Barcelona with a surprise. We zig zag through the narrow streets of the Barri Gotic and are rewarded with the discovery of the Museo Moto. A neat place full of two wheelers from Catalonia. A historic overview with cruisers and cross. Brands I have never heard of. Museo Moto, a refreshing change to our Gaudi program.
-Matt.
The Geneva car show marks the end of the winter and the beginning of spring, cosmopolitan and exciting, but above all always controversial and this year was no exception!
Now! normally when I bump into a friend or colleague at the Geneva show the first thing they usually say after greetings have been exchanged is “seen anything good?”, but this year was different. The first thing on most people’s lips was “have you seen the Bentley?” normally accompanied with a look of shock followed swiftly with one of disgust.
Yes! I had seen the Bentley, the night before in fact and yes! I too was shocked. I’m sad to report it was the biggest talking point of the show. Comments I heard ranged from the funny “Looks like a large London taxi” To just plain sad “It looks like a bad Chinese copy” But the question most people asked was “How did that get approved?” when you think how all other products from the VW Empire are so carefully considered. We may never know? The Show car was beautifully made and detailed and let’s hope that Bentley can get its act together and produce a stunning production version, as we know they are quite capable of.
This year I only had one day to soak in the Geneva atmosphere, flying in early from Münich and back on the last flight out of town. To see the show in a day is potentially possible due to it’s compact size, but I still had to plan my schedule carefully to see as much as possible.
A quick stop at the home stand to check out everything’s in place. Yes! It’s all there, the muscular RS4 and nuts A1 quattro sit proudly near the front and our new Audi A3 is proving so popular it’s difficult to get a close look. So! It’s off to Ferrari to see if I can catch a glimpse of the brand new 740 HP F12 Berlinetta instead. Having already seen photos, expectations were high and I wasn’t disappointed. With an aggressive front and heavily sculptured flanks, first impressions in the metal are that the F12 looks stunning, but! The proportions of the rear end in side view is a bit squashed and the rear-end graphics really do look like Sid! from Ice age! and although interesting, I’m not totally convinced by the claimed extra downforce stuff about the hole in the fender thing.
Lamborghini not to be out done by Ferrari revealed the outrageously red Aventador Barchetta. A symphony of carbon fiber and uuuhhhh! carbon fiber. I bump into the Lambo Design team and they invite me for lunch upstairs on their newly styled stand. Although not immediately visible from the outside it’s much more spacious inside than the old one with enough room for two cars, but more importantly a bar and a larger dining area. As always the food is delicious! Parma ham, Parmigiano, risotto, fine wines and desserts all finished off with a real espresso, Fantastic! All this while admiring from above a very low, red, topless Aventador and stand girls with very low, white, dresses! Unfortunately, not topless!
After lunch I snuck out the back of the Lamborghini stand for a smoke and my annual inspection of the VIP parking. Rows of Bentley’s, Roller’s and Panamera’s and even a fleet of Evoques vied for my attention in the bright sunlight. After shooting a few photos it’s time to hit the show floor again.
I’ve always been a fan of the Morgan 3 wheeler and now there was a new one. It’s been around a while now, but this Geneva was my chance to have a closer look and a close look I got! Trying to Squeeze myself into the tiny cockpit a sales assistant ran up and showed me how the steering wheel could be removed to ease entry, how embarrassing! I sat there a while admiring the handcrafted interior, imagining what it would be like to drive this minimalistic car in anger, wind blowing in my hair, engine howling as I thrashed it down country lanes. ‘Sir! Sir!’ My dreaming was broken by the sales assistant again ‘would Sir like to order one?’ I played along ‘what’s the delivery time?’ replying politely he said ‘If you order now, you can take delivery in time for summer 2013!’ I started to remove the steering wheel ‘that’s a long wait! And the price?’ I was standing up now steering wheel in hand and just scrambling out when he said ‘35000 Euros for the basic model Sir!’ I almost fell over! I composed myself quickly and carefully clicked the wheel back in place. ‘Could I have a brochure please?’ I squeaked ‘I need to think about it, you know? The colors and all that?’ That’s an awful lot of money for a car with only 3 wheels, steering wheel not included!
Surprise of the show for me was the facelift on the Rolls-Royce Phantom. It’s a shame really, although not badly done the Roller has lost the distinctive look it once had. Having never really spent time with one I decided to have a closer look. Like a big kid I luxuriating in the rear seat, my feet disappearing in deep carpets and my head cocooned by the thick ‘C’ post. I played with all the gadgets of course and stared mesmerized at the starlight roof. Up front wasn’t bad either, with beautiful veneered wood and delicately chromed controls. The only thing letting it down? the COP column stalks from BMW!
Other highlights?
The Disco Volante concept from Touring, interesting sculpture around the rear end, but not much else. Oh! The 3D grille badge was nice. A missed opportunity maybe? As was the Bertone tribute to the Stratos Zero. How can you reinterpret these beautiful cars so badly, but the real question is why?
Pininfarina presented the Cambiano, a clean, nicely proportioned sports saloon with flowing surfaces and dynamic lines. On closer inspection though the quality of the concept was unfortunately not so hot! Revealed especially on the interior stitching and in particular the door panels which used huge slabs of wood recovered apparently from a lagoon in Venice and I have to say, they looked like it!
Ital design now integrated into the VW family showed the very Espada like Brivido. Proportions were good, but unfortunately Giugiaro had re-cycled old themes and ideas that we’ve seen on previous concepts, but you could clearly see already VW’s obsession with quality reflected on the interior. The Martini like racing version with its provocative graphics was a pleasant surprise though.
Trends? For me there was still a trend towards white as a major color, silver and grey’s are still popular. Red is making a major come back and it’s not predominantly the Italians who are using it now, the VW group had a lot of it’s products displayed in Red too!
Oh! And one other small thing I noticed, a disturbing trend towards red pants at the Geneva show. I don’t think they are in any way connected, but everywhere I turned I was confronted by loud trousers! There was even one guy who I met (who was actually on the plane from Münich) wearing a complete red suit.
If you didn’t have an electric/hybrid on your stand or at least a hint of urban mobility you just weren’t hip! Toyota takes their eco image very seriously and had the FT-Bh styled under the ‘Ecomotive’ theme. Weighing just under 800kg, obviously hinted at the next generation Prius, it had some interesting design features, such as the body panels styled like stretched fabric, but ultimately ugly! Hell! Even Morgan had a plug in electric car and it’s made mainly of wood!
A strange car that looks like it’s melted under the hot lights turns out to be a concept from Valmet, makers of the Fisker Karma. No information was available, but it seems to that the Dawn EV is an electro-magnetic, hovering racecar and is supposed to showcase Valmet’s expertise in Design, R&D and electric components like batteries and drivetrains. Cool and Crazy!
The day is coming to a close, I’m tired and I have a plane to catch, but I’ve been told there’s an after show party at SEAT, sounds perfect! It’s great, although a little short lived! But after a long day the Car Freaxsters finally meet and exchange thoughts on the show. Talk soon turns to the Bentley of course! The Ferrari and Giugiaro’s show cars, but then Mattijs shows me his photos, damn! I’ve missed so much! Panic! I look at my watch, still time to see a few more cars? I swiftly excuse myself and rush through the halls, but it’s too late! The covers are going on all around me, lights are going out and so sadly it’s the end of the Geneva show for me. I slowly make my way to the Airport, making a mental note to myself, next year I have to stay for two days.
One day is not enough!
-Steve.
Thanks to Juan Perez for photos of me in the Morgan and Roller.
Final call
A final walk around before I go home. Last impressions. This was Geneva o' twelve. Less surprises, more production and above all a lot of red cars. Did I see everything? Probably not. The Palexpo seems to grow every year. More hallways with red carpet. Let it be compact in the future. Minimalism is an attitude!
What do you think of the Bentley? At the cosy show in Switzerland one will bump into old colleagues and friends. Food for thought. To me that is what it is all about. See you in Geneva next year!
-Matt.
"This is it. Relax and lay back. Welcome to California, dude."
After a hectic week in Motown with all work and no play, this Jack was an even more stressed out boy when the AVIS GPS, road notes and reading glasses (don't ask) didn't compute anymore - and the clock was ticking valuable minutes away of the early rise event in Irvine. It was George's soothing telephone voice that finally navigated me safely into this haven off Taco Bell's and Mazda. "Free parking every Saturday for Cars & Coffee, man - shweet deal", he briefs me in preparation.
And shweet it is!
I have hardly caught my breath when I bump right into the highlight of the day. A perfect copy of Hans Herrmann's 1970 Le Mans winner - a 917K with personal plates. Welcome to California.
We are in the land of opportunity - and of big, big bucks. Every Saturday morning at 6 AM, they gather; a motley crew of random racers - first come, first serve and the best spots go to the earliest birds in town. Supercars. Street racers. Classics. Rods. Unique wheels, all of them.
George is really into supercars. I can't believe the rods and customs. Others just hang around the cars of their own little club. It's all cool, we all get our fair share.
When we walk up to a pack of Cobras, George tells me that yesterday, on my day of arrival in SoCal, King Cobra himself has departed. The snake pit is in mourning this morning and one car in my top five of all time greats will never look the same anymore.
Apart from the Shelbys, there's not as many Yanks as one would expect. A perfect '57 Bel Air and slightly faded stock '56 Nomad seem incomplete without their '55 Tri brother, but satisfy my needs nevertheless - especially as they're complemented by a Firebird by-the-book and ditto Camaro.
Cars constantly come and go. No rigor, no rules and certainly no restraint. Polish till you drop and you can park where you want. See and be seen. Many of the machines look like they come straight out of the showroom - bling all around and shiny tyres. Engines cry left and right to please the crowd. This is a man's world. Fathers bring their sons, gearheads and speedfreaks unite. A spotless Iso Rivolta leaves many of them puzzled though, as it chooses to leave.
We decide to do the same. No, ...just one more round. And another surprise. Behind a sunburnt silver Alfa GTV, a brutal bark tears up the air as a purposeful Nip departs the field. There's no such thing as coincidence: the same night on my Facebook routine, it is exactly this samurai speeder that's featured as Top Story - tastefully framed in a vimeo vid. Josh Clason found it first.
-tbc-
- G&G.
Finally
A highlight with a personal touch. Tuesday morning half past eight. Cameras, action, smoke. The new Audi A3 rolls on stage. After a short ceremony the doors are open to the public. People climb inside, wait in line to get a glimpse of the interior and feel the switches. Click clack, finally the car is real. After five years of intense work this baby is ready to hit the streets, ready to be enjoyed.
-Matt.
Finesse
A reaction often heard during press days is a long sigh followed by a "not so exciting this year". 2012 seems going to be the year of the B-segment. Exciting? Not necessarily. Important and interesting? Definitely. Within one year a whole new pack of models will hit the market. The competition is on! BMW 1 Series, Mercedes A Class, Audi A3 and later this year the VW Golf.
Let's not forget the the Volvo, a swedish underdog. A first step into the new V40. A car that surprises in the detail. A lot of finesse in color and material. I take a look in the rear view mirror and wonder what is missing. It is the frameless glass that impresses. Lots of advanced touches throughout the interior. Definitely not a b-movie this scandinavian chinese.
-Matt.
Folded
Visions from Asia, the most daring stuff come from the east. The Toyota stand looks clean and seems completely dedicated to carbon. Emissions that is. How low can you go? If we have to believe the FT-Bh concept, seventy or forty nine is not the end. Reduced to the max and showing it off, without turning into an anorexia design. Origami wheels, folded tacos and manta ray surfacing as thin as paper combined with meshes. This car is full of unexpected corners and odd details. I like the ceramic, brittle feel of the thing.
-Matt.
Fluid
Finally this is a Geneva's first among the scarcely spread concepts in the Pal Expo. The Hyundai on the turning table is hard to boil down. Is it big, high, compact, too massive, sleek, shooting brake or coupe? Nevertheless, the I-ioniq is a fluidly modeled sculpture without transitions between glass and metal panels. With this approach it is possible to pull the trick with the shooting brake center section and coupe greenhouse, hence the tent like roof. Muscled bone lines and crisp edges. I like the carved out quarter panel at the front and the family of details.
-Matt.
Blisters
A wider perspective at the Audi stand. Next to the world premiere of the new Audi A3 we find some models labeled with the RS badge or just quattro. Both the RS4 and the Audi A1 quattro look mean and brisk with plenty of nicely modeled blisters. Dig.
-Matt.
Body Painting
Two cars, two attitudes. Just love the matt gray in combination with the glossy body panels. The second Veyron is dressed in blue carbon with historic colors. Fresh.
-Matt.
Backwards
What is the direction in Geneva? Well there are a lot of anniversaries to be celebrated this year. Looking back is fine, but going forward backwards might be risky on the long run. A revamped Cisitalia over here, a kind of Bertone Stratos over there. Interesting once and sometimes an itch in the eye.
-Matt.
Brilliant
Weeks before the show the first images dripped into the media and I thought "wow, what a strong design theme". It is remarkable how, over the last couple of years, Ferrari has managed to renew its product portfolio and design language. After the rather baroque Scaletti and California the Italia and FF are pretty crisp and fresh. I like the silhouette and proportions of the FF, not so much its size. The 456 Italia with its light stance and strong shoulder theme combines aerodynamics with aesthetics.
The F12 is the third member with this new attitude of the prancing horse. Interesting to see how the edginess of the front softens towards the rear. The most brilliant feature though is the air channel between the bonnet and the flanks. A functional aerodynamic feature that determines the theme of the F12 and underlines the capsule like cabin. An overall idea molded into metal and truly inspired on racing heritage/experience. Forward looking Italian "flare", thumbs up!
-Matt.
Broke
If there is one car show where the Italians should play a home game it can only be Ginevra. So what's new at Alfa Romeo? Well, actually, nothing. The only moving models stand next to the cars. Italian flair, yes, hence the illegal smoking area behind the scene, but little looking forward to be find on the red carpet. The only attempt where the fantastic history of the brand is reinterpreted we find at Touring. The Disco Volante looks big, broke and lacks finesse. Pininfarina's 2uettottanta two years ago had a far more innovative and positive look into the future and was, in my eyes, the true new Disco in a Daft Punk way.
-Matt.
Brave
One of the most intriguing concepts in Geneva is red, once again and rotates at the Lexus stand. At first glance the LF-LC has many irritating design elements that are an absolute no-go in my dictionary. The strange thing is, the longer I see the car the more it fascinates me. The intersecting volumes are clearly based on a dynamic logic below the surface. Smooth transitions interrupted by sharp cuts. I wonder if it could be the result of my Asia trips last year; there is still a lot to learn from the East. A different cup of tea with a brave flavor. Lemon ginger, yes please!
-Matt.
Brute
The Volkswagen Cross Coupe has gone into the paint shop somewhere between Tokyo and Geneva. A second glance, dressed in red this time. Raw, but refined with a lovely stance and ace proportions. Surfaces with a high resolution and a resolved overall appearance. Love the carved out shoulder theme and the three dimensionality of the front end. A concept on its way to the streets? On the V Dub floor it stood pretty unprotected, no fences, no guards. Visitors jump inside and out as if it was a Tiguan. Actually it could be. Thumbs up.
-Matt.
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