Bill Dunk, Chief Operating Officer at Bella Media and car aficionado takes a look at the poster cars from this year’s Salon International De L’auto in geneva.
Motoring enthusiasts are a passionate bunch and each of us is sure to have a bucket list of cars/museums/races/shows that we want to experience. As the greatest motor show on earth, Geneva is near the top of the list to visit for sure.
The Monaco Grand Prix, Le Mans 24 hours, Indianapolis 500 and Bathurst 1000 are the grand slam of motor racing. Different categories, different countries, all of them on incredibly exciting tracks.
The museums of Ferrari in Bologna, the spiralling BMW edifice in Munich, the hallowed halls of Alfa Romeo in Milan, are all amongst the myriad of auto-making must do meccas.
But when it comes to motor shows, the ‘Salon International de l’Auto’ in Geneva stands head and shoulders above the rest as a must see for the enthusiast. Why is this so? Geneva held its first show in 1905 and it has grown into one of the few annual events where all of the auto-players, big and small, mass-market and super exclusive get together to show off their future wares.
At this year’s show – from March 5 to 15 – supercars were everywhere, so let’s have a look at the poster cars that teenagers around the world will be sticking to their walls.
Aston Martin VulcanA track-only supercar, the Vulcan is all carbon fibre and has over 590kw (800hp). Limited to a production run of just 24 worldwide, owners will have the option of track training with Aston Martin. And with a graduating scale of power and dynamic performance adjustments this should make them the ultimate track-day warriors (with minimal risk to their very expensive car). |
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Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 ConceptWith the big Continental GT ageing gracefully, the British luxury marque unveiled a smaller coupe aimed at the likes of Aston Martin and Ferrari. This sleek two-seater is smaller and lighter than the Continental GT, and should be a good deal more nimble and it displays a new evolution of Bentley’s iconic styling language. Bentley has yet to confirm a production future for the EXP 10, but well-heeled buyers will surely be kicking down doors to order one. |
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Bugatti Veyron “La Finale”After 10 years of setting speed records around the world, Bugatti has produced the final Veyron ever, and it is aptly named “La Finale.” But before you get up hopes of snatching one, you’re too late. “La Finale” is already sold. In Geneva they displayed “La Finale” with the first Veyron from 2005 allowing visitors to see the evolution of this iconic model. |
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Ferrari 488 GTBAlthough the styling is an evolution of the 458 Italia that it replaces, with 492kw of power the 488 GTB is the first mid-engined Ferrari to receive a turbocharged motor, allowing the sprint from 0-100km/h in the same 3.0 seconds as the 458 Speciale but it reaches 200km/h in just 8.3 seconds. That is fast! |
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Ford GTThis carbonfibre supercar was built to celebrate 50 years since the Ford pulled off its 1-2-3 at Le Mans with the original GT40. It uses a twin-turbocharged Ecoboost V6 producing more than 440kw (600 hp) and although no performance figures have been issued yet their they’re sure to be fast with the lightweight spec of this GT. |
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Koenigsegg RegeraWe think of plugin hybrids as being the ultimate in green car technology. But what happens when Koenigsegg gets a hold of the idea? Featuring three electric motors alongside the conventional internal combustion engine the Regera produces over 1,100 kw (1500 hp) which should easily see it pass Bugatti’s Veyron as the fastest production car in a straight line! |
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Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 SuperveloceThe team in Sant’Agata have managed to squeeze 540kw (740hp) from the Aventador’s high-strung 6.5-liter V12. Unburdened by 50 kg of weight, with increased downforce by 170 percent, a retuned suspension, variable steering rack and new carbon-ceramic brakes, the Aventador SV can do 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 350km/h. Which nobody needs, of course, but when was a Lamborghini ever about meeting needs? |
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McLaren 675LTAt the top of McLaren’s Super Series range, the 675LT features an uprated 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 497kW of power and 700Nm of torque – a 16kW/22Nm boost over the regular (if you can call this car regular) 650S. By removing the air-conditioning, using more carbon fibre components and making a lighter engine this more aerodynamic ‘Long Tail’ version brings the 0-100km/h time down to 2.9 seconds, its 0-200km/h time to 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 300km/h. |
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Porsche Cayman GT4Porsche introduced a hardcore version of the Cayman called GT4. This is the first Cayman to venture into the 911’s performance territory. Power comes from a modified version of the 911 Carrera S’ 3.8-liter flat-six engine. Slightly detuned to produce 283kw (385hp) and teamed with a six-speed manual gearbox, the GT4 does 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds – 0.1 seconds faster than a 911 Carrera S equipped with a seven-speed manual – and on to a top speed of 295 km/h. |
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Salivating yet?
If you’re in Europe in March 2016 don’t forget to put this pilgrimage into your itinerary and see what the next batch of desirable toys look like first hand.

