Five Icons at the
Concurso de Elegancia
Costa del Sol 2025

(Icons) The evening light in southern Spain falls gently—softer, slower, as if the Mediterranean itself were pausing to watch. On the lawns of Magna Golf Marbella, palm trees are mirrored in polished chrome and carbon; champagne flutes chime softly, conversations drift between languages. Somewhere nearby, the muted bark of a V12 folds into the sound of laughter and applause.

More than 170 automobiles and their owners have gathered this year for the legendary Concurso de Elegancia Costa del Sol. From timeless classics and iconic supercars to the latest hypercars, their curves are traced across the manicured lawns like brushstrokes of light: Mercedes 300 SL “Gullwing,” Lamborghini Sián Roadster, Bugatti Profilée, Aston Martin Valkyrie, Mercedes-AMG One, Koenigsegg Jesko—to name just a modest few.

Among them stands Christian “Chris” Kramer, head referee, hands folded behind his back, eyes scanning the field—like someone who’s witnessed it all and still finds awe in the moment. “It’s not just about performance,” he says. “It’s about what each of them meant to their time.”

Kramer’s language isn’t of speed or power, but rather of memory and purpose—the timeless human impulse to create beauty that moves in motion and in spirit. When asked to choose five cars to illustrate his meaning, the decision is clear: Ferrari 250 MM, Porsche Carrera RS 2.7, LaFerrari Coupé, Pagani Utopia, and Bugatti Centodieci. “The 250 MM is Enzo Ferrari’s pure racing ambition. The Carrera RS 2.7—that’s on every child’s poster,” Kramer says. “The LaFerrari was the leap into hybrid ambition. The Pagani Utopia—that’s Horacio’s soul. When I met him, it was clear—he builds feelings, not cars. And the Centodieci—well, that’s Bugatti’s idea of refinement. “Each of these cars, in their own way, define what we call elegance.”

Looking around, it’s hard to disagree.

Ferrari 250 MM (1953)
The Ferrari 250 MM captured a moment when the line between racing and road car was still narrow. Conceived for endurance competition and named for the Mille Miglia, the 250 MM progressed the concept first tested in the 250 S prototype into a small production series suitable for both circuit and road use.

Powered by a 2,953 cc Colombo V12, tuned to around 240 PS, the 250 MM combined a lightweight tubular chassis with simple, purposeful bodywork. Between 1952 and 1954, just 31 examples were built—Berlinettas by Pinin Farina and Spyders by Vignale, the latter shaped under Giovanni Michelotti. Each differed slightly in proportion and detail, typical of Ferrari’s coach-built era. The model was raced at numerous events—including the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, and Monza—and often remained in private hands long after its debut.

Although designed for racing, the 250 MM was finished to a standard that allowed it to be used on the road. It represents Ferrari at a formative stage—when competition engineering and craftsmanship were inseparable, and performance was defined as much by proportion as by power.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 (1973)
The 911 Carrera RS 2.7 is one of the most significant models in Porsche’s history—a car that defined the balance between usability and competitive focus. Developed in Zuffenhausen to homologate the 911 for FIA Group 4 racing, it was the first production model to carry the “Carrera” name—usually scripted along its flanks, a nod to the Carrera Panamericana road race.

It utilized a 2,687 cc air-cooled flat-six with mechanical fuel injection, producing around 210 hp. The characteristic ducktail spoiler—the first on a production 911—reduced rear lift by almost 75% and defined the car’s silhouette. Planned as a 500-unit homologation run, the RS 2.7’s popularity led Porsche to eventually build 1,580 examples, divided between Touring (M472) and Lightweight (M471) versions.

The RS 2.7 achieved competition success in endurance racing, including the Targa Florio and 24 Hours of Le Mans, and remains a benchmark for driving purity—an engineering statement built on precision rather than excess.

Ferrari LaFerrari (Coupé, 2013)
The LaFerrari introduced hybrid technology to Ferrari’s road cars without compromising performance. Revealed at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, it demonstrated how Formula 1-derived systems could enhance, rather than alter, the brand’s identity.

Its 6.3-litre V12 (F140 FE) produced 800 CV at 9,000 rpm, supported by a 120 kW electric motor via the HY-KERS system for a combined 963 CV and over 900 Nm of torque. The carbon-fiber monocoque and active aerodynamics contributed to exceptional efficiency and agility.

Performance figures include 0–100 km/h in under three seconds and a top speed above 350 km/h.

Ferrari built 499 coupés between 2013 and 2016, each assembled at Maranello with near-bespoke precision. The LaFerrari combined mechanical power and hybrid efficiency, showing that advanced technology could coexist with Ferrari’s traditional focus on performance.

Bugatti Centodieci (2022)
The Bugatti Centodieci reinterprets the 1990s EB110 through modern engineering and proportion. Presented in 2019 to celebrate the company’s 110th anniversary—“Centodieci” is “110” in Italian—it connects Bugatti’s pre-Volkswagen heritage with its present-day technical mastery.

Based on the Chiron platform, the Centodieci uses the 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16, tuned to 1,600 hp (1,177 kW). It accelerates from 0–100 km/h in about 2.4 seconds and reaches a limited top speed of 380 km/h. The design trades the Chiron’s curvature for angular geometry, a lower horseshoe grille, and horizontal lighting elements that recall the EB110’s form.

Each of the 10 cars was hand-built at Molsheim. The Centodieci represents Bugatti’s shift from record-chasing performance to limited-series design excellence—a modern homage that unites heritage with precision.

Pagani Utopia (2022)
The Pagani Utopia was introduced in 2022 as the successor to the Huayra. It continues Horacio Pagani’s belief that high performance should remain mechanical and personal, resisting the digitalization and hybridization that now define most modern hypercars.

Powered by a 5,980 cc twin-turbocharged V12 built by Mercedes-AMG, the Utopia develops 864 hp (635 kW) and 1,100 Nm of torque. Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a seven-speed Xtrac gearbox, offered with either a manual or an automated operation—a rare choice in this class and a reflection of Pagani’s insistence on driver engagement. The carbon-titanium monocoque combines low weight with exceptional stiffness, keeping the dry weight around 1,280 kg.

As a hypercar, the Utopia is defined as much by its craftsmanship as its performance. Every component—from the milled aluminum instrument bezels to the exposed titanium pedals—reflects Pagani’s approach: a car should be as much a work of art as a machine. In a decade dominated by software and hybrid systems, the Utopia is deliberately analogue—a statement that progress need not come at the expense of connection.

As the sun lowers over the Costa del Sol, and day one of the Concurso de Elegancia 2025 comes to an end, the dialogue between decades feels complete.

Reflecting on the scene, concours referee Ed Welburn muses, “Some of today’s hypercars may seem revolutionary, but when you really think about the supercars and the classic sports cars, they were groundbreaking in their time.

“As a designer always looking at the future, I think understanding the past makes it much easier to move ahead.”