Switzerland is not a country to speed through. Depending on your net worth, it could cost a small fortune, as fines are calculated according to your earnings. Yet the annual motor show in Geneva never fails to exclusively showcase the fastest and most exciting cars on the planet.
This year’s event, which opened its doors to media from across the globe on Tuesday, was no different — and indeed, the wealth of high-end machinery on display reflected newfound optimism in the car-manufacturing world.
Setting the tone for the whole show, the first press conference of the day was from Mercedes and the first car on stage was the Mercedes-AMG GT GT3 racer.
This was no static display either, as Dieter Zetsche, the company’s chairman (lovingly referred to as Dr Z), drove the achingly cool track car on stage with the exhausts blaring and the crowd inhaling the heady fumes. This may be only a race car for now, but Mercedes was happy to confirm that it’ll spawn a hardcore road-going version of the Mercedes-AMG GT sports car in time.
Probably costing more, but nearly invisible in comparison, was the Mercedes- Maybach S-Class Pullman, a super-stretched version of the new Maybach model. Expect to see plenty of these, the ultimate status symbol, cruising Sheikh Zayed Road. Meanwhile, out in the desert, demolishing the sand dunes, could be the new Mercedes-Benz G500 4x42. It’s a mix of the regular G-Class and the extreme 6x6 AMG model that was built in limited numbers for the super-wealthy. Odds are that the “concept” revealed in Geneva will go into production, featuring portal axles for unbeatable ground clearance and genuine go- anywhere ability.
Bentley and Rolls-Royce have confirmed they’re working on super-luxury SUVs that’ll be designed with Emirati buyers in mind, but we’ve not seen them yet. Aston Martin pulled off one of the surprises of the show by unveiling the DBX Concept — its vision of a potential new SUV-like model. While it’s unlikely that a production version will mirror the svelte looks of this show car, Aston candidly admitted it is planning on entering this segment in the not-too-distant future. The concept car used electric power, which won’t be of much interest around here.
Aston Martin’s other show-stars will though. Tucked in a private lounge was an example of the Lagonda Taraf luxury saloon, fresh from an announcement that buyers outside of the Middle East will have the opportunity to own one of the 200 examples due to be crafted. Too common? Then how about the Vantage GT3 model, a road car that looks and is expected to drive like a proper GT racer? Aston will only make 100 of those.
Still a little ubiquitous for your tastes? What about Aston Martin’s new Vulcan model — only 24 will be produced and they come with an extensive driver-training programme. Not that you’ll be allowed to drive the Vulcan on the public road. It’s a track-only supercar — essentially a plaything for the well-heeled. Those are all the rage it seems, as McLaren officially launched its own offering, the P1 GTR, a 1,000hp beast on display in yellow and green livery alongside its famous forefather — the McLaren F1. Playing on its racing heritage further was the launch of yet another limited edition, this time the 657LT. It’s based on the McLaren 650S, but is lighter, more powerful and designed for spending more time on track. LT stands for Long Tail, harking back to one of McLaren’s successful racers, though the new car comes with a rather more modest aerodynamic extension.
Nonetheless, McLaren seemingly stole the thunder from its arch rivals in Italy, despite the world debut of Ferrari’s sensational 488 GTB. It brings turbocharged V8 power to the 458 Italia replacement and promises to be pretty special to drive.
Lamborghini unleashed its wares on the eve of the media day in Geneva as part of the now- traditional Volkswagen Group Night. And the Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce certainly lives up to the “raging bull” image the Italian sports-car brand trades off. Very much on trend, it’s faster and more capable, yet lighter, more efficient and — according to its makers — easier to live with on a day-to-day basis. We’re presuming Lamborghini wasn’t referring to the colour scheme.
Oddly, Porsche beat the same drum when unveiling its new 911 GT3 RS. If you know your 911s, you’ll be aware that the GT3 is the road-going version of Porsche’s successful GT racer; it’s fast, light and highly engaging to drive. Traditionally, the RS version turns all of that up to 11, at the expense of some civility, but Porsche reckons that is not the case anymore. That’s despite the fact that the RS’s 4.0-litre, six-cylinder engine produces 500hp, the most yet for any non-turbocharged 911. Some will be disappointed that it doesn’t have a manual gearbox. They won’t need to leave their Porsche dealership in a huff though, as Geneva also marked the launch of the rather alluring Cayman GT4. This uses chassis components from the 911 GT3, a new aero package, a manual gearbox and a powerful naturally aspirated engine to bring the whole GT experience down a price level. We don’t expect to feel short-changed when we eventually get to drive it.
Witnessing the rolling out of all the new metal in Geneva, it’s clear that competition within the sprawling Volkswagen Group is getting fierce.
The 911 has had to look over its shoulder to keep an eye on the Audi R8 for several years now, and a brand-new model was presented at the show. Admittedly it appears to be a facelift at first, but believe us: in the metal it looks fabulous and it’s a sensible evolution from the current car. Naturally, it’s faster and lighter. Buyers can choose between two different flavours of V10 engine or an all-electric variant called the R8 e-tron. The e-tron badge is to be applied to Audi’s hulking great new Q7 SUV too, though as it’s a diesel-electric hybrid, we expect local buyers to stick with petrol power for now.
It isn’t only Audi looking for a piece of Porsche’s lucrative pie. Bentley had one of the show’s only genuine surprises in the shape of the EXP 10 Speed 6 sports-car concept and it was widely agreed to be the star of the event. It looks sensational and lithe, making Bentley’s own Continental GT appear bulky and bulbous in comparison. Reading between the lines, the concept will pave the way for a new entry-level Bentley coupé that focuses a bit more on driving dynamics, while retaining the company’s renowned craftsmanship.
If there was a prize going for such things in Geneva, the undisputed winner would have been Rolls-Royce. Its bespoke department created a one-off example of its long wheelbase Phantom model for the show called Serenity. And the story behind the creation of its incredibly luxurious silk-lined interior is mind- boggling in its detail and effort. We expect the bespoke division to be kept rather busy with new enquiries over the coming months.
With so many expensive new models on display from the premium brands, you might think that the mainstream car makers were wasting their time turning up, but there was just as much to see from them. Several companies launched a handful of new models, demonstrating a big push by the industry to drive sales. BMW presented updated 1 Series and 6 Series line-ups, along with its first seven-seat MPV, the 2 Series Gran Tourer. Citroen and DS officially parted ways (in marketing terms) and the latter launched its revised “5” model.
Ford backed up its new high-performance models (the all-wheel drive Focus RS and the phenomenal GT supercar) with a display of its best fast cars through the decades, while Honda went on its own new model offensive, ranging from the good-looking HR-V compact SUV to the compact Jazz, the extreme, 310hp Civic Type R hot hatch and, its crowning glory, the NSX hybrid supercar. Hyundai couldn’t compete in terms of drama, but its new i20 Coupé is pretty and the Tucson SUV should sell by the boatload. Kia, its close Korean cousin, warranted a visit purely to see the gorgeous Sportspace concept, though it also launched a revised cee’d with a tiny, new turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine.
Lexus has the BMW M5-rivalling GS F saloon on hand, though all its focus was on the LF-SA concept car, a tiny vehicle with dramatic detailing, previewing, we assume, a rival for the top-selling Mini. Using a similar design language was Mitsubishi’s Concept XR-PHEV II, said to hint at a new compact SUV from the Japanese company. Its compatriot, Nissan, revealed the Sway concept, promising a little more design excitement in the small-car sector than owners of the current Micra enjoy. Suzuki hopes to tap into that market too, revealing two concept cars that preview a next-generation Swift hatchback and a quirky little off-roader.
The covers were taken off plenty of decent new SUVs as well, including a revised Range Rover Evoque, Renault’s shapely Kadjar and the SEAT 20V20 concept car. The latter previews the Spanish company’s first proper SUV, though it’ll be manufactured by sister company Skoda alongside its next-generation Yeti. Skoda, for its part, launched the highly impressive new Superb saloon, clearly taking aim at the Passat. Volkswagen isn’t resting on its laurels though, revealing the production-ready Passat Alltrack and the Sport Coupé Concept GTE, indicating what the next four-door “CC” model will look like. In spite of a considerable overhaul, we can’t see the new Toyota Avensis overtaking it in the desirability stakes, even if it is better suited to avoiding the attention of the authorities on Swiss roads.
motoring@thenational.ae
