ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH TAKES TOP HONOURS AT CAR OF THE YEAR
A stellar field of performance cars was recognised at Robb Report’s annual event, with Citizen Kanebridge backing the experience alongside leading luxury partners.
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Aston Martin’s Vanquish has been crowned overall winner of Robb Report Australia & New Zealand’s 2025 Car of the Year, taking top honours at an exclusive event in Sydney.
Held at the Harbourside Residences Display Gallery by Mirvac, the evening brought together drivers, partners and industry figures for the long-awaited announcement of the 2025 Car of the Year.
Exclusive private member’s club Citizen Kanebridge was among the partners supporting the event, which has become a fixture on the luxury automotive calendar, showcasing the very best in performance, design and innovation across the global car market.
Across a tightly contested field, category winners reflected the breadth of today’s high-end automotive landscape, from traditional combustion engines to hybrid and fully electric performance models.
Among the standout winners, the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider took out Best Combustion Supercar, while the Aston Martin Vanquish was named Best Super-GT before ultimately securing the overall title.
Other notable winners included the Mercedes-Benz G580 as Best Off-Roader, the Audi RS Q8 Performance for Best SUV Coupe, and the Aston Martin DBX 707 for Best Super-SUV.
Electrification continued to shape the upper end of the market, with the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray named Best Hybrid Supercar and the Audi RS e-Tron GT Performance taking out Best Electric GT.
The Lamborghini Urus SE was recognised as Best Hybrid SUV and also placed third overall, while the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance secured second place overall in the coupe category.
Guests were also given a first look at a short film capturing the spirit of the two-day Car of the Year program, produced by SONDR, alongside photography that will feature in a dedicated 40-page portfolio in the upcoming issue.
Guests were welcomed alongside a curated group of Car of the Year partners, including Jacob & Co. and La Prairie, with Peter Lehmann Wines and Glenfiddich ensuring the evening unfolded in suitably polished fashion.
The broader program was supported by partners including Citizen Kanebridge, Msquared Capital, Hardy Brothers, Bell Helicopters, Saddles and Spicers Retreats, reflecting the wider luxury ecosystem that underpins the event.
With full results set to be published in the next issue of Robb Report Australia & New Zealand, attention now turns to the next instalment of the program, with this year’s Car of the Year drive scheduled for September.
For those in the room, however, the message was already clear. In a field defined by innovation and performance, the Vanquish still knows how to stand apart.
With full results published in the next issue of Robb Report Australia & New Zealand, attention now turns to the next instalment of the program, with this year’s Car of the Year drive scheduled for September.
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Rolls-Royce has partnered with contemporary artist Cyril Kongo on five hand-painted Black Badge Cullinan commissions blending street art, luxury craftsmanship and collector culture.
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Luxury carmakers have long flirted with fashion and art, but Rolls-Royce’s latest collaboration pushes further into collector territory.
The British marque has unveiled five bespoke Black Badge Cullinan commissions created in collaboration with internationally recognised contemporary artist Cyril Kongo, whose graffiti-inspired works have appeared on everything from haute horology pieces to private aircraft.
The project, curated through Rolls-Royce Private Offices in New York, Seoul and Goodwood, transforms the luxury SUV into what the company describes as a “one-of-one collector’s piece”.
A hand-painted ‘Kongoverse’
Each vehicle features individually hand-painted interiors inspired by Kongo’s self-described “Kongoverse”, a visual world shaped by imagined planets, mathematical formulas, symbols and quantum physics references.
The artworks extend across the Starlight Headliner, fascia, centre console, picnic tables and rear waterfall section, with more than 70 paint colours used throughout the process.
One of the project’s standout details is the hand-painted Starlight Headliner, where Kongo worked alongside Rolls-Royce engineers to place all 1,344 illuminated stars individually.
The vehicles also introduce several firsts for the brand, including a gradient coachline with colour transitions and different coloured brake callipers behind each wheel.
Collector culture meets contemporary art
Born in Toulouse in 1969, Kongo first emerged from the Paris graffiti scene before becoming a sought-after name among luxury collectors and global brands.
Rolls-Royce said the collaboration reflects growing interest among high-net-worth collectors in contemporary and street art-inspired commissions.
The launch also forms part of the 10-year anniversary celebrations for the Black Badge family, Rolls-Royce’s darker and more performance-focused sub-brand introduced in 2016.
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Many of the most-important events have slipped from our collective memories. But their impacts live on.
