Luxury Horses: Exclusive Cars with Character

It is the Year of the Horse, yet we pause to consider the invention that made horses largely redundant: the automobile.

It is the Year of the Horse, but we are reflecting on the invention that made horses largely obsolete: the car. In a single generation, the number of horses dropped by no less than eighty percent, and at the time, it was seen as a blessing for the environment. But which cars can still be compared to the noble four-legged creatures today?

Who the museum of Mercedes-Benz Anyone who has ever visited Stuttgart knows that the German brand likes to pride itself on this: before Carl Benz invented the automobile, travel was a laborious affair, because you went by horse. Moreover, the car was seen as a blessing for the environment, as it would finally put an end to the seemingly endless amounts of horse manure that polluted the city streets. Around 1900, for example, there were more than a hundred thousand horses in New York; twenty years later, only a fraction of them remained. Around 1890, few people could imagine that horses would ever disappear from the streets – just one generation later, that was already the case. Compare it to twenty years ago: back then, virtually no one had a smartphone, whereas now half of humanity stares at a small screen from early morning until late at night. The invention of the automobile, in short, was nothing short of a revolution. “Inventors all over the world experience a eureka moment, but in Germany, we do things differently,” says Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Heritage at Mercedes-Benz. “As a true German, you don’t shout ‘Eureka,’ but rush to the patent office to file a patent application. Carl Benz did just that for his invention, the automobile, on January 29, 1886. That is why we celebrate the birthday of the automobile on that day.” This year, Mercedes wasted no time, as the brand presented the radically updated S-Class on January 29. More than half of the parts have been newly developed or further developed. This involves some 2.700 parts. To celebrate the automobile’s 140th anniversary, the brand has sent three new S-Classes on a world tour: they are visiting 140 locations. We boarded in Brussels to take a ride, as one of the very first in the world. Not behind the wheel, but in the back right – the power seat.

Heated seatbelts

Belgian roads are notorious for their poor condition, but the S-Class smooths everything out completely. As we pass the Royal Palace, we almost feel a kinship: the Belgian royal family also enjoyed driving the S-Class. For instance, the then King Albert purchased an S 500 in 1994. He was somewhat disappointed with the performance, so within a few weeks he had the car sent back to Germany to have a different engine installed by AMG. That would not happen to him with the new S: the dark blue car in the photos is an S 450 with a 381 hp six-cylinder, while the white car is an S 580 with a 537 hp V8. Both variants are also available as (more powerful) hybrids, but for this world tour, Mercedes-Benz opted for the petrol-powered versions. In the period up to and including October, the cars will cover a total of over fifty thousand kilometers, visiting places where charging stations are not as ubiquitous as in Europe. In the Netherlands, those hybrids will actually become the best-selling variants, because they are tens of thousands of euros cheaper in our country due to their lower emissions.

Whichever S-Class variant you choose, it is always equipped with extremely comfortable air suspension. Optionally, it can be equipped with E-Active Body Control, a system that counteracts body roll. Also noteworthy is that the headlights have been updated: the lighting field has been enlarged by approximately forty percent, Mercedes claims. Furthermore, those who like to steal the show can have the front and rear lights perform a short light show when the car is locked or unlocked – and you can even choose from several variants.

More importantly, the infotainment systems have also been completely revamped. The basis for this is the new MB.OS supercomputer, which connects all systems in the car into a single intelligent ecosystem – a leap forward from the jumble of smaller and larger digital systems that slowly became the norm over the past few decades. A first for the S-Class is the option to install heated seatbelts. According to Mercedes, this improves safety because you can take off your jacket sooner. As a result, the belts fit better, providing better protection in the event of a collision. “A small detail with a big effect,” says Mercedes. It will be a while before the new S-Class arrives at dealerships, but it can already be configured online. There is a choice of eleven colors as standard, but there is also a solution for those who find that too limited: MANUFACTURE Made to Measure makes a unique S-Class possible, with a choice of more than 150 paint colors and more than 400 interior colors.

Founder Ettore Bugatti was a great horse lover. It is not without reason that the grille of a Bugatti has the shape of a horseshoe to this day.

First in Heteren

Those extensive possibilities to individualize a car have been gaining ground lately. For example, Range Rover opened a Bespoke Studio in Antwerp a while ago. Also Porsche opened a separate showroom for it: the world's first Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur showroom is located in Heteren, Gelderland. Like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche is based in Stuttgart. The city's name derives from the word 'stud farm': the city was once founded as a place to breed horses. The city's coat of arms is therefore a rearing horse, the same horse found in the Porsche logo. Reportedly, this is also the horse found on the nose of a Ferrari. The story goes, although never confirmed, that the young Enzo Ferrari was deeply impressed by the Italian aviator Francesco Baracca. He shot down at least 34 German aircraft during the First World War. One of those planes is said to have carried the Stuttgart coat of arms. Baracca, a horse lover, is said to have subsequently placed the coat of arms on his own aircraft. Baracca did not survive the war, but after meeting the aviator's mother, Enzo Ferrari reportedly applied the same coat of arms to his cars as a talisman. He did that for the first time in 1932, at the Spa circuit. Ferrari did not yet have his own car brand; he raced Alfas. Even when he started his own brand in 1947, he adorned the cars with that prancing horse. Just like in the Stuttgart coat of arms, the black horse here has a yellow background. Yet it could also be a coincidence: yellow is also the color of Enzo's birthplace, Modena. Enough about horses, back to the cars. At Porsche, the biggest news is that things are currently going against them: for years the company was a money-making machine, but recently profits have plummeted. Import tariffs in America, strong competition in China, and disappointing sales of electric models are causing turmoil within the brand. At a football club, you would replace the manager; Porsche did that with the top executive. Since January 1st, Michael Leiters has been the brand's top boss. He previously worked for Porsche as well, but left to become CTO at Ferrari and subsequently CEO at McLaren. The new design boss, Tobius Sühlmann, also comes from that latter brand.

Limited edition sleigh

Challenging conditions or not, the cars are still fantastic. There is a brand-new electric Cayenne, with no less than 1.156 hp. It sprints to 100 in 2,5 seconds and to 200 kilometers per hour in 7,4 seconds – the latter being considerably faster than a new 911 Turbo S. But however beautiful or good that electric Cayenne is, the Porsche you dreamed of was the 911. In the autumn of 2025, Porsche showed the first photos of the new 911 Turbo S, the most powerful 911 Porsche has ever made. This year, you can admire that car at the dealer. For the first time, the 911 Turbo S features a hybrid powertrain. While it may not be as fast in a straight line as the aforementioned electric Cayenne, the 911 is the car to choose for old-fashioned driving pleasure. On the legendary Nürburgring, the updated 911 is significantly faster than its predecessor: according to Porsche, it takes 7 minutes and 4 seconds for a lap there, no less than 14 seconds less than the previous model! Even more beautiful, we think, is another 911 being built in a very limited edition: the 911 GT3 90 FA Porsche. Quite a mouthful, but the model is being built to commemorate the ninetieth birthday of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. 'Butzi' was the son of Ferry Porsche and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, but above all, the designer of the 911. Among other things, a special color has been developed for the car, aptly named FA Green Metallic. The interior features fabric inspired by Butzi's favorite tweed jackets. The wheels and gear knob are also special to this edition. Furthermore, the car comes with a special watch, the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 – 911 GT3 90 FA Porsche, and a weekend bag made of truffle brown leather. It doesn't stop with the car, as Porsche is also producing a sled to mark this ninetieth anniversary. The same sled was sold in the 1960s, and the design is by FA Porsche. This time, however, the sled is more exclusive than it was back then: the new edition is made of carbon fiber with a Kevlar core. The color is the same as the car, the seat cushion is upholstered in the same fabric, and production is likewise limited to ninety units.

Apple car

At Classic Ferrari for sale It seems as if the entire model range is being renewed. The Roma has just been succeeded by the Amalfi, while the SF90 Stradale has just been replaced by the 849 Testarossa. An open version of the latter model will follow in the autumn, receiving the addition of Spider. The 12Cilindri is also still brand new (and is also available as a Spider). Only the 296 has been around for a bit longer, but it has recently become available as the 296 Speciale – something like the 911 GT3, but from Italian soil and more expensive. The 296 Speciale will set you back around 425.000 euros, while the open version starts at about 480.000 euros. The biggest news from Ferrari, however, is that the brand is launching an electric model this year, which will be named Luce. Ferrari will only reveal what it will look like in May, but photos of the interior have already been released. Ferrari broke new ground not only in terms of technology but also in design: this time, it did not collaborate with a legendary design firm like Pininfarina, but with the American LoveFrom – a creative collective from San Francisco of which former Apple designer Jony Ive is one of the founders. If you are curious about what an Apple car might have looked like, be sure to take a look at the (beautiful) dashboard of the new Ferrari Luce. Also noteworthy: the car features a key made of a special type of glass, Corning Fusion5 Glass, and is equipped with an E Ink display, causing the color of the key to change from yellow to black when inserted into the holder on the center console. Incidentally, the shifter is made of the same glass.

Always the first to know

Would you like to receive these kinds of stories directly in your inbox from now on? Subscribe to MASTERS NEWS and receive the best articles weekly, with the latest updates from MASTERS EXPO and the surrounding premium world. To enrol.

Favorite horse

The program Bugatti The Bugatti of today has little to do with the Bugatti of the past. Volkswagen bought the name in 1998 and launched a new brand with it. The original brand existed from 1909 to 1963. In that year, Hispano-Suiza bought the business to turn it into a production facility for aircraft engine parts. Nevertheless: founder Ettore Bugatti was a great horse lover. He owned a livery stable in Molsheim and also had a large collection of carriages there. He drove solo, in a team, and with a team, and it is not without reason that the grille of a Bugatti retains the shape of a horseshoe to this day. His favorite horse was named Brouillard, a thoroughbred with a 'coat as white as the first snowfall, laced with the subtle hues of a summer morning mist'. Bugatti had even designed a mechanism for his favorite horse that allowed him to open his stable door himself. Last year, the current Bugatti showcased a one-off named Brouillard – remarkably, not white, but green. The car was built on commission for a Dutchman, Bugatti collector Michel Perridon. However, the car that was shown at MASTERS EXPO last year, among other places, is a show car. The final car is expected to be ready this year or next year. Incidentally, Bugatti frequently produces one-offs: recently, it showcased the FKP Hommage, an ode to Ferdinand Piëch, who breathed new life into the brand in the late 1990s.

Wild horses

When one thinks of the combination of cars and horses, one naturally also thinks of the Ford MustangLast year, the brand unveiled the Mustang GTD, the most powerful Mustang ever. It is a direct derivative of the GT3 race car, and according to Ford boss Jim Farley, this is therefore 'not an upgraded street car, but a tamed race car'. As a result, it is also by far the most expensive Ford you can buy, as it costs around 480.000 euros. For that price, however, you do get a carbon fiber body, magnesium wheels, a semi-active suspension system, and 800 horsepower. Sounds spectacular, doesn't it? Still, we would (still) rather spend our money on a wild horse from Dutch soil, namely the brand-new Donkervoort P24 RS. Donkervoort has swapped Audi's five-cylinder engine for a 600 hp V6 sourced from Ford, but heavily modified by Donkervoort (including lightweight turbos from Dutch F1 supplier Van der Lee). It is the only car with so much power that weighs less than a thousand kilograms. Significantly less, in fact, as the scales stop at just 780. On top of that, it can handle lateral forces of up to 2,3G – more than any other car on the market. The wildest horse in the stable comes from Lelystad. Who would have thought?