The Concours at Wynn: A New Powerhouse in the World of Luxury Automotive Excellence
For decades, the world of high-end automotive events has been dominated by a few venerable institutions, with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance standing as the undisputed pinnacle. The Quail, with its focus on the latest and most extreme hypercars, has long been considered its spirited successor for enthusiasts of cutting-edge technology. But this year, a new contender has emerged from the glittering landscape of Las Vegas, one that is rapidly challenging the established order. The Concours at Wynn Las Vegas has transcended its regional origins to become a legitimate global phenomenon, capturing the attention of manufacturers, collectors, and the automotive elite in a way few events ever have.
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The Concours at Wynn: A New Powerhouse in the World of Luxury Automotive Excellence
For decades, the world of high-end automotive events has been dominated by a few venerable institutions, with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance standing as the undisputed pinnacle. The Quail, with its focus on the latest and most extreme hypercars, has long been considered its spirited successor for enthusiasts of cutting-edge technology. But this year, a new contender has emerged from the glittering landscape of Las Vegas, one that is rapidly challenging the established order. The Concours at Wynn Las Vegas has transcended its regional origins to become a legitimate global phenomenon, capturing the attention of manufacturers, collectors, and the automotive elite in a way few events ever have.
For those immersed in the rarefied atmosphere of collectible automobiles, the question is inevitable: Is the old guard still the best, or is there a new king on the throne? The traditional definition of a concours d’elegance refers to a competition where vehicles are judged primarily on their aesthetic perfection and presentation. However, in the modern era, these events have evolved far beyond a simple beauty contest. They are now immersive experiences, hubs of technology, design innovation, and exclusivity.
To understand the seismic shift happening in the automotive calendar, one must first examine the existing landscape. While Pebble Beach remains the ultimate benchmark, it is often understood as a larger entity—Monterey Car Week. This week-long extravaganza features a dizzying array of gatherings, parties, and exhibitions, all culminating in the Sunday proceedings at Pebble Beach proper. It is an event that attracts the wealthiest collectors, the most prestigious marques, and the crème de la crème of the automotive world. Yet, the question persists: Is it still the top dog? What about the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival in the UK? Amelia Island, Moda Miami, and Retromobile across the globe? These events draw crowds and headlines, but for many, Pebble remains the standard to which all others are measured.
Here is the truth: Pebble Beach is still the king of the concours. But the heir apparent, the one who truly challenges Pebble’s legacy—The Quail—might just have found a new and formidable rival in the neon-lit streets of Las Vegas.
Why the Shift to Vegas?
The Quail, formally known as The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, has always been a spectacular appetizer to the main event that is the Pebble Beach Concours. For a growing segment of the automotive community, The Quail has long surpassed Pebble’s Sunday event. These enthusiasts are typically drawn to late-model and brand-new hypercars and supercars. The number of friends I know who attend Car Week but skip Sunday’s proceedings because they have no interest in “a bunch of old cars” is staggering. Moreover, the closure of the Geneva International Auto Show left a gaping hole in the supercar calendar, a void that The Quail has filled with impressive speed and efficiency.
Consider the evidence: The Lamborghini Aventador debuted at Geneva in 2011, and the ultra-expensive Veneno in 2013. The Aventador’s successor, the Revuelto, was unveiled online, but the Temerario (the Huracán’s replacement) made its first appearance at The Quail in 2024. The same holds true for the seven-figure Fenomeno, which debuted at the 2025 Quail. Bugatti launched the Chiron in Geneva in 2016, but both the Divo (2018) and the Mistral (2022) were first shown to the world at The Quail. Similar stories exist for dozens of other marques. In essence, The Quail has established itself as the premier venue for these types of vehicles.
Until recently, I believed The Quail’s position in the global automotive kingdom was unassailable. Then I attended the 2025 Las Vegas Concours (officially known as Concours at Wynn Las Vegas), and I began to reconsider. I should mention that I attended the 2024 Vegas Concours and, while I enjoyed it, it struck me as more of a regional or even provincial event. It featured some impressive cars, but they were largely the usual suspects. In fact, if it weren’t for a project I was working on with Czinger (which brought me as its guest), I probably wouldn’t have bothered attending this year. But I am incredibly grateful that I did.
A New Kind of Grandeur: The Vegas Spectacle
The Concours at Wynn Las Vegas isn’t just a car show; it’s an immersive experience that blends luxury, technology, and spectacle in a way that only Las Vegas can deliver. The scale of the event is almost difficult to comprehend. For example, the Wynn had an astonishing 48 Bugatti Veyrons on display this year. To put that into perspective, only 450 Veyrons were ever built, and only 100 were sold in North America. Imagine more than 10 percent of all Veyrons ever created gathered in one place. Furthermore, Bugatti brought a stunning white Vitesse Super Sport to celebrate the Veyron’s 20th anniversary, alongside a Bolide, Centodieci, Chiron Super Sport, Divo, Mistral, and a model of the upcoming Tourbillon—the 18-cylinder hybrid that will replace the Chiron. The sheer presence of that many Veyrons left me absolutely mesmerized.
But the spectacle didn’t end there. The “kids,” as they’re affectionately called, are just as obsessed with Paganis, and the Wynn brought out more than 40 of them. I didn’t get the exact count—I was too busy staring at the Veyrons—but there were several Zondas, including a rare Zonda Revolution (one of only five ever made), dozens of Huayras, a host of Utopias, and—most worryingly for The Quail—the North American debut of the Huayra Codalunga Speedster. Pagani plans to build only 10 of these masterpieces at a price of $7 million each before tax and tariffs. (The mint-green one on display in Vegas under wraps belongs to Apple’s own Tim Cook.) Even if these extroverted carbon-titanium marvels aren’t your thing, the fact that the 2025 Las Vegas Concours hosted the largest Pagani gathering ever in North America, and that Horacio Pagani—who was honored onstage by emcee Justin Bell for his contributions to car design—and his team chose to introduce a car there, speaks volumes. More on that in a moment. Back to the Paganis: there were more cars there than the factory produces in a single year.
The Lamborghini display was just as mind-blowing for fans of these iconic Italian machines. First off, the 2025 Wynn Vegas Concours was the largest gathering of Lamborghinis ever—yes, ever. Again, I didn’t get the exact count, but the number being discussed was around 230. That’s 230 cars out of the 600 total vehicles present on that Saturday. Simply staggering. Of those 230, there was a Veneno Coupe (one of only three sold to the public; the factory kept a fourth), a Sesto Elemento (one of 10), a Centenario Coupe and Convertible (one of 20 each), and a Reventón (one of 21). The last time I saw all those “few-offs” (as Lamborghini now calls them) together in the same place was at the factory’s museum. It was a flabbergasting display of precious, high-horsepower Italian metal and composites.
In an attempt to be concise, I’m leaving out all 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, insane Pebble Beach Concours-winning 1929 Mercedes-Benz 680 S Barker Tourer 26/120/180, which won the pre-war best of show here too), the HWA EVO, a Mercedes-AMG One, two Oldsmobile Aerotechs, and a McLaren F1. Just listing these makes it clear: that’s one hell of a car show.
What Could Possibly Be Next?
As I mingled with fellow attendees, two threads of conversation dominated the air. The first, and the most obvious, question was: \”How are they going to top this next year?\” I have no idea, but I wish the Wynn the best of luck. The second, and frankly far more intriguing, question was posed by the OEM carmakers themselves: \”Should we even bother doing The Quail next year?\” It’s a valid question. Perhaps I should wish The Quail well, too.
Consider the economic realities that might influence these decisions. A single ticket to The Quail last year cost a hefty $1,300. This was the discounted rate for “legacy ticket holders.” First-time attendees were charged $1,600. While expensive, it costs OEMs around $400,000 to secure a stand at The Quail for just six hours. In contrast, the Vegas Concours charges approximately 1/20 of that. If you want to attend, tickets are a mere $100 each—that’s about $2 per Veyron on display. Several carmakers I spoke with openly questioned the need to ever attend The Quail again. Perhaps, they mused, Las Vegas and Moda Miami are enough?