Every year as summer starts to wind down, something special happens in a small, seaside town along California’s coast. The smell of gasoline & fresh tires fill the air. Parking lots begin to overflow with bespoke automobiles. Hotel prices surge, and the world’s caviar reserves dip into the red. It can only mean one thing: it’s time for Monterey Car Week.
Once again, we made a triumphant return to Carmel for Monterey Car Week 2018. With two shows on the books, empty memory cards, and plenty to see, Car Week shaped up to be just as exciting as years passed.
Legends of the Autobahn
As the week’s events kicked off, we first found ourselves on-location at the Nicklaus Club for Legends of the Autobahn. If you’ve never attended Legends before, it’s a must-visit for any car weeker who is a fan of Audi, BMW, or Mercedes.
We had an awesome line-up of XPEL protected rides on display at Legends this year. M-Power was in full effect with @ctejuco‘s E36 M3 & @hungry_f87‘s M2, both protected with ULTIMATE PLUS PPF & equipped with PRIME XR window film.
As luck would have it, @ErikDietz just happened to be posting up one booth over with his full STEALTH Audi R8, fresh from the Nürburgring.
There was quite the selection of Germany’s finest on display for Monterey Car Week 2018, and Legends is always a great spot to see them all.
Rolex Motorsports Reunion
The 2nd event we displayed at during Monterey Car Week 2018 was the Rolex Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca. The Motorsports Reunion is a must for anyone who loves automotive history in motion or at rest. There’s always action on the track and tons to see in the paddocks or around the grounds.
Over the course of our stay at Laguna, we had a combo of XPEL protected Lamborghini Huracan Performantes to show off. First up, the yellow “XPEL Spec” Lambo from Vorsteiner, fully wrapped with ULTIMATE PLUS from Protective Film Solutions. DoctaM3’s #Purplemante came 2nd, showing off ULTIMATE PLUS from The Sign Savers & PRIME XR PLUS from Blackout Tinting.
Of all the cars at Laguna, one that caught a lot of press was the all-new Audi PB18 E-Tron Concept. Boasting a sub-2 second 0-60 sprint and trick “modular” cockpit that can slide to a center driving position, the PB18 is undoubtly a racer of tomorrow.
Par usual, Michelin brought some serious heat to their daily displays at Laguna. The Singers were back in abundance this year, including the latest insanely detailed DLS 911.
Part of the fun at car week is always spotting wild rides that are street parked or left nonchalantly sitting in a lot. The Motorsports Reunion is no stranger to this phenomenon. Finding something like a dusty XJ220 hanging out was the perfect way to cap off our stay at the track.
Exotics on Cannery Row
Out of every event during Monterey Car Week, you’d be hard pressed to find more mind blowing cars in one place than Exotics on Cannery Row.
This year was no different. Michelin had a monstrous mirror with a trifecta of ULTIMATE PLUS protected Bugatti Chirons underneath it, including the GT Vision concept and the HellBee, which joined us for SEMA 2017. From there, the crowds grew exponentially outwards en mass.
Attendance at EOCR this year was greater than we’ve ever seen before. Every walkway was flooded with snap-happy photographers, vloggers, and car spotters aplenty. Fortunately, we managed to carve out a little nook in the crowds to admire Guther Werks Chelsea Grey Sport Touring commission for a bit. We’re very proud to have our ULTIMATE PLUS film be a part of Gunter Werks 993 program, and seeing all the positive reactions surrounding them at Car Week was incredible.
Personal kei car bias aside, another highlight of EOCR was some of the crazy rides that were stuck in traffic trying to get in or out of downtown Monterey. We coaxed a mint condition Autozam to open the doors up, and sure enough, spotters came swarming.
Despite the chaos that a free public event like EOCR brings to Car Week, there’s no denying presentation is unlike anything else you’ll find. Cars that would typically remain hidden behind press credentials or expensive ticket prices are all on display for public enjoyment, and it’s a beautiful thing.
Monterey Car Week 2018 Final Thoughts
This year, Monterey Car Week was full to the brim with everything automotively awesome that one could imagine. The days flew by, and it was legimiately difficult to see it all. Word to the wise for future first time Car Week attendees: plan ahead, and just be ready to improvise. There’s plenty to take part in, but you never know what you’ll find in a parking lot when you least expect it.
See you in Monterey for Car Week 2019!
The post Check Out Our Highlights from the Events of Monterey Car Week 2018 appeared first on XPEL.