Top Marques: Luxury Is Home
TOP MARQUES
LUXURY IS HOME
Words: Christian Parodi
Photography: Giorgia Rossi
It has been the 14th edition, that held at the Grimaldi Forum from 20 to 23 April 2017. As usual, the world’s most exclusive show attracted the attention of supercar fans and not only because inside the halls you get the opportunity to admire and of course buy any luxury goods you can imagine, from helicopters to small boats. As every year we arrived early, but despite the fact that it was the first day, we were soon caught up by an extraordinary traffic – in the sense of being out of the ordinary – that went to accumulate itself to the public attending the tennis Rolex Masters and the chaos caused by road works for setting up standings and barriers for F1 Grand Prix 1 (and Formula E). After finding a parking spot, we could finally immerse ourselves in the magical atmosphere that during Top Marques, more than any other period of the year, is breathable in the crowded roads of the Principality with a myriad of supercars, historic cars and tuned cars of all kinds. Each of these is a delight for the eyes and ears, and while cars spotters run all over the place for those who just ask to open the gas entering the tunnel, we can’t play pointing to friends and colleagues the strangest cars and count at least five Aventador SV within a few minutes. Crazy, to say the least.
Time to focus on our work and make our entry into the Grimaldi Forum where we are immediately welcomed and equipped with press badges. The area dedicated to generic lifestyle seems to have grown in size and in addition to great names such as Franck Muller and Rolex, we appreciate small handcrafts that value their products thanks to a maniacal care for detail, also found in the meticulous attention they put setting their area. Ethnic furnishings alternate with precious, luxury footwear leave room for mini drones and minimal statues depicting the most varied animals lead us to the upper floor gaining access to the main pavilion, for which Auto Class does not lose an edition: the supercars area.
Always evocative when the ramp is over, to face a unique scenario, made of exotic cars and a game of lights made even more unique by the bright sun that filters from the glass roof. First of all, the Dendrobium hypercar, which wants to let the world know that even in Singapore they can create exceptional cars, alongside the Calafiore Automobili prototype, which will be ready and refined over the next few months and two colorful Donkervoort D8 RSs that capture our attention and make us want to drive them on some panoramic road such as the one that leads up La Turbie. The pavilion is not overcrowded and you can take pictures and appreciate the details without great efforts. The most exotic names alternate with professionals such as Protech Monaco or Akrapovic, who for the occasion exhibit a McLaren 570S and a beautiful Miami Blue 911 Carrera, alongside the inevitable titanium exhaust systems on pedestals – just like a modern art museum. The two “extremely extreme” Nissan tuned by Brill Steel for time attack racing are mental, while some local dealers have brought some goodies like an F-Type SVR in Gulf livery and a brand new Aventador S. There is David Brown Automotive that reinvigorates the myth of the classic Mini and tuners like Brabus (including a Startech delegation), Hamann, Klassen and Prior Design. This year the quality is very high and we notice how the stem has been raised up positioning various exhibitors, giving space to the most exclusive news and allowing a gradual path to the “more normal” cars – if you allow me the term.
Let’s take a closer look at Sin Cars and a couple of aircrafts, which following the idea launched last year by Aeromobil (here again but with an updated model) further pushes the alternative mobility proposal, which can be used both on road and in the sky. Once again, Top Marques is an event in the event, because once you finish visiting the Grimaldi Forum, you go outside, immerging yourself in that pit of engines that shout and keep the Principality’s streets awake until night. If you want to breathe a unique atmosphere, there’s nothing better than tailgating an extremely wide and noisy 458 Speciale on the Grand Prix bends where there are curbs on the sidewalk edge that in a few weeks will be bitten by Vettel, Hamilton & company. The party is here.