The car show year started in Detroit in January arriving to Geneva in March and will next go onwards towards Paris, Frankfurt and Tokyo in the autumn. The Geneva show started on Tuesday 1st of March 2011 for international press day and later opened to the public.
There was much to see, from the new four wheel drive Ferrari FF, the Lamborghini Aventador and the Maserati GranCabrio, proving that there is still a healthy market for cars that offer elegance and performance. Another popular topic was that almost every mainstream car maker had or was developing plans for electric models, even Rolls-Royce.
The Lamborghini fifth generation V12 supercar made its official debut in Geneva, called the Aventador. Lamborghini displayed three Aventadors, ranging from the bright orange example to white and a darker model, this was to show off the sleek lines in different colours. An equally impressive car to the eyes was the Koenigsegg Agera R, which made its debut at the show.
For those interested in racing, Pirelli were on show and keen to launch themselves into the spot light. The company brought three 2010 Formula One cars sporting new spec Pirelli tyers for the 2011 season. These cars included the championship winning Red Bull, Jenson Button's McLaren and a Massa Ferrari car. The 2011 season will only have one tyer supplier after the withdrawal from Bridgestone.
Audi had the new MTM R8, a V10 BiTurbo, it dazzled the crowd with a naked polished aluminium body. The MTM R8 BiTurbo has a 5.2-liter V10, routed to a six-speed manual transmission. A total of 777 hp resulting in an acceleration speed of 0-100 km/h in just 3.0 seconds, acceleration from 0-200 km/h takes place in 9.37 seconds, while the sprint to 300 km/h is achieved in 19.42 seconds. MTM Audi R8 maximum speed is 350 km/h.
Mercedes-Benz had a massive stand that resembled a huge car park. The current Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is being replaced with the new 2012 C-Class Coupe. The C-Class has 201-horsepower, a 1.8-liter turbocharged with direct-injection.
Mercedes-Benz also had the 2012 C63 AMG, this car somewhat resembles the previous models with similar exterior styling also the engine has been carried over unchanged, although the new AMG Development package boosts output to 481 hp.
Having recently released its innovative and show-stopping C-X75, Jaguar had the XKR-S on show. The XKR-S produces 550 horsepower with 502 pounds of torque, this car has an aggressively redesigned aero package.
Lexus released the most-exclusive version of its already LFA supercar called the 2012 Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition There will only be 500 units of this model produced worldwide. Lexus improved the performance of the 4.8-liter V10 by 10 horsepower to a total of 562, and has dropped gearshift times from 0.20 seconds to 0.15.
The Bentley ICR Convertible was created to commemorate the ice speed record set by Juha Kankkunen at 205.48 miles per hour. Bentley will produce 100 examples of the Bentley Supersports ICR and each will have new features that make them stand out from non-ICR versions. Just three exterior colors will be available to compliment the Dark Grey Metallic top; Beluga, Quartzite and Arctica White.
Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley’s new Chairman and Chief Executive, said:
“Juha Kankkunen’s drive was a remarkable achievement and worthy of a very special car. The Continental Supersports Convertible ISR is a true driver’s car that captures that unique Bentley spirit. It offers extreme performance, agility and an extrovert personality, while retaining the refinement, handcrafted luxury and comfort our customers expect. Both the new Supersports Convertible ISR and Juha’s record-breaking Supersports Convertible will be on display on the Bentley stand”.
Apart from the super cars, Ford and General Motors showed their all electric vehicles, the new Fusion EV and Ampera. The Fusion relies solely on its lithium-ion battery for power.
The big question for future models and car shows is: will hybrids or battery powered cars be the future?
