Teamspeed.com - Teamspeed at Geneva Motor Show 2013

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Teamspeed at Geneva Motor Show 2013
by Richard Aucock

In years to come, we’ll be discussing the legendary 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Remember when McLaren went head-to-head with Ferrari in the battle of the supercars? Remember when the European compact crossover sector first started to thrive? When Alfa revealed its comeback car? When the first credible Chinese maker came to Europe?

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Oh, and when Lamborghini took a monumental and trend-jarring step back in time?

The general consensus of Geneva 2013 is that it was a great show. Geneva is always good: held on neutral ground, it’s one of the big-hitter shows in the calendar, an event that anyone who’s serious has to attend.

Space is restricted to two key halls so manufacturers can’t display the sheer big-budget might that they do at Paris, Frankfurt or Detroit, which means everyone is on a bit more of a level playing field. This compactness also makes it much easier to compare and contrast.

That’s how Teamspeed found itself in the show Monday afternoon, before it was officially open and while it was still being built, staring at the very yellow McLaren P1. Project engineer Paul MacKenzie spoke to us, explaining that McLaren Automobiles was also, he said, as in the dark about what to expect from the Ferrari as the rest of us. “We’ll be watching with great interest,” he said, diplomatically. We would, less than 24 hours later, discover that the Ferrari and McLaren match each other on all key acceleration times and have the same quoted top speed. Who matched who, then, given that McLaren was first out with the data…

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As we stood on the McLaren stand, sipping water from a yellow-coloured glass (the Ron Dennis attention to detail), we wondered how Ferrari would top it. Images don’t fully reveal how complex the surfacing of this car is, how intrically detailed every inch of it is, how dominated by aerodynamics this road-going F1 car is. There’s reason for this, said MacKenzie: Ron Dennis insisted a 2008 F1 car be placed in the design studio, for inspiration. “It was there for over a year.”

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Next day, we dutifully trotted over to the Ferrari stand for a glimpse of the LaFerrari (what a name). During official reveal time, it was out of bounds: Geneva is spread across two main halls and EVERYONE was cloistered around the Ferrari stand as Luca launched the new hypercar. We tried later on: still no joy. Only by getting elbows out towards the end of the day did we jostle our way to the front.

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And see something that, like the McLaren, is a familiar profile but which, unlikely the ruthlessly efficient P1, is oddly beautiful. Ferrari’s gone for aero efficiency too with this car, but it’s also eased its insistence on chasing the last tenths of downforce in the quest for making it, err, pretty. It’s like an Enzo that’s been to the beautician, and a quite remarkable machine because of it.

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Technically brilliant McLaren, then, and rather lovely Ferrari: blast you, Lamborghini, for spoiling the mood with your garish and slam-dunk subtle Verneo. Remember how the simple, elegant Countach morphed into a spoiler-laden and tacky monster by the end of the 1980s? Here it its modern day equivalent.

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People stood and stared, slack-jawed, at the Verneo. The neat Aventador Roadster alongside it looked almost subtle, understated, discreet. Wings, spoilers, diffusers and, well, more wings and spoilers and differs have apparently been simply thrown at it, to create a one-of-three-thank-goodness machine that we really thought Lamborghini had moved on from.

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Thankfully there were contrasts. Look just next door for one, to the Porsche 911 GT3. This in itself is controversial of course, in being a GT3 with a PDK-only gearbox, and rear-wheel steering, and no Mezger engine, and other things the die-hard enthusiasts won’t like. The result, though, is a blisteringly fast and exceedingly focused driver’s car, says Porsche – which looks just as a GT3 should: purposeful, bespoke, honed. Sorry, Lambo.

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Even Spyker’s learnt to do the subtle, understated thing well. The new B6 Concept points to a possible Porsche 911-rivalling coupe, and was one of the prettiest concepts at the show to these eyes. The back-from-collapse, post-Saab firm says it’s moved on from ‘propeller’ themed design and has now entered the jet age. With cars like this, we say more of the same – and get this into production fast, guys.

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Chevrolet has done just this with the Stingray Convertible, which made its world debut at the Geneva Auto Show. This is a sign of intent for Chevy, showing its eagerness to crack the European market with, yes, its Porsche 911-rivalling C7. General interest was high and if any car can help establish our sports car brand over there, it will be this. Particularly the C7 coupe, it seems: this seemed to win many fans in its dedicated area of the Chevy show stand.

The Brits were there, of course. Jaguar was showing yet more variants of the F-Type, prior to its world launch next month. Teamspeed had a passenger ride in one around the streets of Geneva, too: we can report it feels good, sounds the business and has whetted our appetites accordingly.

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Aston Martin revealed the heavily modified Rapide S, now boasting 558hp, a bespoke new nose and a much more focused nature. It’s hopefully finally become the car it always should have been and we look forward to driving it in coming days. We won’t be driving the lovely Bertone Rapide shooting brake concept, alas, as that’s a one-off for a rich owner. Could Aston put a similarly conceived Rapide ‘wagon’ into production though, we asked engineering boss Ian Minards? Absolutely possible, he said. Will it? He remained tight-lipped…

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Some did so when asked to comment on the new Rolls-Royce Wraith. The big two-door coupe didn’t win universal praise. The massive fastback rear is distinctive, the upright front end prominent and the rear-hinged front doors still odd. Like all Rolls, it’s unmistakable and certainly carries presence. Some couldn’t decide if this was a good thing or not. Once thing’s for sure: it will dwarf a Bentley Continental GT…

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Over on Bentley, the firm concentrated on its new 2013 Flying Spur, now separate from the Conti GT range and all the better for it. Bentley boss Wolfgang Schreiber told us it wasn’t the car on everyone’s lips, though – the SUV was. Expect a decision (and likely green light) to be revealed within weeks.

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In complete contrast to some of this other VW Group hypermachinery was the VW XL1, now committed to low volume production and demonstrating the very cutting edge of road car fuel-saving technology. Even raised on a plinth, it looked tiny on the VW stand, but it’s no sideshow. Which will be a worry for the competition, given how even today’s Golf diesel hammers rival cars from the net class below for mileage.

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There wasn’t too much of note from posh VW brand Audi, leaving BMW clear to take over its corner with the surprisingly pleasing 3 Series GT. A ‘3 Series hatch’, this is way better looking than the hideous 5 GT and will give BMW a viable rival to the Audi A5 Sportback. And if that’s too slow, head just across the way to Alpina, whose new B3 BiTurbo boosts BMW’s 3.0-litre straight six petrol to 410hp and M3-beating pace. The new M3/M4 had better be good.

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Other big events of the show included the launch of Chinese brand Qoros, Alfa’s at-last launch of the US-headed 4C, the European roll-out of the Infiniti Q50 (including diesel engines, finally), Volvo’s refresh of apparently almost every car it sells, and the emergence of a new class of car—the compact crossover.

Defined by models such as the Nissan Juke, Europeans are quite getting into these mini 4x4-look machines: Renault launched the Captur, Peugeot launched the 2008, Ford has the EcoSport, Vauxhall/Opel now has the Mokka. Word is they’re inspiring many others to follow suit, with mooted models including a baby Mercedes G-Wagen and a possible Audi Q1. Nothing stopping them coming to the US either – although the other new European sector of crossover-look city car, defined by models such as the Fiat Panda 4x4 and the VW Cross Up, could be just a bit too small for our highways.

The total list of Geneva cars to watch easily tops three figures. But of them, two were on more must-see lists than any other cars: the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1. These two models helped make Geneva 2013 a landmark events that will be celebrated in decades to come as one of the first times these two fearsome rivals on the track have directly squared up to one another on the road too.

Who will win? Which will be the better car? Looks like we’ll have to hold our breath and hope for a following wind here, given how limited the numbers are and how exclusive the cars are.

Many at Geneva seemed convinced it will be worth the wait, though… More photos below.

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