The Best of Top Marques Monaco 2018
Each year in April, the Mediterranean principality of Monaco, known for its superyachts, the Grand-Prix and the prodigious wealth of its residents, is overrun by visitors. However, these are not your typical jostling backpack carrying tourists; rather they are individuals of exceptional allure and extraordinary power; the world’s rarest supercars. Top Marques Monaco is an annual supercar show which takes place in the Grimaldi Forum, the Principality’s congress and convention centre. The location of the event, on the avenue Princesse Grace is as exalted as the automobiles on display. This small stretch of road fronting the Monaco seafront is home to the world-famous Larvotto beach and the most prime Monte Carlo real estate, representing the most expensive property in the world. It’s against this lustrous backdrop that Top Marques Monaco presents the most cutting-edge technological innovation in supercars and a selection of unique luxury lifestyle brands. This year was no exception. Here are some of the highlights from the 2018 show, held from April 19th – 22nd.
Ferrari 488 GTB | At the 15th annual Top Marques show, Pogea Racing has seemingly achieved the impossible. Pogea’s FPlus Corsa project has given the Ferrari 488 a new look whilst increasing its output to 820 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque. Then there’s the acceleration; a remarkable 0 to 62mph in just 2.8 seconds. The custom alloy wheels and carbon fibre parts have all served to make the Ferrari better, faster, stronger and lighter.
Corbellati Missile | Billed as the world’s fastest hybrid supercar, the twin-turbocharged Corbellati Missile took centre stage at Top Marques Monaco 2018. The matte silver vehicle, the apotheosis of unadulterated Italian design is aptly reminiscent of a silver bullet. The muscular Corbellati is reputed to leave Ferrari, McLaren and Bugatti in the dust and packs a killer 1,800 horsepower punch with the ability to reach top speeds of 500 km/h (312 m/h).
The Lada Niva | First launched in 1977, the Lada Niva is a classic. This year’s show featured a new version of Russia’s beloved all-terrain vehicle, complete with new body style and trims. The 2018 update of this formidable workhorse of 4x4s maintains its off-roading credentials in a fancier package. It’s little wonder that the stand was packed with hordes of nostalgic visitors marvelling at its reinvention for the modern consumer.
Belassi | Not all the exhibitors at the show specialised in speed on the road. For those preferring to enact their petrolhead fantasies on the water, Belassi was there to represent. As the leaders in high-performance jet-skis, produced in the engineering heartland of Linz in Austria, the company were certainly in the right place. Belassi were exhibiting the new Burrasca jet-ski, named after the Italian word for ‘storm’. The 333 horsepower Burrasca boasts impressive performance metrics, as well as a Marine 3 cylinder 4 stroke engine and full 3K carbon fibre deck. The technology of the machine is commensurate with what you would expect when the height of Austrian engineering sets out to make the world’s fastest, smoothest and slickest jet-ski.
Ivana Ciabatti | The wildcard in the show was the artisanal gourmet gold brand Ivana Ciabatti. With products enriched with edible gold and inspired by the Florentine Renaissance, the Italian brand had visitors queuing to try its chocolates (and vodka) enriched with ethical gold produced in line with environmental concerns. The vodka went down with particular elan by visitors enraptured by its soft clear taste, a product of masterful Tuscan distillation and stylistic gourmet perfection.
