The Concours at Wynn Las Vegas: A New King on the Mountain?
The term “concours d’elegance” is traditionally defined as a competition showcasing vehicles and accessories judged primarily on their appearance and presentation. In the world of high-end automobiles, the question invariably arises: how does this new Las Vegas event stack up against the legendary Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance? While Pebble Beach remains the undisputed monarch of the concours world, there’s a new challenger to the throne—The Quail. Yet, a recent challenger is aggressively making its bid for supremacy.
Why The Quail Was Once the Heir Apparent
For years, The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering was the ultimate appetizer to the main event: Sunday’s Pebble Concours. However, for an ever-increasing segment of the car enthusiast community, The Quail surpassed the Sunday Pebble event long ago. This demographic tends to focus on modern and brand-new supercars and hypercars. I’ve lost count of how many car aficionados make the trek to Car Week only to depart Sunday morning, having little interest in “old cars.” Furthermore, the demise of the Geneva International Auto Show left a massive vacuum in the supercar calendar, a void that The Quail filled admirably.
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The Concours at Wynn Las Vegas: A New King on the Mountain?
The term “concours d’elegance” is traditionally defined as a competition showcasing vehicles and accessories judged primarily on their appearance and presentation. In the world of high-end automobiles, the question invariably arises: how does this new Las Vegas event stack up against the legendary Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance? While Pebble Beach remains the undisputed monarch of the concours world, there’s a new challenger to the throne—The Quail. Yet, a recent challenger is aggressively making its bid for supremacy.
Why The Quail Was Once the Heir Apparent
For years, The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering was the ultimate appetizer to the main event: Sunday’s Pebble Concours. However, for an ever-increasing segment of the car enthusiast community, The Quail surpassed the Sunday Pebble event long ago. This demographic tends to focus on modern and brand-new supercars and hypercars. I’ve lost count of how many car aficionados make the trek to Car Week only to depart Sunday morning, having little interest in “old cars.” Furthermore, the demise of the Geneva International Auto Show left a massive vacuum in the supercar calendar, a void that The Quail filled admirably.
Several examples illustrate this shift. The Lamborghini Aventador debuted at Geneva in 2011, followed by the ultra-exclusive Veneno in 2013. The Aventador’s successor, the Revuelto, debuted via an online unveiling, but the Temerario (Huracán’s replacement) was first shown at The Quail in 2024. Similarly, the seven-figure Fenomeno made its debut at The Quail in 2025. Bugatti unveiled the Chiron in Geneva in 2016, but the Bugatti Divo (2018) and Mistral (2022) were both first unveiled to the world at The Quail. This trend applies to dozens of other marques. In short, The Quail established itself as the premier showcase for these exclusive vehicles.
The 2025 Las Vegas Concours: The Challenger Emerges
Until last Halloween, I believed The Quail’s status in the global automotive landscape was secure. Then, I attended the 2025 Las Vegas Concours (officially known as Concours at Wynn Las Vegas), and I am no longer so certain. I should mention that I also attended the 2024 Vegas Concours, which, while enjoyable, felt more regional. There were some impressive cars, but they were largely the usual suspects. Honestly, if not for a project I was working on with Czinger (who invited me as their guest), I might not have attended. But I am incredibly glad I went.
The Wynn showcased a staggering 48 Bugatti Veyrons this year. Yes, you read that correctly. Of the 450 total Veyrons produced and the 100 sold in North America, 48 were in Las Vegas. Well, 49, as Bugatti brought a stunning white Vitesse Super Sport to celebrate the Veyron’s 20th anniversary—along with a Bolide, Centodieci, Chiron Super Sport, Divo, Mistral, and a model of the forthcoming 18-cylinder hybrid Tourbillon, the Chiron’s successor. Displaying more than 10% of all the Bugatti Veyrons ever built in one location is mind-boggling.
The Sheer Scale of the Vegas Experience
The younger generation also appreciates Paganis, correct? This year’s event saw more than 40 of them. I didn’t get the exact count (too busy drooling over the Veyrons), but there were several Zondas, including a Zonda Revolution (one of five), dozens of Huayras, numerous Utopias, and, concerning for The Quail, the debut of the Huayra Codalunga Speedster. Pagani plans to produce only ten of these at a price of $7 million each before taxes and tariffs. (The mint-green one under wraps belonged to Apple’s Tim Cook.) Even if these flashy carbon-titanium machines aren’t your style, the fact that the 2025 Las Vegas Concours hosted the largest Pagani gathering ever in North America—and that Horatio Pagani (honored onstage by MC Justin Bell for his contributions to automotive design) and his team chose to unveil a car there—speaks volumes. More on that later. Back to the 40+ Paganis: That’s more cars than the factory produces in a year.
The Lamborghini section was equally stunning for those who appreciate these types of vehicles. First off, the 2025 Wynn Vegas Concours hosted the largest gathering of Lamborghinis in history. Seriously, ever. I didn’t count, but the number being circulated was around 230. That’s 230 of the 600 cars present that Saturday. Absolutely mind-blowing. Among those 230 were a Veneno Coupe (one of three ever sold to the public; 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 those “few-offs” (as Lamborghini now calls them) together in one place was at the factory’s museum. It was a breathtaking display of precious, high-horsepower Italian metal and composites.
The Evolution of Luxury Auto Shows
In an attempt to be concise, I’ll omit the Koenigseggs, the Gumpert Apollo, the Czingers, the Nilu, the McLaren Project Endurance race car debut, all the cars that were actually judged (including a former and insane Pebble Beach Concours-winning 1929 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Barker Tourer 26/120/180 that won prewar best of show here, too), the HWA EVO, a Mercedes-AMG One, two Oldsmobile Aerotechs, and a McLaren F1. That’s one hell of a car show in itself.
The Road Ahead: How to Top This?
Two conversations kept coming up as I mingled with fellow attendees at the Wynn Vegas Concours. The first big question: “How the hell are they going to top this next year?” No clue, but godspeed to the Wynn. The second, frankly more intriguing, query came from the OEM carmakers: “Should we even bother doing The Quail next year?” Good question. Perhaps I should say godspeed to The Quail, too.
Comparing the Costs and Conveniences
Let’s consider some facts you may not know about The Quail. A single ticket cost $1,300 last year. That’s $1,300 as a courtesy for past attendees (I think they call them “legacy ticket holders”). It was $1,600 for first-time attendees. Yes, that’s expensive, but it costs OEMs about $400,000 to put a car on a show stand there for six hours. The Vegas Concours charges about 1/20 of that. And if you want to attend, tickets are $100 each. That’s about $2 per Veyron. I spoke to three different carmakers who openly questioned the need to ever attend The Quail again. Perhaps, they mused, Las Vegas and Moda Miami are enough? Moreover, for attendees, you won’t be paying heart-attack-inducing hotel prices (a friend stayed at a motel near Pebble that cost $1,100 a night, five-night minimum), nor dealing with soul-crushing traffic between events. Additionally, making dinner reservations is easy because Las Vegas is literally built for large gatherings.
While this might sound far-fetched, Geneva was the epicenter of the supercar world just a few years ago. I can’t predict the future, but I can assure you that the Concours at Wynn Las Vegas is now on my must-attend list. You should add it to yours, too.
A New Benchmark for Luxury Automotive Excellence
The world of automotive shows is constantly evolving, and this year has witnessed a seismic shift in the hierarchy of elite events. The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, long considered the zenith of classic car shows, is now facing formidable competition. While The Quail has long been the favored haunt of supercar enthusiasts—serving as a dynamic contrast to Pebble’s traditional focus on vintage automobiles—the Concours at Wynn Las Vegas has emerged as a game-changer, threatening to dethrone the established hierarchy.
The Foundation: Defining the Concours
A concours d’elegance is defined as a show or contest of automobiles and accessories where entries are judged chiefly on their visual excellence and presentation. In the circles of wealth and luxury, the question invariably arises: Is the Lamborghini Revuelto debut at The Quail the benchmark, or is the Concours at Wynn Las Vegas the new standard? For an increasing number of collectors and aficionados, The Quail’s status as the primary luxury automotive gathering has long since been eclipsed. These enthusiasts prioritize modern, new supercars, leaving events focused on vintage vehicles for a different demographic.
The void left by the discontinuation of the Geneva International Auto Show has been capably filled by The Quail. It has become the world’s foremost platform for unveiling the latest hypercars. For instance, the Lamborghini Aventador debuted at Geneva in 2011, followed by