Hypercars mingle with station wagons

One of the most prestigious motor shows in Europe will unveil to the global media a record number of luxury cars this week. But this year’s Geneva Motor Show will be long remembered for a clash of supercars. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maclaren and Aston Martin are fielding new models vying to be the superstars at this year’s show in Geneva.
The show has been running since 1905 and takes place at the Plexpo Exposition Center next to Geneva Airport. This year’s event will start on March 7 with two days reserved for the media personnel before the show opens to the public.
Most companies attach special importance to the Geneva show because it serves as an important platform to launch their new and innovative products. Being organized on neutral grounds where no company or nation hogs the limelight, the venue of the event is the favorite among most of the companies.
Last year’s event saw the launch of the Chiron, Bugatti’s successor to the record-breaking Veyron, as well as the Centenario, an ultra-rare hyper car from Lamborghini.
Over a century of motoring, Geneva has hosted almost all major internal combustion engine models in the history of the automobile industry, along with benzene- and steam-powered cars.
Exotic supercars often steal the spotlight during their debuts at the show. The show is regarded as a level playing field for the world’s automakers, aided by the fact Switzerland lacks an auto industry of its own.
This year’s show promises to be an arena of supercars’ competition for attention of the world press. The most prominent among the new models is the Ferrari 812 Superfast, the most powerful and fastest production-line Ferrari in the marque’s history.
Competing with Ferrari 812 will be the Lamborghini Huracan Performante, McLaren Super Series, the Pagani Huayra Roadster and some Aston Martin supercars. A clutch of other less-known companies will also unveil their respective models and concepts headed by Chinese Techrules, which will reveal its GT96 supercar.
Following are the likely stars of Geneva this year that will be in the news next week:
• Ferrari 812 Superfast: Ferrari will debut a new flagship grand tourer this year boasting the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 engine it has ever fitted in a series production car. Called the 812 Superfast, its 6.5-liter V12 engine produces 789bhp for 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds and a top speed over 211mph. The 812 Superfast thus ushers in a new era in Ferrari 12-cylinder history, in doing so building on the invaluable legacies of the F12berlinetta and F12tdf. It is aimed at clients demanding the most powerful and exclusive Ferrari in the range: An uncompromising sports car that will deliver exhilarating driving both on road and track yet also be comfortable enough to allow its owners to enjoy it as an all-round experience.
• Lamborghini Huracan Performante: It is one of the highly anticipated supercars to be revealed at this year’s show. Lamborghini will also unveil a new variant of the Huracan — the Performante. Spy shots of the car reveal an aggressive aero pack including a huge new rear wing and additional power building on the car’s 602bhp 5.2-liter V10 could also be on the cards. The Huracan already proved its worth by setting a new lap record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany
• Aston Martin AM-RB 001: In addition to being the global motor show debut of the acclaimed new Vanquish S — the most powerful and dynamic iteration of Aston Martin’s Super GT — the British luxury brand will announce the European show debut of the AM-RB 001.
This ongoing collaboration between Aston Martin and Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the AM-RB 001 is a demonstration of technological innovation and design sophistication, resulting in a contemporary hyper car. Aston Martin will also reveal the DB11 Q and the Vanquish S.
• McLaren Super Series: The second-generation McLaren Super Series, which will be unveiled on March 7 in Geneva, is set to “redefine expectations of supercar capability with phenomenal stopping performance to equal its extreme acceleration,” according to the company. Reaching 200km/h (124mph) in 7.8 seconds, McLaren’s new supercar can then brake to a standstill in just 4.6 seconds and 117 meters — 6 meters less than the 650S and almost on a par with the legendary McLaren P1. McLaren has been introducing new cars for the last four years in Geneva and will continue the tradition this year as its new Super Series model replaces the 650S. A name suggested is the 720S. The Woking-based company has revealed little information ahead of the car’s unveiling such as its new all-carbon Monocage II chassis and active rear wing, but most details remain under wraps. It should arrive with more power.
• Porsche 911 GT3 facelift: The current-generation 911 GT3 made its debut at the Geneva show in 2013, and this year a facelifted model to be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox and a new engine is likely to appear. Engine capacity should rise to 4.0-liters, with power above the 500bhp of the 911 R.
Other notable cars at this year’s show are the BMW 5 Series Touring, the Italdesign supercar, the Range Rover Velar, the Mercedes-Benz E Class Cabrio and the Nissan Qashqai facelift.

Source: AFP