The 83rd Geneva Motor Show opened on the 7th March to the general public and as is usual for this particular auto show in the calendar many manufacturers chose to use this event as the launch pad for their new models and design concepts.
This year was no exception and these for us were the cars (in alphabetical order) that stole the limelight or made a damn good attempt to impress The Car Spy:-
Alfa Romeo 4C – A prettyish looking two-seater that almost looks like a Lotus Evora from certain angles (which is not a bad thing). Unlike the beautiful 8C, Alfa are making noises about producing a lot more 4C’s after the first 400 ‘launch models’ sell through. Pricing is around £52000 in the UK which seems a little steep for a four-cylinder 1750cc powered sports car but it is an Alfa after all and we can’t wait to drive one.
Aston Martin Rapide S – AM seem determined to keep a four-door saloon in their product line-up and so some minor tweaks to the current model have resulted in the ‘S’ moniker being added. Whether you are a fan of the ‘family’ Aston or not it is still arguably one of the best-looking super-saloons you can buy today.
Bentley Flying Spur – The outgoing Flying Spur was often criticised for looking too bland and nondescript for a Bentley and so a re-design has been on the cards for some time. The more pronounced ‘coke-bottle’ design and Conti GT front-end lends the model some serious road presence now so that should help convert some new customers for the company especially as there will be a V8 option in the near future too. Just not too keen on those ellipsoid-shaped LED brake lights – they look at odds with the squarish treatment of the rear-end.
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Roadster – There will probably never be another Stingray to compare with the original model from the 50’s and 60’s but at least today’s models are raw, loud and best of all handle well enough to compete with the best from Europe. When the latest ‘Vette coupe was announced the jury was out on the overall design of the car but only after a few weeks it is starting to look a bit tasty. The convertible version has actually managed to tone-down the looks of the coupe but can you imagine the glorious soundtrack as you go looking for tunnels?
Ferrari LaFerrari – The so-called Enzo replacement was always going to be epic in every sense but these days Ferrari has a lot more able competition that can do the business around a track. At this level manufacturers can only trade blows with numbers so until this car can be pitched against the P1, Huayra, Veyron, Gumpert, Koenigsegg etc etc it is anyone’s guess as to actually how good the car is from an engineering point of view. However, in the looks department it may have one first prize. Ferrari could have got this car horribly wrong but they did the opposite and got it dead right. What they may have got wrong though is the name – LaFerrari – really? Literally translated it means The Ferrari as in ‘the definitive Ferrari’. Just wished they had stuck with F150 or F70. Anyway they have sold the whole production run now so the name hasn’t put anybody off.
Honda NSX – This NSX replacement concept has been shown so many times over the last few years it is in danger of becoming an old model even before it has been launched. Come on Honda what are you waiting for? The looks great and you have finally got an interior for it. Stick it on sale for around £50k and you have a winner on your hands!
Gloria by Alfa Romeo – Apart from the truly daft name (at least to a Brit’s ears) the car looks a beauty. The leather fake bonnet straps are the only blot on an otherwise very attractive proposition for a new Alfa saloon. Here’s a prediction – they won’t make it – sadly.
KIA Provo – The South Korean manufacturers are making serious headway in the European market with their bread-and-butter cars but this design concept shows that they also have the potential to cut the mustard with a radical attitude to car design. Make this car KIA and you might just start tempting a few of the badge snobs out there.
Lamborghini Veneno – First of all you can’t have one because they have sold all three especially made for people with truly deep pockets. Secondly, why would you want one anyway? Lambo has gone so totally over the top with this car they have ruined it. The car is a hotchpotch of curves, angles, wings, air dams, air scoops and spoilers that it is impossible to see the car underneath! Please don’t make another guys – the Aventador and Sesto Elemento are your best efforts to date and they look seriously cool – sorry, the Veneno is not.
McLaren P1 – All of the pre-launch hype surrounding the P1 unfortunately turned the official public launch of the car into a bit of an anti-climax. That does not mean the P1 is a bad car of course but you can blame McLaren’s over-enthusiastic PR and marketing bods for turning the launch into a bit of a damp squib at the end. Again the P1 is about to rub shoulders with a bunch of cars for which it all about the numbers. McLaren claim it is not about straight-line speed but how you deal with the curvy bits of road and track. We shall certainly find out over the coming weeks and months – looking forward to that very much.
Nissan Resonance – Nissan are determined to make their mark on the automotive world with models like the lairy GTR, Juke and Nismo variants and now the Resonance (which is tipped to be the new Murano) shows that the in-house designers are ready to let their hair down and push some boundaries to make us all sit up and take notice. Just don’t change the concept too much guys!
Pininfarina Sergio – Pininfarina, the company, wanted to celebrate the life of their most-famous designer with a car that would provide a fitting tribute and called it – The Sergio. The car they came up with is bold, daring, svelte and mental all at the same time. Sergio must be smiling in heaven right now.
Rolls Royce Wraith – With the Wraith Rolls Royce has created its most powerful car to date. It might look like a Ghost Coupé but the company has sprinkled a little bit of technology star dust to make their new car a tad special. Any car that can obey a command like ‘get me home’ or ‘take me to the casino in Monaco’ and then automatically set itself up for the journey has to be cool.
Spyker B6 Venator – Spyker is a survivor. The company has risen from the grave more times than a vampire. Bullish leadership and extra cash in the bank means that we can expect even more zany designs from a company that dares to be different. We wish them the best of luck – they deserve it!
Toyota i-Road – This is not a car it is a Personal Mobility Vehicle – they definitely got that bit right. Whether you would be seen driving one is another matter but you cannot help but admire the way Toyota has gone about creating what looks like a bike with four wheels. It looks like it would fall over when it is parked up but it won’t. All credit to a company that is looking for imaginative ways to get us mobile.
Volkswagen XL1 – This is possibly another car that you might not want to be seen piloting but it is very brave of VW to try to tempt us to rethink the way we look at getting around on four wheels. It might turn out to be a lemon for the company not because the XL1 has little appeal but it looks like it will cost over £100k – ouch!
Other credit-worthy mentions are the Giugiaro Parcour, Toyota FT-86 and the Touring Disco Volante. In the meantime, take a look at our gallery of show images below.
The Car Spy 