Nautilus 2025 Turns Lake Como into a Playground of Legends

Lake Como and cars have always enjoyed a very public love affair. The Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este brings the world’s most exquisite classics to the lakeside lawns, while Fuori Concorso adds contemporary flair with its fashion-meets-motoring allure. Add to that the countless rallies, collectors’ gatherings and glossy advertising shoots that unfold against the region’s cinematic backdrop, and it is clear: Como is as much about horsepower as it is about high society.

And yet, nestled discreetly between Bellagio and Lecco, there exists a motoring rendezvous that plays to a different rhythm altogether. On 20 September, Nautilus returned for its 2025 edition, quietly reaffirming itself as the most original – and most fun – entry in the automotive calendar.

A Stage Like No Other

The setting alone is enough to raise eyebrows. Hotel Nautilus, a rationalist architectural jewel inspired by Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, provides the kind of whimsical grandeur you can’t quite believe exists until you’re there. Its private gardens slope down to the lake, its steps kissed by the water, its atmosphere more film set than hotel terrace.

The gathering unfolded with the ease of a lakeside house party rather than a formal exhibition. Guests wandered through the gardens with champagne in hand, cocktails appeared as if by magic, and supper arrived in unhurried waves. A soundtrack of vinyl spun lazily into the evening, while the last warmth of summer hung in the air, casting everything in a golden haze.

Cars, Boats and Beautiful Eccentricity

This year’s line-up read like a love letter to motoring in all its guises. For enthusiasts, there was much to savour: a Porsche 911 in full Paris–Dakar rally trim, radiating adventure and dust-covered romance; a Lancia Delta Integrale, that most iconic of Italian rally heroes, still bristling with attitude decades on; a Willys Jeep, the wartime original that gave birth to an entire dynasty of off-roaders; and a Land Rover Series III from the 1970s, stoic and timeless, a reminder of when utility was elegance in itself.

The greatest surprise, however, was reserved for Nautilus’s first-ever Formula 1 guest. The Dallara F190, designed by Giampaolo Dallara and Christian Vanderpleyn for BMS Scuderia Italia, carried with it the aura of racing pedigree. Powered by the legendary Ford-Cosworth 3.5-litre DFR V8 and clothed in a pioneering carbon monocoque chassis, it was the very car Emanuele Pirro campaigned across five Grands Prix in 1990. Brought to the event by Colombo & Co., its presence on the lakeside was nothing short of theatrical.

Nor was the spectacle confined to the lawns. On the water, a Riva fitted with a Maserati engine growled with operatic splendour, while vintage runabouts with shimmering mahogany hulls floated beside contemporary playthings. In the gardens, motorcycles and supercars nestled casually among the trees, creating a tableau that was at once eclectic and harmonious.

The Spirit of Nautilus

Nautilus dissolves categories with ease — not concours, not rally, not boat show, but something far more graceful: a celebration of character, charm and curiosity. The result feels more like a house party that happens to be populated by rare cars and boats than an event with clipboards and categories.

On a lake renowned for its automotive splendour, Nautilus 2025 proved once again that sometimes the most enchanting moments are those that refuse to fit into any mould.

Photographs courtesy of Motoring Attitude.

Elena Markova | Editor-in-chief

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