The Salon de Geneve has always been one of my favorite auto shows on the circuit It's relatively small, allowing for easy traverses from one side of the show to the other for press conferences, and it is the international host for the majority of concept vehicle debuts, giving it an extra dramatic flair. And 2004 was no exception. In addition to the myriad wonderful and sometimes weird concepts on display, this year's event was host to the unveilings of several significant production vehicles, some of which were leaked early to the press. "World News" showed you the all-new Audi A6 and MINI convertible in last month's issue (ec 06/04), and the intrepid Elaine Catton sneak-peeked the Alfa Romeo Crosswagon, the Fiat Multipla and Trepiuno, and the Lancia Musa in her "Notes from Europe" column. Even with all of the advance press, this year's show still managed to have several surprises (some good and some bad). Here's a look at the notable debuts, both concept and production, from Europe's ever-inventive manufacturers.
BMW Concept M5
M: When preceded by BMW and followed by a numeral, it is capable of conjuring up visions of exceptional performance, handling and desire. The BMW Concept M5 does all this and more. The high-performance sedan features a high-revving 500-bhp V10 engine producing 369 lb-ft of torque. The ten-cylinder is mated to a seven-speed SMG and propels the four-door from 0 to 62 mph in well under 5 sec. It's also a very striking-looking vehicle with its distinctive front and rear airdams and sidesills, and four snarky-looking tailpipes. BMW stated the M5 could go from concept to production sometime during 2004, making it the perfect Christmas present for M fans everywhere.
BMW 5 Series Touring
If you need to distract yourself while waiting for the M5 to hit the production line, you might want to consider the new 5 Series Touring. Better looking than the 5 Series sedan (you can't put a funny trunk line on a station wagon), the new five-door comes with four engine variants (for Europe): two diesels, 525d and 530d; and two gas, 525i and 545i. And as expected, the Touring has all the amenities and options found on the sedan.
Bentley Arnage Limousine
If you're looking to be driven in anonymity, but don't fancy being chauffeured around in a Hyundai, the Bentley Arnage Limousine could be the vehicle for you. Designed for those who value their privacy, the Arnage Limo allows its passengers to sit deeply recessed within the back seat, sufficiently hidden from all those annoying paparazzi, thanks to a very broad D-pillar. Oh, the travails of being rich and famous!
C4 Citroen Sport
Following its success in the 2003 WRC season, and its great start in 2004, Citroen is continuing its commitment to motorsport by not resting on the well-deserved laurels of the Xsara WRC. At last year's show it unveiled the C2 Sport concept (the road-going version was debuted at Frankfurt 2003), and at this year's Geneva show Citroen presented the C4 Sport, a two-door hatchback concept in the guise of a rally car, which gives a hint as to what the next WRC competition cars will look like. Cool, no?
ItalDesign--Giugiaro Alfa Romeo Visconti
Giugiaro and Alfa Romeo were meant each other. From the 1950s Alfa 2000 Sprint to the Brera-- an Alfa concept that was breathtaking in its beauty--the design house has created fabulous production and concept cars for the "Bisicione" carmaker. The Visconti continues that legacy. The four-door, coupe-like sedan is built on the Alfa Romeo Premium Platform (156 sedan, Sportwagon, etc.) and boasts all the attributes of a flagship model, including a 3.2-liter biturbo V6 with 405 bhp and 501 lb-ft of torque. If we can't have the Brera, can we at least have the Visconti?
Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster
If ever a car was meant to be a convertible, it is the Lamborghini Murcielago: It looks even sexier as a roadster, and it harnesses the same power as the coupe--570 bhp and 479 lb-ft of torque from a 6.2-liter V12. Designed for open-top driving, the Murcielago Roadster includes a manually fitted roof for inclement weather days. Drive one of these and you'll be able to go 0 to 62 in 3.8 sec. and exceed 200 mph. And, unlike the Maserati MC12, Lamborghini plans on building more than 25 of these wonderful machines.
Lotus Exige
After a 2-year hiatus, Lotus is bringing the Exige back to market. First introduced in 2000 as a race car for the road, the second-generation Exige follows the same philosophy, offering performance and handling in a lightweight package. Weighing only 1,929 lb (875kg), the Exige is powered by a 1.8-liter engine producing 189 bhp and 133.5 lb-ft of torque. Not exactly excessive power, but its light weight enables the Exige to go from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.2 sec. Whether you're a fan of the Transformer look is another question entirely.
Maserati GranSport
It may look similar to the Maserati Coupe GT, but the GranSport has more than enough enhancements and refinements to make it its own model. The GranSport has an improved Cd of 0.33, due in part to a 10mm lower chassis setup; a re-tuned 4.2-liter V8 that now outputs 400 bhp (up by 10); changed gear ratios on the Cambiocorsa gearbox (sixth gear is 5% longer); and 19-in. wheels sporting 235/45ZR19 front and 265/30ZR19 rear high-performance tires. All this enables the GranSport to go from 0 to 62 mph in 4.85 sec. and reach a top speed of 180 mph. Visual differences include a chrome grille, new bumpers, a pronounced lower spoiler and new sidesills. The interior also boasts "specialist" trim.
Maserati MC12
Only 25 lucky (and extremely wealthy) people will get to experience the amazing properties of the MC12--the homologated road-going version of Maserati's all-new MCS race car. The bodywork is made of carbon-fiber; the chassis is carbon-fiber and Nomex honeycomb sandwich; the two sub chassis are aluminum. The engine is a 623-bhp 65° V12 mated to Maserati's Cambiocorsa mechanical gearbox. The result is a 2,943-lb two-seater--with a removable roof section--that goes from 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 sec., has a top speed over 205 mph, and is, according to Maserati, a sweet and fluid driver. An assertion I'd be more than happy to test.
Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG
The top of the line in the next-generation C-Class model range, the C55 AMG is the first V8-engined C-Class since the much-vaunted C43. With 362 bhp and 376 lb-ft of torque, this is the most powerful and quickest C-Class ever: 0 to 62 mph is achieved in 5.2 sec. As befits an AMG-badged Mercedes-Benz, the C55 features AMG bodystyling and exhaust system, and an enhanced interior, replete with sport seats and a new instrument cluster.
Opel Tigra Twin Top
Not wanting to be left out of the coupe-cabriolet revolution (Peugeot 306 CC, Renault Megane CC, Mercedes-Benz SLK), Opel has introduced the Tigra Twin Top. The sporty-looking two-seater's electro-hydraulic steel folding roof opens and closes fully automatically. And, with the roof either up or down, the Tigra features a usable trunk. Power comes from either a 90-hhp 1.4-liter engine with TWINPORT fuel-saving technology or a 1.8-liter engine sporting 125 bhp.
Opel Trixx
Spaciousness and flexibility housed in an ultra-compact exterior were Opel's targets with its new TRIXX study. The city car can carry up to three adults and a child, or as a one-seater various bulky loads. Oddly, the TRIXX has no tailgate, but the rear window lowers for additional access to the interior. The TRIXX also has an inflatable rear seat; a foldaway front passenger's seat; and a roof hatch that opens at the push of a button for carrying extra-long objects in an upright position. It's also quite cute.
Peugeot 407 Silhouette
Based on the all-new 407 (see "Notes from Europe," 04/04), the Silhouette is a hint from Peugeot's concept team as to what a future 407 coupe could look like. The 407 Silhouette was created to "evoke the spirit of supertouring championships." The two-seater features a tubular chassis and a mid-mounted longitudinal six-cylinder engine, outputting 320 bhp. On the inside is a steering wheel with a display screen that shows the optimum racing line--based on satellite and cartographic data-- for circuit use. Want to race?
Renault Modus
This was the first time I'd ever seen a striptease at a car show. No body-baring dancers here, though. Instead, the presenting dancers remained fully clothed while the Modus went through a 5-minute tease before being fully revealed. It's one way to make a compact B-segment hatchback seem sexy. The Clio-sized Modus is a preview of the car Renault plans to build and launch later this year. Most surprisingly, it has a normal-looking backside--no pointed strangeness as with the Vel Satis, Avantine and Megane.
Renault Wind
Forget all the obvious jokes you could make off the name, the Renault Wind concept is an attractive little number that the company would be wise to build--it would help erase the memory of the Vel Satis and the Avantine. The 2+1 roadster--the central section linking the front seats can be unhooked and turned inside out (it's made of carbon-fiber covered in foam and leather), forming a saddle-shaped third seat in the rear of the car--features a soft top with a glass rear window. The Wind is a mere 1,874 lb and is powered by a 136-bhp 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine.
Rolls-Royce 100EX
Rolls-Royce as been building experimental cars since 1919, when the 1X was produced. The 100EX (named in honor of the company's 100-year anniversary) is the British motorcar builder's latest effort. Based on a lightweight aluminum spaceframe, the four-seat, two-door convertible is powered by a 9-liter V16 engine. Proof that the 100EX is truly experimental is the aluminum hood and windscreen surround, both of which were milled from solid blocks of aluminum--highly dramatic but also highly expensive and impractical for a production car. As with R-R's new Phantom, the 100EX is big, bold, extremely ostentatious and, sadly, rather ugly.
Seat Altea
When you compare the concept to the production version, you can't really tell them apart. This is a good thing, since the SEAT Altea concept (revealed at the 2003 Frankfurt Show) was as near to perfection as a five-seater hatchback can get. The Altea has four engine and four finish level options, making it easy to configure the car to your exacting needs. It's a shame that SEAT will more than likely never make to the U.S., as the Spanish automaker is creating some truly wonderful cars.
Skoda Octavia
Skoda has taken its highly successful Octavia and given it a complete redesign, both inside and out. The new version boasts all the latest technology available from VWAG, including a DSG transmission and FSI and TDI engines. The interior has been thoroughly upgraded and the exterior design made more elegant looking. It's almost enough to make one want to move to Czech.
Volkswagen Concept C
Heading in the opposite direction from the Concept T (the weird thing shown at Detroit), the VW Concept C exemplifies Volkswagen's core strengths: designing and building fun-to-drive and enjoyable-to-look at vehicles. A cabriolet-coupe design study for the mid-class (Passat) segment, the Concept C is powered by a 150-bhp FSI engine. Featuring a fold-away steel roof, the four-seater looks equally good as a coupe and a convertible. The Concept C will reportedly reach production looking at least 90% as it does now. One can only hope.
Volvo YCC
Warning: Feminist rant ahead. It says something when the first vehicle designed by women for women didn't appear until this year. And while I applaud the concept, the execution and presentation leave something to be desired. The flowered seats are a little over the top, as is the sealed hood (what, women don't need to see the engine bay?) and there are a dozen or so storage compartments inside (I really don't need to drive a closet). The wraparound dent-resistant bumpers and sidesills are a good idea for any vehicle, but calling it protection for "creative driving" was deameaning. I do like the looks of the YCC; it's very reminiscent of the P1800. I just wish Volvo had been a lot less condescending and stereotypical with what should have been a milestone in women's achievements.