The heart of Bernina Gran Turismo beats strongest on the grid, where each car waiting to climb the mountain pass carries with it a story of triumph and legacy. This year’s lineup brings together pre-war Grand Prix icons, endurance legends, and one-of-a-kind hypercars. Each vehicle is a chapter of motorsport history brought roaring back to life on the roads of the Engadin.
Bugatti Bolide
If the Type 59 represents Bugatti’s golden age, the Bolide – a track only race machine with 1.600 PS - embodies its uncompromising future. Lightweight, extreme, and built exclusively for the track, the Bolide pushes the limits of performance with its quad-turbo W16 engine and aerodynamic proportions unlike any Bugatti before it.
Engineered for staggering cornering speeds and radical agility, it brings the raw energy of modern hypercar design to the winding mountain roads of the Engadin. In a field defined by heritage, the Bolide’s presence demonstrates the event’s embrace of innovation and its unique dialogue between past and present.
The Bugatti Bolide will be piloted by Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac, Le Mans winner and Bugatti test driver Andy Wallace, and Pearl Collection owner Fritz Burkard – an absolute premiere, as this track-only car has never been driven on an open road before.
Bugatti Type 59 Sports (1934)
Few cars embody the romance of pre-war Grand Prix racing quite like the 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports. Built as an exclusive Grand Prix car with only eight ever made, this very chassis was the first produced and is considered the rarest of all due to its remarkable racing history and its extraordinary condition. Raced by legends such as René Dreyfus, Robert Benoist, and Jean-Pierre Wimille, it later became the prized possession of King Leopold III of Belgium.
Still carrying its racing scars with pride, the car has never been restored – a fact that helped it achieve the “Best of Show” at Pebble Beach last year as the first-ever preservation-class winner. Today, under the care of one of Switzerland’s most prolific car collectors, Fritz Burkard, it has been sympathetically detailed to its 1937 configuration. Powered by a supercharged straight-eight, it was both a technical triumph and an aesthetic masterpiece.
As the ultimate evolution of Bugatti’s Grand Prix lineage, the Type 59 introduced key refinements, including a lower center of gravity and a wheelbase stretched by 20 centimeters over the pioneering Type 35. Widely regarded as the most elegant pre-war racing machine ever built — and the last Grand Prix car Bugatti produced — it will return to the road at Bernina Gran Turismo 2025, proudly presented and raced by the extraordinary Pearl Collection.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé and Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Racing Version
When Mercedes-Benz unveiled the 300 SL (W 198) in New York in February 1954, it marked a milestone in automotive history. Based on the successful 300 SL racing car (W 194), which had secured spectacular victories in the 1952 season, the road-going “Gullwing” introduced pioneering fuel injection technology that boosted power output by 20 percent. With 215 hp from its straight-six engine and a top speed of up to 250 km/h, it was the fastest production car of its era — and quickly proved its worth in competition. At the 1955 Mille Miglia, John Cooper Fitch and Kurt Gessl piloted a 300 SL to an impressive fifth overall and a decisive win in the production sports car category. The example presented at Bernina Gran Turismo pays tribute to that legendary car, carrying the same number 417. In 1999, the 300 SL was voted “Sports Car of the Century” by an international jury of automotive journalists.
Alongside the Gullwing, Mercedes-Benz also introduced the prototype of the elegant 190 SL Roadster (W 121) in 1954. Conceived as a stylish and versatile touring car, it mirrored the design language of its more powerful sibling while establishing the SL tradition of open-top motoring. Powered by a newly developed 1.9-litre four-cylinder with 105 hp, the lightweight roadster combined engineering innovation with broad appeal, particularly in the United States, where nearly 18,000 of the 25,881 units built were delivered. In its racing version, stripped down and fitted with a small windscreen, the 190 SL competed successfully in Macau and Casablanca in 1956. Though later disadvantaged by FIA regulations, its motorsport exploits added to the allure of a model that remains one of the brand’s icons.
Ferrari 250 GT SWB SEFAC Competition (1961)
Among Ferrari’s most respected racing cars, the 250 GT SWB SEFAC Competition represents the ultimate evolution of the short-wheelbase 250. One of just 25 built, this car carries a racing résumé that cements its legendary status: third place at the 1961 Tour de France with Maurice Trintignant and Paul Cabrios, and a strong 12th overall at the 1000 km of Montlhéry in the hands of Graham Hill and Jo Bonnier. Originally delivered to Count Giovanni Volpi’s celebrated Scuderia Serenissima, the car is a symbol of Ferrari’s golden era. Its presence on the grid at Bernina Gran Turismo 2025 offers spectators a rare chance to see one of Maranello’s most significant creations, still carrying the spirit of endurance racing glory.
Alfa Delta and the Alfa Romeo GTAm
Adding Italian passion to the Bernina Gran Turismo grid, the Varese-based Alfa Delta team makes a celebrated return to the mountain pass in 2025. The squad will field three Alfa Romeo GTAm 2.0s and a GTA 1.6, each finished in special liveries inspired by the great touring car races of the 1970s. True to their competitive spirit, Alfa Delta’s technicians have fine-tuned each car specifically for the challenges of the Engadin climb. With softened shock absorber calibration, shortened gear ratios, and a tailored suspension setup designed to maximize grip and traction on the twisting course, the GTAms are primed to deliver both performance and spectacle.
Their presence recalls a proud era of Alfa Romeo racing, while affirming the appeal of the marque in historic competition.
Lancia Rally 037 Group B (Chassis TOW67787)
One of the last competition chassis produced by Abarth, this Lancia Rally 037 Group B car was built in the rare “Terra Pesante” Safari configuration. Equipped with the powerful Evo2 mechanics and engine, it was prepared with distinctive rally accessories, including a roof-mounted spare wheel and additional windshield pillar lights for the extreme conditions of African rallying. This particular car competed in two World Rally Championship events in 1984:
- Safari Rally (Kenya) with Markku Alén / Ilkka Kivimäki, finishing 7th overall
- Acropolis Rally (Greece) with Carlo Capone / Paolo Spollon, retiring due to a differential issue
Wearing the legendary Martini Racing livery, this car represents the audacity and drama of the Group B era — a machine built for endurance, speed, and the rugged beauty of rallying’s golden age.
RM Sotheby's Highlights
RM Sotheby’s will present a selection of spectacular supercars, hypercars and track cars from the Tailored for Speed Collection at Bernina Gran Turismo. Counted among the rarest and most desirable cars of their type, these cars – which include many significant Ferraris - will be offered at the RM Sotheby’s Zurich sale on 11 October 2025, alongside a number of important Mercedes models.
2024 Ferrari Daytona SP3
The third model in Ferrari’s exclusive Icona series, is one of only 600 built. Finished in a bespoke Rosso shade over Blu Elettrico Alcantara, this Tailor-Made example is powered by a naturally aspirated V12 producing 829 hp. Delivered new to Switzerland, it comes from single ownership and shows just under 3,000 km.
1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta by Scaglietti
A late-production Swiss-delivered car in Rosso Chiaro over Nero, Ferrari Classiche certified and fully restored in 2014. One of only ~60 Daytonas originally sold in Switzerland, with documented history and original manuals.
2024 Mercedes-AMG GT2 PRO
AMG’s most extreme customer track car ever, featuring the Push2Pass function for up to 750 hp. Presented in Special PRO Matte Grey with Petronas Green accents, this one-owner Swiss car embodies Mercedes’ Formula 1-inspired engineering.
2017 Ferrari F12berlinetta 70th anniversary
One of just five Ferraris in the striking “Quintessential Gentleman Driver” livery. Delivered new to Switzerland, this single-owner car shows under 3,000 km and comes with books, manuals, and Ferrari Classiche documentation.