By Contributor,Scotty Reiss

Copyright forbes

The Lucid Gravity X concept on the lawn at the Lodge at Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Concept cars can be a rare thing at most auto shows these days, but when there are serious buyers, car dealers and collectors on hand, car makers will use the opportunity to roll out their newest designs and listen to the feedback.

That was the case at Monterey Car Week, and one of the big trends on display for 2025 was adventure luxury SUVs. The adventure segment has been a hot ticket over the last few years, with carmakers adding off-road features to all-purpose SUVs and watching customer passion and profit climb. Features popular with off-roaders, like all-terrain tires, tow hooks, extra lighting, roof racks and underbody protection can now be purchased as a trim option.

And, the strategy is growing in a powertrain-agnostic approach, with adventure trims offered on everything from powerful diesel engines to small three-cylinders to V6, V8, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all electric SUVs, allowing buyers to choose their adventure and their fuel source. In the luxury sector, however, car makers are taking the idea even further, envisioning not just new equipment, but new ways of framing the adventure.

Off-Road Details Make The Lucid Gravity X Even More Rugged

One of the first concepts to debut during Monterey Car Week was the Lucid Gravity X, or Cross, which made a splashy debut at The Lodge at Pebble Beach. Lucid turned its hot three-row all-electric SUV into an off-roader designed for all the places its customers love to go, from the beach to the mountains to the desert. And the Gravity can easily conquer sea-to-sky road trips with a 440 mile range, dual motor all wheel drive and fast charging capability.

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To make it more capable, the company added recovery tow hooks that are nearly hidden in the front and rear bumpers, lower cladding to protect the Gravity’s paint, a widened wheel track for better traction and larger all-terrain tires. A custom roof-top box was designed to maintain the Gravity’s design language and it looks as if it’s a part of the roof rather than an accessory. Inside Lucid’s designers finished the Gravity X concept with a micro suede steering wheel and orange stitching, seatbelts and accents, then showed the concept with a custom built mountain bike stowed inside to affirm the adventure feel.

The Rivian R1S Pebble Beach Edition

Rivian Adds More Luxury To The Adventure

As an SUV designed and built for adventure, the Rivian R1S already has a pinnacle model for off-roaders thanks to the four-motor capability and 1,025 hp performance of the Quad version. But not resting on the Quad’s stellar reviews, the brand is digging in to find even more ways to delight its customers by challenging its design studio team to create the ultimate R1S. The result is the Pebble Beach edition, a one-off custom design that was auctioned off at Monterey Car Week’s Broad Arrow Auction to benefit WaterAid.

Getting a peek inside how Rivian’s design team sees the next level of luxury starts with a new Monterey Silver paint color that adds an uncharacteristic multi-layered metallic look for a “golden hour” glow. It also features exclusive 22-inch wheels in a three-tone hand-crafted finish and Laguna Blue brake calipers. The interior envelops passengers in pebble-inspired blonde leatherette with woven accents and blond wood surrounding passengers by filling the dashboard, framing the center console and accenting door panels. The colors and textures give the feel of sea oats on the dunes and a soft sand beach. Berber carpets elevate the beachy feel and gradient brass accents add even more play on golden hour lighting.

Even though the Pebble Beach edition was a one-off, Rivian took time to show it off to guests at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, to get a feel for what buyers would love to see from the brand next; the blonde interior and glowing paint garnered a lot of attention.

The Infiniti QX80 Terrain Spec on display at The Quail at Monterey Car Week

Infiniti Terrain Spec Turns Heads At Monterey Car Week

Hot on the heels of the redesigned Infiniti QX80 full-size three-row SUV, Infiniti staged two concept editions based on the brand’s flagship: The Track Spec and the Terrain Spec. While the Track Spec perhaps takes the concept idea a bit further from the realm of plausibility thanks to added power and performance features, the Terrain Spec sits solidly in the field of possibility: It would compete with the Lexus LX 700, Lexus GX, Range Rover and Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

To show consumers just how the Infiniti QX80 can move up from plush and comfy to rugged and capable, the brand raised the chassis for better off-road clearance and added all terrain tires and protective cladding. A custom roof top box also adds more lighting for trail riding. These features compliment the QX80’s already capable four-wheel drive system and “invisible hood” camera technology that allows driver and passengers to see all around and under the SUV, projecting the view across the full expanse of the dash-spanning multimedia screen.

Will the Terrain Spec make it to production? Infiniti’s web site offers consumers the opportunity to stay informed; based on the excitement around the QX80 at Monterey Car Week, clearly a lot of people hope so.

The Cadillac Elevated Velocity Concept at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
Scotty Reiss

The Cadillac Elevated Velocity Shows Off The Best Of All Worlds

Cadillac has dominated the concept space at top-tier auto shows over the last few years, using events such as The Quail and The Pebble Beach Concours to showcase new electric models. While most have been firmly planted in Cadillac’s luxury performance space, the Elevated Velocity takes on new territory, showing an off-road rally concept that plays on an open cabin, gull-wing doors, lighted 24″ wheels, an electrified powertrain, a lifted frame and all terrain tires that signal that the brand is thinking about what the future of driving may look like.

The Elevated Velocity sat on a platform throughout the day at The Quail, its gull wing doors open for all to peek in and get a glimpse of the open cabin, wool bouclé-covered surfaces, the diminutive screens and the expanses of glass that invite the outdoors in. It also brought in crowds; it was one of the hottest exhibits at the show this year.

The Ford Bronco Roadster concept that was on display at the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours Concept Lawn

Ford Goes Old School Luxury With The Bronco Roadster Concept

The luxury in this concept might be an SUV that takes you back to a simpler time, when open-air riding over dunes and through creek beds, top down and the doors off, meant for deeper breathing and better connecting with our surroundings.

That’s been much of the idea behind the modern version of the Ford Bronco, but for Monterey Car Week the company showed a truly heritage-looking Bronco Roadster concept, a two-door get-in-and-go Bronco comprised of simple lines and airy colors. With the popularity of the Bronco and all its iterations, from the commanding Raptor to heritage-inflected Stroppe Edition, the Roadster sets another goal for the brand: to lean into luxury not for luxury’s sake, but for what simplicity paired with capability means to buyers seeking that experience.

Will Ford build the Bronco Roadster? Will any of these concepts make the transition from dream to reality? It remains to be seen but if trends of buyers willing to spend more on cars that deliver on the lifestyle as much as luxury, it’s a good bet we’ll see versions of all these concepts come to market.

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