Sunset GT: The glitz, the glam, the glory.

Events Featured Profiles write-up

Text & Photos by Stephen kneubuehl (RS: @STEPHENK)

All is still at Sunset Plaza on Sunday morning in sunny Southern California.

The feeling of anticipation is in the air. Sunset Gran Turismo, one of the most glamorous supercar and hypercar meets in the world, is set to begin at 9am.

The car enthusiast community rises early on this summer morning of August 8, 2021. Everyone knows they need to arrive extra early today. It’s the first Sunset GT show in nearly a year.

O’Gara Coach Company is the organizer of the meet.

They’re one of the hottest supercar and hypercar dealers in the world. The tents are set, exhibition cars in place, and caterers at the ready for their VIP guests.

The streets leading up towards the plaza begin to buzz with pops and crackles of tailpipes. As participants and spectators approach the area, exotic cars crisscross intersections like a colony of ants. Soon a trail of them begins to form.

The show is under strict rules to not open the gates until 9am. But by 8:30am there’s already a bubble of energy forming. Crowds of spectators at the gate have their cameras armed.

An incredible spectacle develops as exotics line up in perfect line formation. A Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe sits proudly at the front, closely followed by a vivid green Porsche 918 Spyder and a Ferrari LaFerrari. This is the glitz and glam of Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

The line of cars extends down Sunset Boulevard and around the corner beyond sight. A Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, a Porsche 918, a Ferrari LaFerrari. This is Beverly Hills.

Lamborghinis, McLarens, Porsches, and a perfect line of supercars and hypercars wait patiently in a line for nearly five blocks. This is insanity. The good kind of insanity.

The gates open at 9am sharp, and the exotic cars neatly steer to their designated parking spaces. At the center of the lot are a slew of hypercars on display, led by the Rimac Nevara and Concept One. Further behind are a McLaren Speedtail and McLaren Sabre, roped off and parked face-to-face, as if they’re ready to duel. Parked adjacent are a vintage 1972 McLaren M8FP race car side-by-side with a modern McLaren Elva. What a sight to see.

Everyone’s jaws are dropped as they squeeze by tens of millions of dollars’ worth of kit. It’s hard to find a bad angle of the Ferrari F40. There are two to choose from. Queue the McLaren P1, Bugatti Chiron, Lamborghini Huracan STO, and dozens of other dream cars.

The lot is filled by 9:30am. The gates close and at least a hundred supercars are turned away. Demand has clearly outpaced supply this morning.

10:30am rolls around and the flow begins to reverse. The pent-up energy begins to release as cars exit the lot onto Sunset Boulevard. Some begin to rev their exhausts and peel out of the entrance. Never mind the police car patrolling the intersection. Each car ups the ante, at one point forcing police to close the roadway for safety.

Fortunately nobody is hurt as the last few cars roll out. The remaining spectators have a look of wonder and exhaustion at what they just witnessed. The glory of Sunset GT has topped itself yet again. At least, until the next one.