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Geneva Motor Show - first day pictures: extra
06 March 2007 Geneva Motor Show - first day pics: Part two Rolls Royce I thought Mansory had the most bling in Geneva, but they were upstaged by Rolls themselves, who brought a bright white Corniche convertible to the party. Totally ostentatious, outrageous and very, very cool, the Corniche will have a queue of buyers outside their showrooms. Expect to see P Diddy & Co cruising the boulevards of America in one soon.
Tripping up a flight of stairs thanks to the half-hundredweight of press packs handed out from the various manufacturers about their new motors, I literally fell upon Volkswagen. VW had made no secret of its intentions at the show to push its latest super-efficient cars the Polo and Passat BlueMotion. Using the latest technology and filters, the BlueMotion-equipped cars manage impressive fuel economy from their diesel engines. But the eagle-eyed visitors would have noticed a facelifted Phaeton, a hot new Passat R36, and a Golf GTi Edition 30. The even more spoddy visitors (like me) were swarming around a couple of design studies. The Caddy Edition 30 van is a luxurious and sporty version of VW's small van, while the jacked-up PanAmericana Transporter van looked like something the A-Team would be proud to drive.
Volkswagen's sister company, Seat can be found next door with the very lilac Leon Cupra which Columbian singer Shakira 'designed' (that's her choice of paintjob, y'see). But pride of place is occupied by a concept SUV, heavily based on the Leon. Looks like Nissan could have opened a hornets' nest of hatchback-sized SUVs with the Qashqai.
Vauxhall's alright, Opel's stand boasts a couple of stunners. The GTC Concept looks like GM Europe's attempt at building a muscle car. And lets be honest, Vauxhall could hardly import enough Monaros, while the new Camaro concept has captivated all who've seen it. There's a market for it, and it'll be great to see more cars like this on the road. Closer to home is the Opel GT. The replacement for the Vauxhall VX220 is a bit softer more like an MX-5 but still looks like it could do the business; especially with a 2-litre turbocharged motor. Given Brits' fondness for two-seat drop-tops, I'd expect a Vauxhall-badged version to hit the streets sometime soon.
Chevy the purveyor of functional but bland cars stuck a few surprised on their stand. The Epica saloon looks sensational with a big bodykit and wheels, and could easily pass for something far more expensive. Its the same story with the HHR SUV-cum-MPV, which looks like an intriguing blend of PT Cruiser and Jeep Cherokee. But the biggest cheer had to be left for the Camaro; a car which is just brilliant. I want one so badly it hurts.
Going from a one-model car, in a few years Lotus now boasts no fewer than four models completed by the new Lotus 2-Eleven. The hardcore track car which can also be used on the roads produces 252bhp but weighs less than 700kg. That'll mean some serious pace. It looks fantastic as well; like a baby Le Mans racer.
Talking of hardcore drivers' cars; motorcycle manufacturer KTM has just waded into battle with its ruthless X Bow. The orange and carbon fibre X Bow has no bodywork to speak of, seats that'll cripple the driver and tyres with a barely-there tread pattern. Looks great, but it'll go better. Geneva Motor Show - first day pics: Part one
The craziest concepts |
Volkswagen
Seat
Vauxhall
Chevrolet
Lotus
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