The London Concours is an automotive garden party in the heart of the city, gathering together nearly 100 motoring icons, old and new, in one of London’s most beautiful historic hidden venues, the HAC (Honourable Artillery Company) estate. The cars sit at the apex of an event brimming with fine champagne and world-class gastronomy, enjoyed with a live music soundtrack and surrounded by pop-up boutiques from sought-after luxury brands. Held across three days, the London Concours opens up the world of top-end craftsmanship in automotive and beyond, with live panel discussions, awards ceremonies and roving comperes, shining a spotlight on the passion and the heritage of the brands and vehicles on display.  It is truly a wonderful event for anyone with a passion for cars.

In 2024 the London Concours had nine concours classes, namely Great British Racing, The Legendary V12, The Hypercars, Carnaby Street, Coachbuilt Greats – Zagato, Purple Reign, Corvette – A Design Icon, Areo – Front Enlightened and Wild Cards

Here we look at the Concours Class: The Hypercars

Pushing the boundaries of automotive possibility, braving new frontiers of mechanical and engineering endeavour, modern hypercars represent the pinnacle of driving performance. We bring together a formidable array of pioneering machinery, representing the awe-inspiring nature of the hypercar world.

At the centre of the Hypercar display was a creation that captured the imagination of British petrol heads in a way few other cars have: the legendary Jaguar C-X75 prototype. Unveiled in 2010, and produced in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, the C-X75 was a hypercar for the future, an all-wheel drive, plug in hybrid machine. It was powered by a Formula 1 inspired, all-aluminium 1.6-litre, turbo and supercharged four-cylinder motor which produced a remarkable 502bhp at a stratospheric 10,000 rpm. The feral engine was supplemented by a potent pair of power dense electric motors which gave instant torque, whilst also enabling it to travel up to 60km in pure electric mode.  Combined outputs for the concept were rated at 850bhp and 738lb/ft of torque, enough to propel the C-X75 from 0-60mph in under 3 seconds, 0-100mph in under 6 seconds, and on to a top speed of 220mph. The car on display this June featured in the James Bond film “Spectre” and has recently been made road legal by legendary designer Ian Callum’s firm, friends and partners of the Concours, CALLUM.  It is the only road going C-X75 in the world and remains one of the finest examples of British engineering brilliance.

McLaren P1 – Nurburgring Nordschleife 2013

The display featured another celebrated British Hypercar, the remarkable McLaren P1. When launched back in 2013 the 903bhp, 217 mph P1 was unlike anything the world had seen before, with violent performance thanks to a 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 and potent electric motor. With active rear wing extended fully and working in tandem with the slashed and vented bodywork, the P1 could generate 600kg of downforce at 160 mph, helping it lap the Nürburgring in under 7 minutes. The very car that set that Nurburgring lap time, the famous factory development prototype P1 ‘XP2R’ made a rare public appearance for one of the most significant examples of a true hypercar great.

Also on view was Sweden’s wild Koenigsegg CCXR – the only right hand drive, manual example in existence. The CCXR was powered by an immense 4.7-litre twin-supercharged V8 engine, putting out 1,032hp and 782lb/ft of torque. These were sent to the rear wheels only. It also stood out for its green credentials: the CCXR could run on E85 and E100 ethanol, as well as conventional petrol. When fuelled by the former, emissions were reduced, while performance was actually enhanced. The CCXR could hit over 250mph flat out, making it a match for the mighty Veyron.

The cars on show:

2004 Ferrari Enzo

Any Ferrari to bear the name of the company’s illustrious founder had to be special, and the Enzo was certainly that – it represented the peak of what was then possible at Maranello. The 651bhp Tipo F140 V12 was a clean-sheet design, packing in four overhead camshafts in each cylinder bank, four valves per cylinder and a 6.0-litre displacement. The Enzo would be Ferrari’s last naturally aspirated mid-engined V12 for nearly two decades. It was also a triumph of aerodynamics – whereas the F40 and F50 had huge rear wings to stay planted at high speed, the Enzo used a novel rear diffuser and a flat underbody. Only
at very high speeds did a spoiler pop up to keep the car glued to the road. This seriously fast model could crack 0-62mph in 3.65 seconds and 220mph-plus.

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2006 Porsche Carrera GT

The genesis of the Carrera GT can be traced back to an early-1990s Formula 1 engine, which didn’t get to race. It’d be left on the shelf for years, before Porsche fancied another crack at a Le Mans prototype season. However, rule changes – plus the money needed to fund the Cayenne’s R&D – saw the racing plan canned.The spectacular V10 would finally be used in 2003’s Carrera GT, three years after a prototype was shown at the Paris Motor Show. The car broke new ground – it was the firm’s first with a strong, light monocoque cabin and carbonfibre-reinforced plastic engine-support unit, with steel bracing around the screen and cabin. The 5.7-litre V10 produced 613bhp at 8000rpm, delivered via a six-speed manual transaxle. All out you’d hit 200mph, having passed 60mph in three seconds.

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2008 Koenigsegg CCXR Edition

The CCXR used the CCX’s solid foundations – a twin supercharged V8 – and added the ability to run on E85 and E100 ethanol fuel. This required modified injectors, upgraded lines and piston rings, and a raised boost setting. When run on ethanol, the standard car’s 806bhp peak power swelled to 1018bhp, with 782lb ft of torque. The Edition models were more track oriented than standard, having stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, new dampers and a lowered chassis, plus a bare-carbon body. This CCXR Edition is the only one in RHD out of the four built. It was ordered by the Malaysian Royal Family, but never made its destination. Instead it was looked after by Esser Automotive from new. It was imported into the UK in 2017 and sold to a collector, before joining the Octane Collection.

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2013 McLaren P1 XP05

The P1 was one of the ‘Holy Trinity’ hypercars that heralded the hybrid era of ultra performance, alongside the Porsche 918 and Ferrari LaFerrari. It was a bold step for McLaren, having only just returned
to road-car production. However, it was at the cutting edge of tech. For example, it used Brake Steer, which McLaren developed for the 1997 F1 season before the system was banned. It applies the brakes to the inside-rear wheel in fast corners, which brings the nose closer to the apex. The mid-mounted twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 made 717bhp. One of 14 prototype P1s, and one of few not crash tested, XP05 was used only to test the gearbox and Bosch fuel injection. McLaren also employed it as its GTR show car at the New York Motor Show and Geneva Salon, before returning it to P1 spec.

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2014 McLaren P1 HDK MSO

McLaren’s P1 was already a phenomenal hypercar, capable of 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds, and twice that in 6.8 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 217mph. This particular car was different, benefiting from two acronyms steeped in McLaren lore. MSO stands for McLaren Special Operations, which can tailor your car to whatever spec you wish. HDK refers to High Downforce Kit, following the HDK variants of the McLaren F1, which offered more performance and looks emulating those of the GTR race cars. Each P1 HDK was a Lanzante bespoke build, offering upgrades such as revised rear bodywork, upgraded suspension and a spectacular power increase: the Cosworth-tuned twin-turbo V8 displaced 4.0 litres and had just under 1000bhp. The refinements continued with a bespoke interior.

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2015 Jaguar C-X75

The C-X75 concept showed off the British marque’s future thinking. A rapturous response meant it came close to production, but a global economy malaise meant it never moved forward. A certain secret agent had other ideas, however… This C-X75, which was used in the 007 film Spectre’s dramatic car chase, has been substantially re-engineered by CALLUM to make it road legal. Built by Williams Advanced Engineering for the 2015 film, the C-X75 stunt cars were designed to withstand punishing chase scenes, and were constructed around a robust, tubular-spaceframe chassis with rally-derived suspension and Jaguar’s 5.0-litre, supercharged V8. Just four of the five survived, with this chassis, Car Seven, the only one now licensed for UK road use. A private customer commissioned CALLUM to transform the Jaguar while preserving its iconic history.

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2015 Porsche 918

The Porsche 918 was a stunning vision of the German sports car manufacturer’s future, way back in 2010. Its naturally aspirated 4.6-litre V8 powerplant developed 599bhp, which was supplemented by two electric motors that provided an additional 282bhp, for a combined output of 875bhp and 944lb ft of torque.
The car could sprint from 0-62mph in 2.6 seconds, and hit a top speed of 124mph less than five seconds later, before maxing out at 214mph. Appropriately and, of course, deliberately, a mere 918 examples of
the 918 were built. Some of the cars were offered with the Weissach Package, which featured magnesium wheels, an extended rear diffuser, lashings of carbonfibre on the exterior and an Alcantara-trimmed interior.

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2020 Ferrari SP2 Monza

Along with the SP1, the SP2 marked the start of a new range of Ferraris only available to its elite-level clients – the Icona series. The programme is aimed at crafting very special cars that draw their influences from Ferrari’s unsurpassed lineage of classics, and is produced in limited numbers. The SP2 used the 812 Superfast’s 6.5-litre F140 V12, but with a 10bhp bump to 799bhp and torque of 530lb ft. At the time, this made it the most powerful V12 road Ferrari. The 812-based chassis was clothed in carbonfibre composite
bodywork. The SP2 differed from the SP1 by offering two seats. It had small scissor doors, and a Ferrari-patented Virtual Windshield instead of a windscreen. The car weighed 1520kg, and could hit 60mph in 2.9 seconds, topping out at more than 186mph.

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2021 Ford GT

Built with the aim of crafting a cutting-edge Le Mans car, the GT broke cover to mark 50 years since the GT40 won at La Sarthe. With a teardrop profile similar to that of LMP1 cars, the GT was an aerodynamic tour de force. Although a V8 or V12 was considered, the 3.5-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 got the nod. It was certainly powerful enough, with 647bhp-700bhp depending on spec. This was mated to a seven-speed Getrag dual-clutch gearbox.The body consisted of a carbonfibre monocoque, aluminium subframes and carbonfibre panels. A pushrod suspension system allowed more space for aerodynamics. An active rear spoiler adapted to different driving situations and downforce requirements. All out, you’d be doing 218mph, having hit 60mph in three seconds.

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2023 Ferrari SP3 Daytona

The Daytona SP3 marked a stunning return to the naturally aspirated, mid- mounted V12 layout that had not been seen from Maranello since the 2002 Enzo. The 6.5-litre V12 was sourced from the 812 Superfast, which here made 829bhp and 514lb ft. The result was 211mph, 0-62mph in 2.85 seconds and 124mph in 7.4. The design, produced under Flavio Manzoni at the Ferrari Styling Centre, was inspired by the 330 P4 that was victorious at the 1967 Daytona 24 Hours. Further historical inspiration came from the wraparound screen, which referenced the P3/4, while the double-crested wings were reminiscent of the 512 S, 712 Can-Am and 312 P. However, there were no active aerodynamics. Inside the cabin, while the two-piece seats weren’t adjustable, the pedal box could be moved.

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