), there were several Zondas, including a Zonda Revolution (one of only five). Additionally, dozens of Huayras and Utopias were present. Worryingly for The Quail, the event also saw the debut of the Huayra Codalunga Speedster, a model Pagani plans to build just 10 of, each priced at $7,000,000 before taxes and tariffs. (The mint-green one under the cover belonged to Apple’s Tim Cook.) Even if these bold, carbon-titanium designs aren’t your preference, the fact that the 2025 Las Vegas Concours hosted the largest Pagani gathering ever held in North America, and that Horatio Pagani (who was honored onstage by emcee Justin Bell for his contributions to automotive design) and his team chose to introduce a car there says something significant about the event’s growing prestige. More on that later. To return to the Pagani numbers: 40 Paganis represent a larger production volume than the factory manufactures in an entire year.
The Lamborghini display was equally astounding for those who appreciate these vehicles. First off, the 2025 Wynn Vegas Concours featured the largest Lamborghini gathering in history—and yes, that includes the factory itself. Again, I didn’t count, but the estimated number was around 230. That means 230 of the 600 cars present on Saturday were Lamborghinis. It was simply mind-blowing. Of those 230 Lamborghinis, there was a Veneno Coupe (one of only three publicly sold; the factory kept a fourth), a Sesto Elemento (one of ten), a Centenario coupe (one of 20) and convertible (one of 20), and a Reventón (one of 21). The last time I saw all these limited-production Lamborghinis (which the factory now calls “few-offs”) together in the same place was at the factory museum. It was a breathtaking display of precious, high-horsepower Italian metal and composites.
For the sake of brevity, I have omitted many highlights from the 2025 Las Vegas Concours. This includes the Koenigseggs, Gumpert Apollo, Czingers, Nilu displays, the debut of the McLaren Project Endurance race car, all the judged vehicles (including a former and insane Pebble Beach Concours-winning 1929 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Barker Tourer 26/120/180, which also won Best of Show here), the HWA EVO, a Mercedes-AMG One, two Oldsmobile Aerotechs, and a McLaren F1. That alone constitutes one hell of a car show.
What’s Next for the Las Vegas Concours?
Two main topics of conversation dominated the 2025 Las Vegas Concours when I stopped to chat with fellow attendees. The first big question was: “How the hell are they going to top this next year?” I have no idea, but I wish The Wynn the best of luck. The other, frankly much more intriguing, question was posed by the OEM carmakers: \”Should we even bother doing The Quail next year?\” That is a very valid question. Perhaps I should say godspeed to The Quail as well.
There are several factors that make The Concours at Wynn Las Vegas a compelling alternative to The Quail. First, the price of admission. A single ticket for The Quail cost $1,300 last year (available to past attendees as a “legacy ticket”). First-time attendees had to pay $1,600. While that is expensive, it costs OEMs about $400,000 to put a car on a show stand there for six hours. In stark contrast, the Las Vegas Concours charges about 1/20th of that amount. And if you want to attend, tickets are just $100 apiece. That’s about $2 per Veyron.
I spoke with three different carmakers who openly questioned the need to attend The Quail again. They mused that perhaps Las Vegas and Moda Miami are sufficient. Moreover, for attendees, there is no paying the heart-stopping prices of hotels near Pebble Beach (a friend stayed in a motel near Pebble that cost $1,100 a night with a five-night minimum), nor navigating the soul-crushing traffic between events. Also, making dinner reservations is easy because Las Vegas is literally built for large gatherings.
The Evolution of Automotive Excellence: A New Contender Emerges
For decades, the landscape of automotive gatherings has been dominated by established giants. Brands like Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Goodwood Festival of Speed, and The Quail have long been considered the pinnacles of automotive celebration. These events draw enthusiasts, collectors, and manufacturers to showcase the finest vehicles, ranging from historic classics to cutting-edge hypercars. The standard definition of a concours d’elegance is “a show or contest of vehicles and accessories in which the entries are judged chiefly on excellence of appearance and turnout.” However, as the automotive world evolves, so do the events that define it.
The question of which event is superior has become a recurring debate. Is Goodwood better than Pebble? What about Amelia Island, Moda Miami, or Retromobile? For many attendees, the answer is clear: Pebble Beach remains the king of the concours domain. Yet, a new challenger has emerged, one that threatens to usurp Pebble’s throne and redefine what it means to be a premier supercar event: The Concours at Wynn Las Vegas.
This comprehensive analysis explores the rapid ascension of the Las Vegas Concours, its impact on the automotive landscape, and its potential to eclipse established events like The Quail.
Why The Quail’s Reign is Being Challenged
The Quail, formally known as The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, has long been regarded as a significant prelude to the main event on Sunday at Pebble Beach. For a substantial and growing segment of the car community, The Quail has already surpassed Pebble Beach in relevance. This group consists primarily of enthusiasts interested in modern and new supercars and hypercars. Many car enthusiasts make the trip to Car Week but skip the Sunday event because they have no interest in “a bunch of old cars.”
