Geneva 2011 was a sparkling palace of hope and optimism, the very idea of 'recession' pushed well out of sight. As ever, the ‘hot’ was balanced by the tackiest tuning ‘grot’; here’s the Classic Driver take on this year’s Geneva Motor Show.
Everyone has learnt something in the last two years, a time which has demanded some painful readjustment. First, ‘green’ can be fun – a glance at petrol prices (which, for exorbitance, match the cost of hotels in Geneva at show time) drives home the point better than any nannying lobby group. So: economical, cute, urban runabouts are definitely ‘in’.
Secondly, not only can the likes of MINI, Fiat and Citroën make environment-friendly cars with Classic Driver appeal, so too can the Grand Marques. The two stand-out supercars from the Show, the 691bhp Lamborghini Aventador and the first ever, road-going, four-wheel-drive Ferrari, the 650bhp FF with its standard stop-start function, are far more efficient than their predecessors. The FF is lighter than the outgoing 612 Scaglietti and has reduced its CO2 figures by a staggering 25 per cent. Fuel consumption is now 15.4l/100km – again, much better, and quite extraordinary considering it bests the 612’s top speed by 10mph (now 208mph, note).
Over at Porsche, the Stuttgart company now firmly in the Volkswagen Audi family was showing a hybrid version of its pavé-pummelling Panamera, the S Hybrid. For (‘from’, I should say, we all know what that means...) £86,227 in the UK, you get: 380bhp, a 0-62mph of six seconds and a 168mph top speed. All with 159g/km emissions and a combined fuel economy of 41.5mpg in the Combined cycle. By anyone’s standards, it’s impressive.
And there was the electric Rolls-Royce 102 EX, Aston’s sprightly Cygnet – a plus for the British company, as it helps lower its CO2 average across the range – and Bentley’s FlexFuel technology Supersports ‘Ice Speed Record’ convertible.
Leaving the figures to one side, let’s slip on a comfy pair of shoes, take off the rose-tinted specs and have a look round the stands. First seen at the VAG party on Monday night, the new Lamborghini Aventador was a stunner – why would you need anything else if in the market for this sort of machine?
This or the all-new Pagani Huayra, also debuting at Geneva? No contest – I'd take the Lamborghini any day.
Over the way at De Tomaso, the ‘SLS’ was a Pininfarina-designed large saloon in the style of the BMW 5 Series GT. An interesting idea but the streets round here, at least, are not exactly packed with the trend-setter from Munich.
Speaking of which, on BMW’s customary ground-floor stand was the Vision ConnectedDrive, a two-seat concept car with a raft of technology which may/may not see the light of day. What probably will, is the new styling direction that can be seen in variations of ‘surface treatment’ (in the artistic, design sense) and the front and rear ‘family’ panelwork.
At nearby MINI, the Rocketman concept looked as good in the carbonfibre/composite as it promised. This is a very nice little car and was one of the stars of the show.
Mercedes had its new C-Class coupé which was, it has to be said, a touch forgettable, and an updated C-Class saloon and estate range (with the latest 6.3 AMG versions).
Back at Porsche, set upstairs in the ‘VW Hall’, the new hybrid Panamera was joined by ‘Black Edition’ and ‘GTS’ 911s (the last versions of the 997 before an all-new car hits us later this year) and the stunning 918 RSR hybrid race car. Close relation Audi was showing the ‘A3 concept’ – a four-door saloon with a 408PS, five-cylinder FSI motor – which was joined by the recently launched RS3 Sportback.
I can’t help feeling that A3-sized cars with four doors and a boot are for commercial travellers, though. Looking over the perfectly packaged BMW 1 Series M Coupé, isn’t this what this market is looking for? Or, for that noble professional, the travelling salesman, why not have a peek round the corner and look at something from Skoda?
You can’t knock them, though; the breadth of model range and level of engineering excellence at VAG is staggering. And, just to prove that, look no further than the all-new ‘Bulli’ concept (the iconic Microbus revisited) wowing the press on the VW stand. Returning to my theme of ‘fun’ urban runabouts, how about this for taking the kids to school?
Everyone loved it and it surely must make production – as a retro-styled car it knocks spots off the company’s previous effort, the New Beetle.
Fiat has been doing very nicely with ‘retro’ in recent years. Its 500’s sales success will have boosted the company’s coffers so, to keep interest in what is now becoming a commonplace car, Fiat showed a 500 Coupé Zagato. The 2+2 had the trademark ‘double-bubble’ roof and was powered by an uprated version of the 500’s twin-cylinder TwinAir motor. Wowed, I was not.
Over at Aston Martin, in addition to the new Virage and V8 Vantage S (both of which we’ll be driving in the next few days), a Rapide and a Cygnet, was one of Zagato’s most famous designs: an original DB4GT with the Milanese coachbuilder’s seductive GT bodywork.
The reason was in recognition of the model entering full production 50 years ago. The pale metallic blue car, DB4GT/0189/R, was the very last completed in period and was the subject of a full Works Service restoration in 1995. So will Aston be reprising the association, any time soon?
Dr Bez simply commented that Aston would be: “...investing in exciting products. The next will be in Villa d’Este in May, and it will be in the context of celebrating an anniversary of which we have lots to come within the next two years.
“Just guess!” he continued, with a meaningful look.
One of the pleasant (rather than ‘nasty’ – I will refer you to the works of Mansory, Fab Design, Hamann, Luma Design and Invader, at this point) surprises of Geneva 2011 was the Alfa Romeo 4C. The mid-engined concept, finished in pale pink satin paint, looked very Lotus-like in overall packaging yet quintessentially Alfa Romeo. A definite hit.
As was the reception accorded to Jaguar’s decision to wish the E-type a happy 50th birthday. ‘Timeless’ is often used with classic designs of the 50s and 60s but, really, a fixedhead E-type looks a good today as it did all those years ago. Well done Jaguar Land Rover, not only for this but also the XKR–S, the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate Edition and the all-new Evoque.
Finally, to finish on another high note, and a Jaguar-related one to boot, the wraps came off the Bertone Jaguar B 99 Concept. This just about summed up the 2011 Geneva Motor Show: stylish, exciting, a vision for the future and proof that the great manufacturers of the last 100 years have plenty of life in them.
Long may it continue: and expect to see many more exciting developments over the next 12 months.
Text: Steve Wakefield
Photos: Nanette Schärf
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