Shifting to Hyper-Speed
When someone gets behind the wheel of a hypercar, such as a Bugatti or Aston Martin, the last thing they want to worry about when shifting gears is local sound ordinances. And with the annual Hypercar Invitational coming around the bend this spring, the event’s organizers wanted a way around that issue. Enter: Las Vegas.
This April, the desert surrounding Sin City will play host to the fifth annual Hypercar gathering which has previously been held in Monterey, California. Held at Vegas’s Spring Mountain Raceway over three days, this year’s car fest will carry over everything it’s known for—including enviable rides, decadent tastes and tipples, and today’s top drivers—plus the unfettered roar of exceptional engines.
Apart from eschewing community-based decibel limits, guests will have the opportunity to experience cars such as Hennessy, Pagani, Aston Martin, McLaren, Ferrari, Zenvo, Koenigsegg, Porsche, and a few surprises, according to Hypercar’s Julian Bowden.
“What sets us apart from others is the ability for guests to interact and create intimate relationships with key members from these brands, such as engineers, designers, and executives, while having the opportunity to actually experience these machines with the visionaries who conceived and built them,” Bowden explains.
“The three-and-a-half-day event is white glove and highly curated. Track days, aviation experiences, dinners, and a variety of surprises, plus the opportunity for our guests to bring as many of their cars as they wish to experience in this special setting. HI guests often show up with their own semis and drive something new each session.”
This exclusive luxury event was created five years ago by avid collector and moto enthusiast Alessandro Borroni, a native of Milan, Italy. His vision was to create a new version of the auto show, something dynamic and exciting, an insider’s event where the top manufacturers and collectors could come together to share ideas and a common passion.
After a hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Borroni brought the invitational back to the Bay Area of California in 2021 before deciding to kick up some dust in the Las Vegas desert for this year’s event, keeping it intimate and exclusive.
So, who gets to spin their wheels at this hyper-charged event? In order to qualify for an invitation to Hypercar Invitational, a driver must have an impressive car collection, strong buying power, and a deep interest in the hypercar automotive niche.
Due to the curated nature of the event, invitations are limited. However, invited guests may bring as many of their cars as they want to take for a spin or just show off in the late spring sunshine.
“We have allocated all of the invites to our partnering manufacturers and dealers. In order to receive an invitation drivers must be vetted and invited by one of our collaborating brand ambassadors,” notes Bowden. “Occasionally, we select from our individual inbound request list if the guest has a really unique car which can enhance the selection at the event, whether it’s a special 60’s racer like the jet-powered Howmet car or a 90’s legend like the McLaren F1 HDK or the carbon EB110SS which showed up in previous years.”
“Our hope is to continue building our community, bringing like-minded people together to do what they love. Our ultimate goal is to provide an experience that creates a feeling of lasting amazement and wonder for our guests,” says Bowden.
This year, with the change of venue, instead of kicking things off with a coastal drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, drivers can take to the desert tracks to let loose under the sun. From test drives to high-speed runs on closed-off roads in the desert, to a USA-first 9-mile Nurburgring-like track experience, Hypercar Invitational will offer even the most jaded enthusiast some first-ever level experience, and shift their passions for cars to a whole new level.
Tickets include a plus-1 guest pass for all activities, track time, pro-celebrity coaching, track support, luxury meals, cocktail events, and dinners with the top echelons of the automotive industry. The event benefits charity: water, helping to raise money to build wells that will provide villages with clean water. For a view into previous year’s events or for participation inquiries, visit the Hypercar Invitational Youtube channel, or www.hypercarinvitational.com.
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