For something to be the best, doesn’t something else have to be the worst? Viewing the broader auto industry through the philosophical lens of Newton’s Third Law is tempting. However, the ultra-luxury and performance space resist such classifications.
duPont REGISTRY Reviews grounds itself exclusively in this niche within a niche, reviewing and driving vehicles almost exclusively costing $100,000 or more. It’s a section of the industry in which large automakers and boutique brands compete to produce the best machines possible for today and create a lasting legacy. To build future classics.
You won’t find a clear “worst” amongst such rarified air, given their elevated price points and the storied brands that build them. Instead, this year’s Top 10 rewards those machines that best achieve their maker’s intentions, the cars that successfully bring a vision to life.
Disclaimer: You may find that some vehicles are absent from this list despite being released in 2024. Given that we exclusively rank cars we’ve reviewed, those not available to drive aren’t considered for this list.
One look at its familiar face is all it takes to know that the McLaren 750S isn’t all-new. Designed as a performance midpoint between the discontinued 720S and the frantic 765LT, the 750S incorporates sorter gearing, a modest power bump, and retuned suspension components.
It takes a proven formula and refines it, almost closing the chapter on this part of McLaren’s history, the time before batteries became ubiquitous. Yet despite using the 720S as its base, the 750S is more than contemporary, with a formidable power output, telepathic steering, and some of the best handling of any supercar.
9. The Maserati GranCabrio Folgore
The GranCabrio Folgore is an ambitious move by the Trident. It takes the established GT formula that defines many of the marque’s best cars and reinterprets it with electric power. Unusually for a big reveal, Maserati presented both the all-electric Folgore and the V6-powered Trofeo in tandem earlier this summer.
However, the Folgore impressed most, not just because of its monumental 751-horsepower output. The electric GC is not only far quieter than the Trofeo, but its ride is far smoother while it still manages to handle exceptionally well for something of its size. It’s precisely what a big, luxurious GT should be. It doesn’t hurt that between it and the coupe, it’s better looking, too.
8. The McLaren Artura Spider
The McLaren Artura Spider is the best example of how far a car can evolve due to some thoughtful updates. Although the updates incorporate a 19-hp power increase, quickened shifts, and a suspension reworked to pursue driver involvement, how they come together matters most.
The original Artura Coupe was impressive enough, and the updates introduced for the Spider and the refreshed Coupe only reinforce those qualities. Doubly so, McLaren partly implemented them to fix some of the issues found in the earlier cars and restore confidence in the model. Earlier this year, we road-tripped one from Los Angeles to Monterey, where its size, long-distance comfort, and refinement only strengthened what was already a formidable supercar.
7. The Aston Martin Vantage
The Aston Martin Vantage has made what is likely the most significant comeback from any vehicle on this list. Although not entirely new, the British carmaker implemented enough targeted updates to transform this sports car. This includes a facelift that gives it a distinct, relevant, but still aggressive aesthetic, while its interior is finally world-class.
Power from its V8 surges to 656 hp; however, how the Vantage handles its newfound grunt matters most. Its suspension doesn’t just work to neutralize any upset behavior. Instead, it encourages you to test your limits, to blast out of a corner a little faster, to dial back traction control, and to try your hand at a slide. It’s grown into a proper driver’s car.
6. The Ferrari 296 GTS
The Ferrari 296 GTB was duPont REGISTRY’s car of the year, and seeing the GTS rank as well is no surprise. It expands on what makes the GTB so compelling with the addition of a folding hard top. You thus don’t just get to experience its monumental 818-hp output. You get to listen to its distinctive exhaust note as you experience hypercar performance levels just about anywhere.
Unlike the Assetto Fiorano-equipped car that won last year, this GTS expands its usability with a leather-trimmed cabin, less aggressive seats, and a far more compliant ride. Given the flexibility of its plug-in hybrid powertrain, it is as usable as it is thrilling to drive.
5. The Bentley Continental GT Speed
Following the departure of Bentley’s iconic W12, the British carmaker replaced it with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that outdoes it in nearly every metric. The GT Speed gains an electric-only drive mode ideal for ultra-low emissions zones, but more importantly, its power output grows to a staggering 771 hp, or 121 hp more than the discontinued W12.
Beyond the headline figures, however, the GT’s handling benefits from significant improvements. With its twin-turbo V8 being lighter up front and its battery pack sitting towards the rear, the GT sports an optimized weight distribution, significantly improving how it handles a winding road.
Improvements to its cabin expand its customization flexibility, including adding a new darkened trim, while a restyled exterior incorporates elements from Bentley’s long-sold limited editions.
4. The Ferrari Purosangue
The Ferrari Purosangue practically bends or breaks every expectation of what a super SUV should be. It doesn’t incorporate a heavily turbocharged engine in search of low-end torque. Instead, it opts for a naturally aspirated V12. Nor does it adopt the proportions traditionally associated with the type, falling somewhere between a lifted GTC4Lusso with hints of 812 Superfast while adopting the newer design language seen in the 296 GTB.
What’s most impressive about the Purosangue is that it drives like no other Super SUV. It’s a Ferrari first, and it asks that you treat it as such. You have to rev it to redline to get the most of the 715 horses it develops, a figure that doesn’t peak until 7,750 rpm.
Setting Ferrari’s commitment to a genuinely challenging-to-use tech suite for a moment, the Purosangue’s cabin is as beautiful as it is well-appointed, while its rear-hinged doors create a sense of occasion before you even step in. And because it isn’t concerned with following a trend, this Prancing Horse gets to wear a distinct aesthetic. It’s not just another super SUV. It defines the segment.
3. The Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II/Cullinan Series II
We’re bending the rules slightly with this next pick because the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II and the Cullinan Series II take a nearly identical approach to their recent significant updates. In both cases, Rolls-Royce left the mechanicals alone, carrying over their twin-turbocharged V12 engines unmodified.
Instead, the British carmaker focused on providing its customers greater customization flexibility by expanding its options list and emboldening its Bespoke department to tackle more ambitious projects.
Because they pair so many components from a mechanical standpoint, riding on modified versions of the Architecture of Luxury platform, it should be no secret that they are two of the most luxurious machines on the planet, built to the highest standard of any brand. Barring a Phantom, they are as refined as current technologies allow, and as the Spectre demonstrates, to evolve, the next step will require batteries.
2. The Lamborghini Revuelto
The Lamborghini Revuelto is as much a big V12 Lambo as it is a glimpse into an exciting future. In response to tightening regulations, it is now a plug-in hybrid, incorporating three electric motors and a small battery pack between its seats. However, instead of pairing electrification with a downsized engine, Lamborghini took this shift as an opportunity.
In response, the Italian car maker built a brand-new 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12. An engine that not only revs to 9,500 rpm, it produces one of the most intoxicating exhaust notes of any road car, by houses what is arguably one of the best internal combustion engines ever made.
Its vastly improved carbon structure pairs with a new suspension system, torque vectoring via its electric motors, and a brand-new dual-clutch automatic. The result isn’t just a 1,015 hp Lamborghini, but one that tackles a winding road with agility and confidence while never diminishing the thrills of the experience.
Beyond its performance attributes, the Revuelto is made almost entirely of sharp angles, creating an aesthetic that is part jet fighter, part cyberpunk. It draws people wherever it goes, virtually no one resisting its pull.
1. The Pagani Utopia
If there’s any car that fulfills a vision, it’s the Pagani Utopia. However, unlike most vehicles made today, it’s not the vision of a large conglomerate or a vast team. Instead, the Utopia results from the direct influence and involvement of the man whose last name adorns this car.
As technically impressive as the Utopia is, with its bespoke blends of carbon fiber, its expressive design, and extreme proportions, what makes it special transcends the physical. What the Utopia does is center you in a moment. When you drive it, it doesn’t allow you to think about anything else. As you lean into the accelerator and its twin-turbocharged V12 begins so sing its deep growl, the cabin is inundated with the wooshing sounds of turbochargers coming on and off boost.
The cabin itself is best described as functional art. Every component is meticulously designed and executed, always providing something new to admire as you drive. From the leatherwork to the extensive use of aluminum and carbon fiber, the Utopia looks and feels like nothing else.
Beyond its design details, the Utopia is still fantastic to drive. It feels light and nimble thanks to its carbon construction, supplemented with excellent mechanical grip and an 852-hp output. Above all else, the Utopia succeeds in creating a feeling. It is a sense that every moment spent behind the wheel is unique and that nothing matters beyond it. That is why it is duPont REGISTRY’s Car of The Year for 2024.
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