The Geneva Motor Show never fails to excite. It always has its share of newness. And despite the fact that some of the premieres may be focused on the European market, the fact that it is an auto show on neutral location (with no real local manufacturer), makes the rest of the cars on show very interesting to a global audience.
The year gone by was one of mixed fortunes for the global automotive industry with sales booming in some markets, plateauing in others and profits taking a beating overall. But this year's edition (the 82nd) still showed-off the optimistic side of the industry. Premieres, facelifts and concepts gleamed under the lights at the Palexpo and straddled the entire spectrum from small cars to super sports.
Geneva has been the chosen platform for many of the luxury and sports car manufacturers too. This year saw some interesting unveils by the top luxury, super sports brands. Maserati had a new version of its GranTurismo Sport with design changes to the exterior and new materials in the cabin. The V8's performance has also been pushed up to 460bhp.
Rolls-Royce revealed the new Phantom Series II, which is essentially the Phantom with updated features in the form of all LED lighting, a new Satnav system and a top-view function for the reversing camera. The new RR also gets a new gearbox and improved efficiencies in the form of a ten per cent reduction in fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions.
Bugatti has its one car, the Veyron and yet manages to capture the eye-balls of visitors in most shows. This year at Geneva it showcased the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse in a dual blue tone. Loaded with blue carbon fibre panels, the new Vitesse sports the 7.9-litre, 16-cylinder, 1200bhp engine and is said to be the world's fastest drophead with a rated top speed of over 410 kmph!
At Geneva this year, one of the concepts that caught the eye and is clearly one that will see the light of day on the road in the near future was the Bentley EXP 9 F. It is a concept luxury SUV from Bentley, unthinkable up until now, but given the massive popularity of other luxury sports utilities – the ones on sale now and the ones to come like the Maserati Kubang – the EXP 9 F will join the fray.
The EXP 9 F showcases typical Bentley design cues and luxury trim. It also packs in a 12-cylinder engine to make sure that the kind of performance that the brand is known for is not compromised. At the same time Bentley is claiming that the new luxury SUV will not be short on practicality. One of the features is a split-tail gate, with the bottom half folding down and being capable of doubling up as a seat.
The Tata owned UK brands Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) had also displayed their new cars. Jaguar launched the new XF Sportbrake, designer Ian Callum's clean interpretation of how a luxury estate based on the XF should look like.
Land Rover on the other hand had a new concept convertible version of the relatively new Evoque – its compact SUV launched last year. Based on the three-door Range Rover Evoque, the convertible sports a retractable fabric roof with a roll-over protection system and a drop down tail gate. Its design felt a bit mixed though, a mix of cuteness and a bit of wackiness what with the rising, high belt line letting rear passengers just barely get a glimpse of the outside.
Here's a bit more about three cars that stole the thunder at Geneva this year:
Lamborghini Aventador J
Lamborghini unveiled the most uncompromising open super sports car of its entire history. Lambo calls the new Aventador J a force of nature on wheels and it is unusually open to the elements in its windscreen-less avatar.
Based on the Aventador, the new one-of-a-kind super sports car ‘J' is fully functional for road use, though it looks like an experimental concept. It is so radical that Lamborghini says that the Aventador J offers its ‘pilot' and ‘co-pilot' an utterly indescribable experience of power and dynamics. The 700 bhp two-seater is also a first class technology showcase, combining innovative solutions and brand new materials and demonstrating Lamborghini's enormous expertise in carbon fiber technology.
The designers and engineers in Sant'Agata Bolognese have not only dispensed entirely with the roof, but also with the front windshield. This means that drivers of the Aventador J must have the right equipment for driving at top speeds higher than 300 kmph.
The technical basis for the Aventador J is the Aventador LP 700-4, Lamborghini's new twelve-cylinder model. The Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4's structure is based on an innovative monocoque made from carbon fiber reinforced polymers that combines lightweight design with optimum stiffness and safety. The new Aventador J has no roof, no windscreen and no airconditioning making it even lighter.
Ferrari F12berlinetta
Though Ferrari had made an online announcement and even revealed pictures of the new F12berlinetta, seeing the new super sports in the flesh was exciting to say the least.
This is the most powerful and high-performance Ferrari road car ever launched thanks to the incredibly efficient engine – in terms of mechanical, combustion and fluid-dynamics efficiency.
Ferrari's traditional transaxle layout has been revolutionised to match the more extreme performance of the car. The wheelbase has been shortened and the engine, dashboard and seats have been lowered in the chassis, while the new layout of the rear suspension and gearbox enabled Ferrari's engineers to make the rear volume of the car smaller. The overall result is a very compact car with a lower centre of gravity that is further back in the chassis, and a level of aerodynamic efficiency that sets new standards.
The F12berlinetta's 6,262cc 65-degree V12 engine delivers a new level of performance and revs for a naturally-aspirated 12-cylinder. Its maximum power output is 740 CV. Torque reaches a peak of 690 Nm, 80 per cent of which is already available at just 2,500 rpm, and which provides an unrelenting surge of acceleration all the way to the 8,700 rpm limit. The engine is mated to the F1 dual-clutch transmission, which has closer gear ratios developed specifically for this car's performance.
Fuel consumption has been reduced by 30 per cent, with CO2 emissions of just 350 gms per km. The result is that the new Prancing Horse 12-cylinder accelerates from 0-100 kmph in 3.1 seconds.
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
Finally the Mercedes juggernaut is getting it right. At Geneva, the company showed off a new SL-Class and a fab new A-Class.
The design of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class follows the Concept A-Class, a sporty yet emotional look and feel. The hatchback's design has been reinterpreted where the feature lines on the sides add some edginess. It is also 18 centimetres lower on the road than its predecessor.
Just like the Concept A-Class, a smartphone can be integrated into the control and display system. There is a dedicated app which allows full use of the functions offered by the iPhone, while the same will soon follow for other smartphones. Inside the new A, all trim surfaces carry an electroplated finish in ‘silver shadow' which lends a ‘cool touch' look to the metallic surface.
The car is available with petrol or diesel engines. The new generation of 1.6 and 2.0 litre petrol engines cover an output range of 115bhp in the A 180, 156hp in the A 200 and 211hp in the A 250. All the engines feature a combination of direct injection with exhaust-gas turbocharging, enhanced combustion process and extended stratification ranges. The diesel engines have extreme efficiency, with the A 180 CDI offering 109bhp and maximum torque of up to 250 Nm. The A 200 CDI offers 100kW with a maximum torque of 300Nm, while the A 220 CDI has a displacement of 2.2 litres, and generates 170bhp of power and 350Nm of torque.
The other cars that were of interest at Geneva this year included the new Porsche Boxster and BoxsterS, the new Hyundai i30 and i20, the Toyota GT86 sports car, the Ford B-Max, the new Chevy Aveo, the four-door Volkswagen Up!, the new Honda CR-V, the new Audi A3 and the Nissan Invitation concept.
