Top Cars of Top Marques Monaco

Now in its ninth year, Top Marques has evolved into a major date on the motor show calendar. A boat and watch show has joined the fray, and it has spawned a second event in Macau. What sets it apart from the standard shows is the complete lack of humdrum econoboxes -- everything that glitters seems to really be made of gold, or some other shiny precious metal. 

Then there's the test drive area. Potential buyers can take passenger rides in the world's best supercars around the Monaco Grand Prix circuit and compare them with likely competitors. OK, so the roads aren't closed, there's heavy traffic, and the drivers are limited to short bursts at full blast, but those few squirts of power have sealed million-dollar deals. As a lightweight Sperrer KTM X-Bow hounds a Koenigsegg CCX through Monaco's famous tunnel at massively illegal speeds, it's as if the noise alone could threaten the structural integrity of the walls. It's a bit hairy at times, but it is awesome to watch. The police, however, are not amused. They visit several exhibitors to discuss their driving, and even threaten to impound Hamann's SLS Hawk.

Rimac brought its Concept_One electric car to the show, and it is perhaps the most exciting machine of the year -- if it lives up to the hype. With a claimed 1088 horsepower courtesy of four independent motors, it has just as much power as a Bugatti Veyron with pure electric propulsion. It's a $1.3 million car, but it will hit 190 mph and 60 mph in less than 3 seconds if the official figures are right. There's an element of doubt, because surely a car like this should come from Bugatti or Porsche, rather than a start-up from Croatia. But if this car does what it says on paper on the tarmac, it is going to be epic