Page 1 of 4 Single page view
Machines of excess and power leave financial woes in their wake.
GREEN vehicles may be the flavour of the 21st century but it doesn't mean the world's car-makers can't still indulge in some high-powered frivolity. The 2009 Salon de l'Automobile - or Geneva motor show - verified that.
From the Audi TT RS and Bentley Continental Supersports to the Mazda3 MPS and Renault Clio Sport Tourer, high-performance variants accounted for much of the glitz of Europe's first major motor show of the year.
In keeping with the performance-focused theme of Europe's glamour show - running until March 15 - it's clear there's still room for horsepower, albeit at more subdued levels than we've seen in the past.
And just in case you were worried the world's millionaires would have nowhere to splash their play money, Ferrari took the covers off the race-going version of its 599 - called the 599XX - while Aston Martin showed off the carbon fibre-laced One-77.
Each is unlikely to leave any change from $1 million. Downsizing well-to-doers could join the queue for the Rolls-Royce 200EX, an experimental vehicle that points to the upcoming RR4, the long-awaited baby brother to the behemoth Phantom.
Or there's the most potent of Lamborghinis, which comes with a name almost as long as its V12 engine, the Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce.
Indeed, a few minutes in the Palexpo Convention Centre halls would be enough to make you question whether there was a financial crisis at all.
"Geneva (motor show) has always been like that," says Anders-Sundt Jensen, head of Mercedes-Benz car brand management. "Geneva is the classic dream fair. (And) Switzerland is one of the richest spots in the world." He says there is clearly still a place for the sorts of cars most of us will never afford but the type many will dream of owning if the sharemarket takes off at the same pace that it nosedived.
"We're all hypocrites; we always talk about green issues and this and that but where do we all stop and where do they start staring?" Jensen says.
The other end of the socio-economic spectrum was well represented at Geneva. Brilliance, a Chinese brand with bold aspirations of infiltrating the tough European market, revealed the car it hopes will tempt buyers from more well-known nameplates. The BS2 may lack attention to detail and design flair but its pricing promises to make rivals take notice.
Another with a price tag more in keeping with today's economic uncertainty is the Indian-sourced Suzuki Alto and its twin under the skin, the Nissan Pixo.
Also from India is a freshened version of the Nano, one of the cheapest new cars in the world and poised to take advantage of demand from that country's masses.
Not everyone could join the performance party in the current climate. General Motors resisted previous Geneva temptations, instead showing off the European version of the car it hopes will become a symbol of the former world No.1's revival. Called the Opel Ampera, it boasts mild tweaks to the Chevrolet Volt electric car, which can be recharged in a regular powerpoint.
GM wasn't alone in its eco efforts. Organisers created a "Green Pavilion" for the first time, giving suppliers the chance to showcase eco-friendly technologies.
Carbon dioxide has made headlines at most motor shows and Geneva couldn't escape either. Many cars had stickers declaring how much carbon dioxide they produced for each kilometre travelled. Fiat went a step further, using an aviary (complete with television screens full of "birds") to cover its next environmentally- friendly star.
Anyone who thought the trend towards white cars would fade was proved wrong. Honda arrived with a fleet of Insight hybrids, every one of them white. Its natural rival, the Toyota Prius, was also white, flanked by an armada of white Toyotas. Continued…
Click
No comments:
Post a Comment