The 25th edition of the Zoute Grand Prix proved to be a worthy event for this round anniversary. The organisers added several new features, including the revival of the Concours d’Elegance, which also featured a second auction.
We spent a very eventful Saturday in Knokke, and could have done even more if we had attended the other days. This year’s Zoute may not be the absolute best iteration, but it is undoubtedly one of the best car events of the year, and a true petrolhead paradise.
The event offers a diverse variety of programs encompassing a classic Rallye (regularity), a GT Tour (for sports cars and supercars), an indoor car expo (the traditional car show), and two auctions, run by Bonhams and Arrow. Some of these events are public, such as the start/arrival parade and the cars exhibited on the beachside boardwalk, or the tours of classic and GT cars in the neighbouring cities. Others might require additional investments from the spectators.
Knokke offers an excellent scenery for the Zout, but you will quickly realise what Heist stands for
The event’s focal point is Knoke Heist, a stylish seaside town renowned for its lavish shops and affluent elderly residents. But seeing the prices of parking, we pretty much know now what Heist stands for… 🙂
This is where you can expect most of the happenings, such as the massive tent hosting the high-end car show and the Bonhams Auction. It also features the official start and finish podium, where all rallies begin and conclude. The beachside boardwalk features an exhibition of new cars (often paired with their spiritual ancestor classic).
This year, the organisers secured a Concours again, which is also centrally located, a few minutes from the main site. This area also features two special segments: BMW’s Art Car exhibition and a second auction (more on these in the second part of this article).
The Zoute Gallery’s new car exhibition is a unique experience in Europe.
The Zoute Gallery is the heart of the Zoute GP, hosting the premium car show and the Bonhams Auction. The temporary building may not be a match for the massive exhibition halls of the major international car shows (though there are fewer of them each year). Still, the smaller stages can pack an enormous punch of adrenaline, even with a lineup of just 3 cars (or even less). Additionally, a few selected models are parked on the open-access beachside podiums (see further down in the article).
The organisers secured the participation of 19 supercar brands this year, showcasing their most stunning and latest designs along with cutting-edge technical innovations.
These brands include premium luxury brands like Alpine, BMW, Lotus, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar and Range Rover, but also high-end luxury marques like Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Rimac, Rolls-Royce, Ruf, Touring Superleggera and finally Capricorn with a world premier car designed by and built at Zagato.
This renders Zoute a unique offering among car events, as high-end brands are often shunning even the largest international car shows. Even if you already ticked the box on IAA Munich or Mondiale Paris, this show will be worth your while. However, please be aware of the peculiar opening hours, as the gallery was inaccessible for basic ticket holders from 14:00 on Saturday, so we had to time our day accordingly.
A scenic car show by the beach
For those unable or unwilling to enter the paid areas, Zoute offers an open-air car show on the beachside Corso, with an exquisite selection of cars parked on podiums or in glass cages.
These public area exhibitions are becoming increasingly common, as seen in the actual car show of the IAA in Munich. In fact, Zoute was a pioneer back in 2019 with its public event featuring beachside pavilions. These were the years when such mutations were inherently cool, not just a response to the COVID constraints.
As last year, the exhibitors tried to pair modern-day cars with their classic counterparts, a recipe that MG has been using in recent years to rebuild its modern-day reputation. And it is working quite well, despite electrification and Chinese ownership.
However, these pairings often resulted in strange “no son of mine” situations, such as the 2025 Ford Capri and Alfa Junior facing their ancestor. And while we love the new electric Mazda 6, it was too much to park it next to the Wankel Cosmo.
We saw a more valid comparison between Citroën’s iconic DS and the modern-day DS8, destined to become another luxury sedan, projecting French power and style.
An even better pairing was courtesy of MG, which lined up its brand-new electric Cyberster along with a post-war roadster. We are starting to appreciate how MG builds on its past, and we also praised MG as the main theme of Retromobile 2024. Pairing the new Renault 5 with its ancestor was also a safe bet.
The 2025 Alpine A110 did not need such a parent to remind customers (plus, they had also ticked that box last year), and we were sure that a car like a brand-new SL AMG would not need such a reminder either. Nevertheless, just for good measure, they secured an SLS from Autoworld.
The closing car of the beachside lineup was a brand-new Ferrari with the hood open, and a Ferrari Pavilion, just to show some sheer muscle, as Zoute secured not just one but two Ferrari sites for its event.
Here we take a rhetorical break, but we will be back with more on the rallies and tours, the auctions and the BMW Art Car special exhibition.
