Carson's Car Pics

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Czinger 21C V-Max

The Czinger 21C is one of the most insane and revolutionary cars of recent years and all time. It debuted and entered production in 2021 and is motivated by a mid-mounted 2.9-liter twin-turbo V8 paired to two electric motors at the front wheels generating a combined 1,250 horsepower and 691 pound-feet of torque. Power in the 21C, short for 21st Century, is sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed single-clutch automated manual transmission, and its V8 revs up to 11,000 rpm. It launches from zero to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and can accomplish a top speed of 253 mph. The 21C is available in two configurations: High-Downforce and V-Max. Pictured here is the V-Max version of the 21C, which loses the massive rear wing found on the 21C High-Downforce to reduce drag for maximum top speed. The 21C V-Max also adds seven inches of length due to its extended rear bodywork along with an exhaust mounted above the rear bumper and pointing up compared to the 21C High-Downforce.

The most revolutionary aspects of the Czinger 21C involve its design process and vehicle component assembly. More specifically, Czinger used artificial intelligence-based applications with inputs from engineers to design the 21C and assembled the 21C's vehicle components using custom 3D printers, all of which are completed in-house. When viewing the 21C's AI-generated chassis, there are several components that resemble bones from a human skeleton, and they look extremely fascinating. Other automakers and even government agencies have signed contracts with Czinger's parent company Divergent to implement this exact AI-focused technology in new and future vehicles and complex projects. Unlike most road cars, the Czinger 21C's interior is a central, narrow cockpit where the passenger seat is directly behind the driver seat. This rather unique interior layout is intended for optimal aerodynamics and center of gravity. Other key features of the Czinger 21C include a carbon fiber tub, large and elongated butterfly doors, a panoramic glass sunroof, a single digital display that houses the gauge cluster, infotainment system, and Apple CarPlay, and a small trunk under the engine cover.

Only 80 total units of the Czinger 21C will be built by the Southern California-based boutique supercar manufacturer, with each example carrying a starting price of $2.35 million. In addition, Czinger introduced a drop-top Spyder version of the 21C at the Quail during Monterey Car Week this year. As for the 21C V-Max pictured here, I spotted it in Carmel along with several other exotics at the Cypress Inn following the Ferrari Concours show during Monterey Car Week. When this Czinger 21C made its appearance at the Miller Motorcars showcase in front of the Cypress Inn in Carmel, nearly everyone on that particular block of Downtown Carmel gathered around it to take a closer look.

This is the first 21C V-Max that I have seen up close, but certainly not the first Czinger 21C in general that I have seen in person. For those who are wondering, the first Czinger 21C that I saw in person was at the last Exotics on Broadway show that I attended in Seaside two years ago, and it was a High-Downforce example provided by Czinger. The 21C V-Max featured here that was in Monterey for Car Week this year was manufacturer-owned as well. Alongside the Lotec Sirius, Ferrari Enzo, and Bugatti Mistral from previous posts, the Czinger 21C V-Max was undoubtedly one of the absolute coolest and most extraordinary cars I saw in the Monterey area during Car Week this year. Overall, after hearing and viewing more about it within the past few years, the Czinger 21C is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite cars and one of the coolest and most impressive cars on the planet due to its otherworldly styling, unbelievable performance, and state-of-the-art engineering. Enjoy and stay tuned for more unique exotic supercars I spotted in Carmel during Monterey Car Week coming up in the next several posts.

Vehicle Specifications Sources: Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Robb Report, Doug DeMuro via YouTube

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Thursday, September 24, 2026

Bugatti Mistral

The Mistral is the latest droptop hypercar from Bugatti and the end of the line for Bugatti’s famed W16 engine. It was first revealed in 2022, and its W16 engine is a 8.0-liter quad-turbo unit with 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission sending power to all four wheels. The launch from zero to 60 mph in the Mistral occurs in 2.3 seconds, and its top speed is rated at 261 mph. In fact, during a high-speed test run in Germany two years ago, the Mistral hit 282 mph, making it the fastest open-top car in the world. Basically all of the Mistral's performance figures and internal components are shared with the Chiron. However, the Mistral and Chiron feature completely different bodywork and exterior designs. Besides the 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine, both the Mistral and Chiron share a carbon-fiber structure assembled by Dallara in Italy and a practically identical timeless, minimalist, and ultra-premium interior layout. While it is designed to be topless, Bugatti supplied the Mistral with a clip-in fabric roof for emergencies such as inclement weather, and the vehicle can only travel at speeds up to 100 mph when the fabric roof is in place. A wind deflector located behind the seats has also been added to the Mistral since it is an open-air roadster.

Only 99 examples of the Bugatti Mistral were produced from 2024 until the middle of this year. All 99 units of the Mistral were spoken for as soon as it was announced, and each example carried a starting price of around $5 million. Replacing the Chiron and Mistral in the Bugatti portfolio is the Tourbillon, which is motivated by a V16 mated to three electric motors and primed to be even faster.

Pictured here is the first Bugatti Mistral that I have ever seen in person, which I found parked with several other supercars outside of the Cypress Inn in Carmel during Monterey Car Week last month. This Mistral and some other supercars parked by the Cypress Inn during Car Week were provided by Greenwich, Connecticut-based exotic car dealership Miller Motorcars as part of their showcase display at that particular hotel. This qualifies as more of a top spotting moment despite the Miller Motorcars showcase display having more of a car show feel to it. Not only was the Mistral one of the coolest and most impressive cars at the Miller Motorcars showcase display, it was certainly one of the top vehicles I was most thrilled to see up close throughout the one day I traveled to the Monterey area for Car Week this year. Overall, the Bugatti Mistral is an absolutely stunning and amazing topless hypercar, and it currently represents the pinnacle for convertibles and roadsters in terms of performance and opulence. Enjoy and stay tuned for more unique exotic supercars I spotted in Carmel during Monterey Car Week coming up in the next several posts.

Vehicle Specifications Sources: Road and Track, Robb Report, DuPont Registry

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Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Best of Ferrari Concours Carmel 2026

The second car show I attended during the one day I was in the Monterey area for Car Week this year was the Ferrari Concours in Carmel. This was following my first stop at the Legends of the Autobahn show in Pacific Grove that day, and as a result of getting the full experience at Legends of the Autobahn and the commute from Pacific Grove to Carmel taking about an hour due to traffic, I definitely missed some display vehicles at Ferrari Concours. Despite having only made it to the final hour or so of this particular show, I was able to catch a good chunk of display cars there, which consisted of 99 percent Ferraris spread out over a few blocks of Ocean Avenue and some surrounding streets in Downtown Carmel. The other one percent of display vehicles at Ferrari Concours were a section of Alfa Romeos, Maseratis, and Lancias, all of which were not as amazing as most of the Ferraris that participated in this specific show. Besides the incredible vehicle selection, the other aspects of Ferrari Concours that I enjoyed were the great weather and Carmel’s beautiful scenery. I also saw a few familiar faces in Carmel during and after the Ferrari Concours show, but not as many as I did during Legends of the Autobahn.

This compilation showcases the coolest and my favorite display cars that I was able to see and take photos of at this year’s Ferrari Concours show in Carmel, narrowed down to the top 20 entries in no particular order. If I had the opportunity to see and photograph more of what the Carmel Ferrari Concours show had to offer this year, I can guarantee that this compilation would look pretty different and potentially get split into two parts. Overall, Ferrari Concours Carmel was a great show, and I am fortunate to have made it there and caught what appeared to be a majority of its display cars following the Legends of the Autobahn show. Enjoy and stay tuned for a variety of unique exotic supercars I spotted in Carmel that were not part of the Ferrari Concours show coming up in the next several posts.

Ferrari 288 GTO