e 7 Best Cars at This Year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

Villa d’Este has a long-standing tradition of hosting concept-car debuts, and 2026 was no exception. Alpina was acquired by BMW in 2022, and the first hint of its future was revealed in the form of the Vision BMW Alpina—a design study which prefigures the brand’s new model, which will go to production next year. Based on an 8-series platform, this elegantly proportioned one-off was penned by ex-Rolls-Royce designer Alex Innes under vice president of Design Maximilian Missoni.

The Rolls-Royce roots are no coincidence, as the BMW Alpina brand aims to fill the white space between Alpina and ultraluxury nameplates like Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Alpina’s understated approach has been referred to as “speed, not sport,” and boss Oliver Viellechner says subsequent production models will contend with the likes of Mercedes-Maybach, which is taking a strategically similar but aesthetically different approach to the segment. If the Vision concept is any indication, Alpina should carve a distinctive niche for itself when it debuts in 2027.

The long, low Mercedes CLK GTR was built first as a race car and later homologated for road duty. The reason for this reverse engineering was the reaction by Mercedes to the DTM touring-car motorsport series becoming suspended in late 1996, leading the marque to enter the international GT1 class of the FIA GT Championship. The race cars led to the production of only 20 coupes and five roadsters in order to satisfy homologation rules.

This beast comprises a honeycomb chassis made of carbon fiber and aluminum, and is powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 mated to a six-speed sequential manual gearbox. That’s pretty wild stuff for the road, and eagle-eyed enthusiasts will notice that the GTR shares headlamps and taillamps with the considerably more pedestrian Mercedes-Benz CLK road cars.

Ferdinand Piëch’s famously obsessive fixation on engineering yielded some of the world’s most exceptional cars. Among his most ambitious, yet unsung, achievements was the W12 Nardò, a series of Volkswagen prototypes which leveraged his innovative power plant to record-setting effect. With twelve staggered cylinders arrayed into two narrow banks, the unusually compact engine helped the Giorgetto Giugiaro–penned design shatter seven world records and 12 international class records.

While a production version was announced—first for a series of 200 examples, which was later reduced to 50—the Nardò never made it beyond the two prototypes and one driver seen here, which features inboard suspension and carbon-fiber-fitted luxury. Budgetary limitations and the acquisition of Bugatti prevented the Volkswagen supercar from becoming reality, but its engine’s W configuration would live on in everything from the VW Phaeton and Audi A8 to the Bentley Continental GT. This concept was acquired from ItalDesign by Ferdinand’s youngest child Gregor, and made its public debut at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

The wide-hipped Ferrari Testarossa was Maranello’s side-straked flagship—with a silky smooth flat-12 power plant—when introduced in 1984. Convertibles were never part of the Testarossa product plan, but that didn’t stop aftermarket shops from chopping the top and inspiring an open-air rendition in the famous Outrun video game by Sega. However, when Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli approached his 20th anniversary of leadership, the factory made an exception and constructed a one-of-one Testarossa convertible for the renowned playboy.

The Pininfarina-styled coupe received an electrically operated soft-top roof and structural reinforcements to control body flex. And while the silver paint was elegant enough for the debonair Mr. Agnelli, it also offered a clever play on words: Ag, the chemical abbreviation for the element silver, also doubles as Gianni’s monogram. Because Agnelli suffered from the lingering toll of a leg injury due to a car wreck in 1952, the Testarossa was fitted with a button-operated clutch. This special one-off was acquired by Ronald Stern at Rétromobile in 2016, and features its original Turin plate: “TO 00000G.”

Shiny, perfectly restored examples of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL tend to be the rule not the exception, which made this lovingly patinated droptop version of the model stand out on the pristinely manicured grounds of the Villa d’Este concours. Wearing snow chains and strapped with skis and vintage luggage, its winter-themed accessories offered a glimpse at this well-worn icon’s past life, which included alpine ski trips.

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One of the last examples of the 300 SL Roadster to leave the factory, this car remarkably wears its original paint and is currently owned by Eric Blumencranz, who is preceded by only two other owners—both based in Reutlingen, Germany. Its endearing personality was strong enough to win it the people’s choice “Coppa d’Oro” prize.

SIATA, short for Società Italiana Auto Trasformazioni Accessori, was a Fiat tuner and accessory supplier which began building lightweight sports cars in the early 1950s. While between 30 and 35 examples of the 208 model were built by 1955, only seven bodied by Balbo remain. The package—a tube chassis and a tuned version of Fiat’s 2.0-liter V-8— was lively enough for Steve McQueen to nickname his example “Little Ferrari.” As for this particular car, it won its class at Pebble Beach in 2025 and is owned by San Diego architect, developer, and collector Jonathan Segal.

We knew this bullet-shaped Bimmer was special the moment we laid eyes on its dull silver paint. Turns out this one-of-a-kind race car had the chops to win Best of Show, the Villa d’Este’s top prize. Bügelfalte translates to “pant crease,” which refers to the distinctive point running along the model’s aluminum fenders, which were penned by designer Wilhelm Kaiser.

This example, currently owned by Stefano Martinoli, was the only special roadster built at BMW’s Munich plant, the other two specials being constructed at Touring in Milan, Italy. Weighing a trim 1,598 pounds, the lightened roadster competed in the 1940 Mille Miglia and finished sixth overall. Not only is this example the only Mille Miglia car to have survived in largely original condition, but it’s so special that we’re told the BMW Museum has long coveted its possession—perhaps now more than ever.

Click here for more photos from the 2026 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.