200mph+ cars coming to Concours of Elegance 2018

This year’s Concours of Elegance, held at Hampton Court Palace from August 31 to September 2, will feature a host of cars with top speeds of 200mph or more, including the McLaren Senna (pictured), Aston Martin Vantage V600 and Mercedes CLK LM.

At the event’s heart is the Main Concours, a collection of over 60 of the finest cars yet made. This year, they include the last ever four-cylinder Ferrari, the car that won the first ever Italian Grand Prix, a Porsche 917K driven by Steve McQueen in the film, Le Mans, and a 1913 Renault Type DP owned by the same family its entire life, and completely original.

Autocar readers can get two-for-one tickets for Saturday 1 or Sunday 2 September, saving you £40. Click here for ticket sales.

McLaren Senna #001 | Top speed 208mph

Representing McLaren will be perhaps the most striking example of its latest Ultimate Series road car; the very first Senna to leave the McLaren Technical Centre in Woking. Only 500 Sennas will be built, but this car is finished in a totally unique ‘MSO Aurora Blue’ and MSO ‘Anniversary White’ paintjob that took the team at McLaren Special Operations more than 600 hours to complete.

McLaren Senna #001

Powering this unique Senna is McLaren’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, producing 789bhp and 590lb-ft of torque.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage V600 | Top speed 205mph

Aston Martin will build seven coupé and seven convertible variants of the V12 Vantage V600, complete with full carbon fibre body and 592bhp 5.9-litre V12 engine.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage V600

Designed as the ultimate send-off for the previous-generation Vantage, the V600 is only available with a seven-speed manual gearbox.

Mercedes CLK LM | Top speed 205mph

Based on the CLK GTR, but fitted with a more reliable V8 and a new aerodynamic package, it was honed specifically for 24 hours of racing around Le Mans. The engine wasn’t quite as reliable as Mercedes had hoped, however, with the cars qualifying in pole position and third, but retiring from the race with engine failure.

Mercedes CLK LM

Mercedes took the LMs back to FIA GT and swept the rest of the championship, but the GT1 regulations were scrapped for 1999. For another shot at Le Mans, Mercedes moved up to the prototype classes with the new CLR, but the design proved notoriously unstable, flipping on three occasions at high speed.

Jaguar XJ220 | Top speed 212mph

Jaguar’s first 200mph car, the XJ220, still looks like nothing else on the road. Initially designed with a V12 and all-wheel-drive, it was eventually delivered with a twin-turbo V6 and rear-wheel-drive – but performance was still exhilarating. 

Jaguar XJ220

In fact, the XJ220 was the fastest car in the world, setting a speed of 212.3mph at the Nardo test track. Only 281 were ever built, making it one of the rarest supercars on the road. 

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 | Top speed 200mph

This 592bhp supersaloon has been created from the standard XE, imbued with the power of a 5.0-litre supercharged V8, and honed with race-ready aerodynamics and shed of all unnecessary weight. 

Jaguar XE SV Project 8

Limited to just 300 examples, the XE SV Project 8 is not only one of the rarest Jaguars ever created, but also one of the most expensive too; prices start at £149,995.

Porsche 917K | Top speed 220mph

This Porsche 917K was driven by Steve McQueen in the classic film Le Mans. But it was more than just a silver screen star, it was a genuinely successful racer on-track, too.

Porsche 917K

Despite being damaged during filming for Le Mans, it was rebuilt using another chassis and went on to win at Daytona, Monza, the Osterreichring, Spa and Monthlery in 1971. 

Aston Martin Rapide AMR | Top speed 205mph

Visitors to the Concours of Elegance can also see the Aston Martin Rapide AMR, one of the first of a new breed of even more focused Aston Martin models.

Aston Martin Rapide AMR

The standard car’s 6.0-litre V12 remains, but power has increased from 552bhp to 592bhp, and handling has been carefully tweaked to evolve the Rapide from GT cruiser into race-inspired four-door. 

Ferrari GTC4Lusso | Top speed 208mph

The latest four-wheel-drive four-seat Ferrari, the GTC4Lusso, is coming to Concours of Elegance in a specially commissioned one-off Arancio Rik colour and unique Castagno leather interior. The owner also has signatures of Ferrari Formula One drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen on the door sills.

Autocar readers can get two-for-one tickets for Saturday 1 or Sunday 2 September, saving you £40. Click here for ticket sales.