After the Supercar Owners Circle visited Zagreb in 2021, this year’s main event returned to the Croatian capital, bringing 60 incredible contemporary supercars driven and co-driven by people of 22 nationalities.
Zagreb’s prestigious Esplanade Hotel again hosted crews from all around the world, reviving the belle epoque when it was a temporary home for adventurers traveling the fabled Orient Express train.
A Message of Peace & Hope
This year, the poster for the event featured the Pelješac bridge, a fitting motif encapsulating the beautiful Croatian landscape and contemporary architecture in one simple design. While the previous rendition put an emphasis on health, the organizers sent a message of peace together with Aston Martin.
The British manufacturer supplied a DBX 707 wrapped in colors of the rainbow with a white dove symbol. This way, Aston Martin sent a clear message of peace in its own unique way.
Opening Ceremonies
The event officially started on Friday, September 2nd with a parade through the streets of Zagreb, all the way to the nearby Sljeme, a famous hillclimb proving grounds where owners could stretch their machinery before exhibiting them in front of the earthquake-wounded Zagreb Cathedral on the city’s historic Kapitol hill. Despite gray weather and unusually cold temperatures, thousands of visitors showed up to greet the motorcade of awe-inspiring cars.
As SOC’s Niccolò Torri Rocca underlined, supercars are a piece of art, and Supercar Owners Circle was all about bringing this one-of-a-kind dynamic museum to Zagreb and its people. That being said, the kinetic exhibition brought together more than 60 of the world’s scarcest, most mouth-wateringly beautiful and prestigious, high performance automobiles, both contemporary and of recent vintage.
Themes & Notable Cars at SOC 2022
The diverse lineup was divided into several themes, as Paolo Balladore, SOC’s automotive expert pointed out:
First off, the Barchetta Quartet brought together the Zonda Barchetta, Monza SP2, McLaren Elva and Aston Martin Speedster. Then, there was the 2010s hypercar Holy Trinity, made up of three arch-rivals, Porsche 918, McLaren P1, and Ferrari LaFerrari.
Pagani Masterpieces brought together a selection of bespoke hypercars including the Huayra R, Zonda Cinque Roadster, Zonda Cinque, Huayra Roadster BC and the Zonda S.
Celebrating Bugatti, Zagreb could see the already legendary La Voiture Noire, as well as a selection of Chirons, Centodieci, Divo, Veyron Grand Sport and a Veyron World Record Car, among others.
In addition to household names in the industry SOC Croatia also hosted a number of niche supercars. That being said, spectators could also see the Zenvo TSR-s, and the HWA-developed, Ferrari V12-powered Apollo duo: the Intensa Emozione and the otherworldly EVO prototype.
Beyond Mid-Engined Examples
As expected, mid-engined cars dominated the roster, but more than a few cars challenged the proven supercar formula. That being said, Mercedes-Benz was represented by a couple of AMG GT Pro coupeś, as well as a duo of SLR McLaren cars, a 722 edition coupé and an equally stunning drop top.
An Aston Martin V12 Speedster was present as well and then there was a line-up of V12 Ferraris headlined by the 599 GTO, 812 TdF and an SP2 Monza. Last but definitely not least, a white Lexus LFA represented the pinnacle of the Japanese automotive industry with its sonorous V10.
The event’s host and Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac showed up with a line-up of all-electric Nevera hypercars, as well as his personal Bugatti Chiron Sport and didn’t shy away from putting on a show whenever it seemed possible.
Last but not least, The Little Car Company was present as well, with two of its three products. First gracing the Esplanade’s halls and then joining the motorcade, a British Racing Green Aston Martin DB5 Junior and a French Racing Blue Bugatti Baby II brought an extra layer of joyfulness to the event.
Twists & Turns At SOC 2022
Accidents Happen
Unfortunately, urban traffic claimed one supercar, a one-of-three Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta valued at around $15 million. On its way towards the hillclimb, the Zonda swerved at low speeds onto the oncoming traffic, hitting a Ford Fiesta, suffering extensive damage to the rear left corner, losing the wheel and ripping the half shaft in the process, as well as sustaining damage to the carbon fiber body. We hope that the damage sustained isn’t beyond repairable and that this incredibly rare Zonda will be roadworthy again.
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Speed & Power
The second day of the event put an emphasis on speed and power, presenting beauty in sound and motion. The airstrip in neighboring municipality of Velika Gorica thus became the proving ground where supercars and their owners demonstrated mechanical excellence of their respective rides. The symphony of sounds brought joy for thousands of spectators from the region, all united in their love for supercars.
There, the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR PRO Prototype No.1 had its first public dynamic appearance in its native continent. Powered by a 6.5 liter naturally aspirated V12 and a KERS-like system assisted by lightweight batteries developed and produced by Rimac, the Valkyrie AMR Pro is the most intense Aston Martin created to this day. Being so, its dragstrip runs were the definitive highlight of this year’s SOC event.
Wrapping Up & Preparing for the Future
With the public part of the gathering wrapped up, the owners started their journey to coastal Croatia the following day. The supercar convoy left Zagreb on Sunday morning, driving through some of the most beautiful roads in Croatia towards the coastal town of Šibenik. The final stop was at the scenic D-Resort hotel where the event officially concluded as well.
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By assembling a truly monumental line-up of supercars and treating them like pure art, Supercar Owners Circle again showed why its events are unlike no others and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future brings for this extraordinary club.
