We were there on Friday 9 October for the Zoute Grand Prix Car Week in Knokke. The weather looked anything but promising, as it was pouring with rain when we arrived at 9.00 am. Read on to find out why it turned out to be a fantastic day after all, and why you too should add this event to your diary.

Gallery by EY

The Zoute Classic Rally by ASL Group got underway at 9.00 am; we don’t have any footage of it because it was raining so heavily at the time that we had to take shelter indoors. And the Gallery by EY wasn’t exactly a chore to wander around in.

Koenigsegg

As soon as we walked in, we came across a number of Koenigseggs, which were beautifully displayed, open and spacious.

Lotus

At Lotus, we came across the first Belgian launch. The Emira 420 Sport is fitted with the 2.0-litre AMG engine in its most powerful specification: 420 PS, 0–100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 300 km/h. To be clear, we have nothing against electric cars, but it is nice to see that brands such as Lotus are still pursuing further development in cars with internal combustion engines. A second Belgian premiere at Lotus was the Lotus Eletre X.

Xpel

The great thing about Zoute Grand Prix Week is that there’s so much variety on offer. For example, above we can see a stand run by the brand Xpel. They produce various types of protective film to safeguard the paintwork of your valuable car or simply to give it a different colour. The film gives the car a perfect matt finish. Whether the vehicle has a matt, magno or any other finish, the scratch-repairing STEALTHTM effortlessly keeps the car in perfect condition. For more information, you can always visit their website.

Ligre

Luxury can also mean enjoying a perfectly brewed espresso. The Ligre machine does this with flair; never before has it been so easy to make a perfect cappuccino.

Denza

Most people who have ever had a look at what’s available on the electric car market will no doubt have come across the BYD brand. But BYD also has a premium brand in its portfolio: Denza. Pictured above is the Belgian premiere of the Denza Z. This Denza Z is fitted with three electric motors with a combined power output of 1,582 pk. This power, combined with the all-wheel drive, propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h in under 2 seconds.

Lamborghini

And it doesn’t stop there, because there was also a debut to be seen at Lamborghini: their Urus SE Performante. It’s being called a Belgian debut, and that’s probably what it is, but both at Lotus and here at Lamborghini, we’re talking about further developments of existing models. The car pictured below is a genuine debut, if you ask us.

Bentley

We’ve arrived at Bentley, where we’re being introduced to the all-new Torcal. This is Bentley’s first fully electric car. A prestige brand like Bentley can’t leave anything to chance, and we can’t help but conclude that they’ve done their homework thoroughly. Even though it’s a very large car, it still comes across as more elegant than the Bentayga. When we took a seat behind the wheel, we were almost overwhelmed by the luxury, but above all by the sense of tranquillity that the interior exudes. Naturally, there are displays here too, but it’s all simply more refined than with most other makes. There will be two variants: the Torcal and the Torcal S. The Torcal has a power output of 821 pk, whilst the Torcal S delivers 888 pk. And that’s enough to take this behemoth from 0 to 100 in just 2.9 seconds. The 113 kWh battery provides a theoretical WLTP range of up to 600 kilometres.

Aston Martin

There are plenty of brands here that capture the imagination. Aston Martin is certainly one of them. This Valhalla went into production in 2025, and a total of 999 units will be built. If you ask us, it’s one of the most beautiful sports cars around at the moment.

Land Rover

There was a great deal of enthusiasm at Land Rover. The Range Rover Sport Electric made its European debut here. This means Land Rover has finally jumped on the electric bandwagon, which is something the leasing market in particular had been eagerly awaiting. They really are a joy to drive; even the older Land Rovers are still in high demand. We ourselves drove two rallies in them and would do it all again in a heartbeat 😉.

Bovensiepen

In our view, the Bovensiepen brand requires a little more explanation. It was, in fact, founded by the two sons of the founder of the legendary Alpina. Following the sale of the Alpina brand name to BMW, Andreas and Florian Bovensiepen decided to start building highly exclusive cars again, but this time simply under their own name. And so the automotive industry has gained yet another brand.

They continue to use BMW models as a basis and transform them into powerful yet extremely comfortable cars that are a joy to drive.

Just as with Alpina in the past, production will be strictly limited, often to fewer than 100 units. Only in this way can the exclusive nature of the cars be preserved.

They collaborate with renowned design houses (such as Zagato) and designers (such as Frank Stephenson) to give cars a completely unique look and carbon-fibre bodywork. In addition, the brand has its own leather workshop for extensive interior personalisation using high-quality Lavalina leather.

Well-known recent creations from the brand include the Bovensiepen Zagato (an exclusive GT based on the M4), the 05 GT (an 800 pk variant of the M5 Touring) and the Bovensiepen Spider (based on the Z4).

RUF

There were also independent dealers present, including Bavaria Motors NV from Harelbeke. They were exhibiting two showpieces: a Porsche Carrera GT in Fayence Yellow and a RUF SCR. A Porsche Carrera GT is rare in its own right, and of the total of 1,270 Carrera GTs produced worldwide, only 89 examples were finished in Fayence Yellow. The RUF SCR shown above may bear a slight visual resemblance to the Porsche 964, but that is where any comparison ends. This is not a Porsche! RUF builds this car from scratch, starting with their own chassis topped with a carbon-fibre monocoque. The engine is developed in-house and, in this case, it is a naturally aspirated, water-cooled 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine that delivers a whopping 510 pk with a torque of 470 Nm. A real gem! If you’d like to find out more about RUF and the brand’s history, be sure to check out Waft, who have produced a fantastic book on the subject.

Ferrari

We round off our list of exclusive cars with the Ferrari F80. Only 799 of these hypercars will be built. And even if your bank balance were substantial enough and Ferrari were to allow you to buy one (as they are the ones who decide whether you qualify), you’d still be too late, as they’ve all been sold. The F80 features a 3.0-litre V6 hybrid powertrain producing 1,200 pk.

Bang & Olufsen

The luxury TV and hi-fi brand B&O was also present at the Zoute Grand Prix Car Week. Their image fits in perfectly with the many luxury cars on display. Some of their products, in fact, carry a price tag comparable to that of a car…

Car Boulevard

A large number of brands had set up attractive displays on the embankment between the Gallery by EY and the Marquee. Most of these ‘mini’ stands were also staffed. So you could get as much information as you wanted about the cars, and you could also book test drives. From there, we walked on to the Marquee, which was entirely taken over by Bonhams.

De Marquee

Let’s start by stating the obvious and begin with one of the most beautiful cars ever built. This 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400S bears chassis no. 4578, engine no. 30534 and body no. 633. Only 114 of these ‘late’ P400S models were built; they are recognisable, amongst other things, by their ventilated disc brakes. The car was originally delivered new in Switzerland. It was sold at auction for €1,725,000 including the premium, making it one of the most expensive cars in the Bonhams auction.

Another car that caught our eye was this 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brake. The car features coachwork by FLM Panelcraft, with chassis no. DB6/2366/L and engine no. 400/2363. This DB6 is the only left-hand-drive shooting brake of the three cars ever built. An interesting fact is that we also saw the car during its most recent restoration. You can read more about it in the post about our visit to Noble House in Almere. The expected estimate was between 500,000 and 600,000 euros. The car did not sell.

4 x 4 Village

Especially for 4×4 enthusiasts – and for the first time during the Zoute Grand Prix – a full-scale 4×4 test site had been set up in Heist. Lap after lap was completed at a very slow pace in a Mercedes G-Class, an Ineos Grenadier, a Porsche Cayenne, a Land Rover Defender and a few others. As far as we could tell, it was just a matter of being a passenger – a shame, really, as I imagine driving yourself would be a lot more fun, although I realise they probably didn’t allow it due to the potential risk of damage.

Green Grounds

At the Approach Golf Course, we find the cars that end up at the Broad Arrow auction. The auction took place on Friday; over the following two days, visitors could admire the Zoute Concours d’Élégance by ING Private Banking at the same Green Grounds venue. A total of 63 historic cars were on display, all vying for the ‘Best of Show’ award. This year, the prize went to a rather unique Lancia Astura.

Broad Arrow veiling

We attended this year’s Broad Arrow auction on Friday. The selection was overwhelming and extremely varied, ranging from a McLaren M4A Formula 2 car to the much-talked-about Ferrari LaFerrari. It was a busy affair during the auction, as you can see from the photo above. And there was some serious bidding going on, both from those present and over the phone. It can be really exciting when several people have their sights set on the same car. That is, of course, the auctioneer’s aim, as it can sometimes result in prices much higher than expected.

The star attraction of the auction was undoubtedly the Ferrari LaFerrari, which sold for 4.6 million euros. Bidding in the auction room reached well over 4 million, but the winning bid came in by telephone.

It was a lucrative auction for Broad Arrow, as with a sell-through rate of 91 per cent of the cars on offer, they performed significantly better than their competitor Bonhams, who managed only 76 per cent of cars sold. The differences in turnover were also striking. Broad Arrow’s takings totalled €34.6 million, compared with €10.2 million for Bonhams. The combined takings were not only a record for the Zoute Grand Prix but also, unexpectedly, a Belgian record.

Well-known people

Former F1 driver Thierry Boutsen was also present at the Broad Arrow auction. In the past, Thierry Boutsen has regularly served on the judging panel at the Concours d’Élégance.

The Cappelleschi Gallery

During our visit to the Zoute Grand Prix, we usually pop into The Cappelleschi Gallery. Eric van Esser always goes to great lengths to ensure his gallery is steeped in an automotive atmosphere. Many of the works are by Juan Carlos Ferrigno, who, in a style all his own, brings older sports cars to life on canvas. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit. And if not for the art, then certainly for a good chat with Eric.

Conclusion

The Zoute Grand Prix in Knokke has grown to become one of the biggest motoring events in our country. As a car enthusiast, it’s hard to say no to this. Although for some, the upmarket atmosphere of Knokke and the high admission prices might well put them off. In any case, we thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be back next year. This year, due to a lack of time, we were only able to attend for one day. As a result, we missed a number of the rallies and many of the outdoor activities. Next year, we’ll try to provide a more comprehensive report.