A FIRST TIMER'S GUIDE TO CAR WEEK

A First Timer's Guide to Car Week

Our man on the ground Noah shows us what he found in Monterey Car Week with nothing but a film camera and his own two feet.

You hear stories - the endless events, the insane hotel prices, the streets lined with cars you’ve only ever seen in books - but nothing really prepares you for stepping into it yourself. I booked everything last minute and still managed to join an Airbnb with friends, which ended up being half the fun. If there’s one thing I’d tell any first-timer, it’s this: go with people. The cars are incredible, but the community is what makes the week unforgettable.

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There are too many events, gatherings, and once-in-a-lifetime cars tucked away on side streets. But that’s the magic; don’t plan your days down to the minute. Some of my favorite moments came from wandering with no real destination and stumbling across something.

As a Porsche guy, it was surreal. Everywhere you turned there’s something to stop you in your tracks: RS models blasting up Highway 1, an air-cooled car tucked into a coffee shop lot, or modern GT cars being driven exactly as they should be. Take a drive down to Big Sur one morning. Nothing compares to watching and hearing Porsches carve along those cliffs with the ocean on one side and mountains on the other. And of course, the Rolex Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca is unmissable. Hearing cars scream through the Corkscrew in person is a completely different experience than anything you’ll find online.

What struck me the most, though, wasn’t just the cars, it was the people. It pulls together enthusiasts from every corner of the world and background. You’ll find someone who spent their last dollar to make the trip, standing right beside someone who brought a multi-million collection, both equally excited to see a special car fire up.

Don’t plan your days down to the minute. Some of my favorite moments came from wandering with no real destination.

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Take a drive down to Big Sur one morning. Nothing compares to watching and hearing Porsches carve along those cliffs with the ocean on one side and mountains on the other.

That’s what makes Monterey so different from scrolling IG or flipping through a magazine - it’s stories being shared in real time. You’ll get desensitized quickly; the first GT3 has you stopping for photos, by the tenth you’re already walking past because there’s a 918 or a 935 pulling in. But that’s part of the fun. It resets your sense of what’s possible. If you go, go with an open mind, don’t stress about missing things, and let yourself get swept up in the energy.