2011 marks the 81st occasion that the Geneva Show has taken place, and during this time it really has become one of the most important platforms for the world’s car makers to show not just their latest production vehicles, as well as lots of their thinking as manifest in concepts cars and all manner of special displays to explain some of their technology research. With a large number of new cars and concepts previewed in the weeks leading up to the Show’s opening, many were suggested that the 2011 Show could be the best yet. That made your reporters particularly excited as they struggled with alarms going off at early and dark o’clock so as to head off to find one of Stelios’ low cost planes to take them to Geneva.To be honest, one day, even all 10 hours of it, was not enough to take in all that the Show could offer. Despite the fact that we attended on a week day, the Show was pretty busy until late in the day, by which time there was not sufficient time to return to all the busier spots from earlier on, and there were a couple of halls in which we never even managed to set foot. What follows, therefore, despite the vast number of photos (we took over 2000 between us!) will still have some gaps. Nonetheless, there should be plenty here to augment what has already been published elsewhere and for your enjoyment.

ABARTH

Three production cars on the Abarth stand, all of them recently launched, comprising the 500C, Punto Evo and a grey example of the 695 Tributo Ferrari

ABTHmm!

AC CARSThe Cobra lives on, as there were a couple of cars on the stand to prove it.

AC SCHNITZERThese just happen to be alphabetically among he first of the “modified” cars. Compared with some of what you will see later in this report, these are not to bad. Honest!

ALFA-ROMEOA small, but busy stand, this was dominated by the concept 4C Competizione. In the flesh, this appears smoother than the first pictures might have suggested, though I am not sure that the rather odd rose wine matt paint necessarily helped it.

ALPINAFour cars on the Alpina stand. It was one of many which appeared to be accessible only by invitation, but some lout who had managed to get on, horrified everyone when he found that the doors to the B3S Convertible were locked simply vaulted over the door top, and stood on the leather seats. He was quickly ejected, and quite rightly so too! That just left us with the cars to look at, with the new B5 Touring based on the latest F11 5 series Touring, representing the latest thinking.

It was complemented by examples of the B7, B3 and D3.ARTEGAThere were a couple of these Cayman-rivalling coupes on show.

ASTON-MARTINThe new Virage had the most prominent position on this stand. Very nice, but so similar to the DB9 and DBS with which is shares much.

The little Cygnet was also on show. AUDIAudi had one of the biggest and also one of the busiest stands. The A3 Concept saloon car seemed to be well received, and does indeed look smart.

Sharing a display area was an example of the new A6, a car which looks a little bulkier than the outgoing model. There was another model on the stand floor. The R8 was shown in open topped Spider format, and was attracting the crowds even though this is now a familiar model. Even more interest seemed to surround the RS3, although the less said about the wheels on the stand car, perhaps the better.   The A7 has only recently gone on sale, and there a couple of models on show.The same is true for the little A1. Other stand cars included the Q5 Hybrid, the RS5, A5 Sportback and S5 Cabrio, as well as the A3 Cabrio    BENTLEYThe latest Continental GT was first shown at Paris last autumn, but as the car has yet to go on sale, it was attracting plenty of interest in Geneva as well Study it close up, and the styling is noticeably different from the outgoing car.

Other production cars on the stand included a Flying Spur, a Mulsanne and a GTC. This car is the record holding ice racing car.BERTONEThe Jaguar based concept cars have had mixed reviews, with some preferring them to the production XJ, and others feeling that they represent a now dated style. The most surprising thing when seeing the car for real is that it appears a lot smaller than the XJ.

BMWA busy stand, as you might expect, so it was very hard to get close to any of the cars. The Vision Connect Dynamics was the concept car on one corner of the stand and was attracting a lot of interest, aided by a very impressive backdrop which projected all sorts of images including those of another similar car.

BOLLOREMaking yet another appearance was this small urban hatchback.

BRABUS BUGATTIThree Veyrons were on this stand: a couple were Grand Sports and the third was a Super Sport.

BYDSole Chinese maker at the show was BYD. Focus of their attention has shifted from producing poor quality former Toyota models to one emphasising its eco-credentials. There were examples of the former Corolla based models on show, the F6, along with a pastiche RX model, cheekily called the S6, and the e6 Eco. Sadly, it would appear that they still have a long way to come. Attention to detail is still largely absent, the plastics are of particularly poor quality, and the design of the e6 Eco, with huge raised lumps for the batteries made for some very odd seating positions. Good for a laugh, but not yet much else.

CADILLACCentrepiece of this stand included the Urban Luxury Concept car first shown at Los Angeles in 2010, as well as the XTS Premium Concept.

Production cars included the full range of CTS cars in sedan, wagon and coupe formats. CARLSSON CHEVROLETA big stand for Chevrolet, noting that this is their Centennial year. Latest models to be seen were the 5 door version of the Cruze and the 4 door version of the next generation Aveo.

Recent launches include the well received Orlando, as well as the Cruze and the Spark.The American part of the marque was well represented by the Corvette and Camaro, both shown in coupe and convertible guises, as well as the Volt. CITROENStar billing went to the massive, and really rather elegant Metropolis concept. One could just imagine this being used by the French President as it appeared very stately.

There were a number of the DS4 cars on show, and these are due to hit the roads soon. The latest C4 already has, but it is not sure if anyone noticed, as this is a rather inoffensive, but ultimately rather dull looking mid sized hatchback.     DACIANothing new on this stand, so it comprises simply a representative selection of Duster, Logan and Sandero models.

DAIHATSUGiven the recent announcement that Daihatsu will pull out of the entire European market, it was a surprise to seem this marque at the show. A full range of Cuore, Sirion. Materia and Terios were on display.

DE TOMASOPictures had warned us to be disappointed at the relaunch of the once rather zany Italian marque, and so we did not expect much from the car now christened the Deauville. Whilst it is doubtless worthy enough, it had not a shred of excitement about it. Shame.

DODGETwo cars on the Dodge stand: the latest Charger and the Challenger model in its SRT 392 guise.

EDAG E’MOBILEVarious eco cars were on this stand, some more familiar than others

FAB DESIGNIf ever there was an oxymoronically named marque, this has to be a candidate. Truly gruesome!

FERRARIA new location for the Ferrari stand, in the area which had previously been occupied by Alfa Romeo and one which endowed the marque with far more stand space. Highlight, clearly was the new FF, and two of these cars were at the front of the stand.

FIATSurprise showing for the 1908 Mephistoles racer. What a car!

There were plenty of the popular 500 based cars on show, including the latest limited edition car, the Gucci. Another show surprise was the Zagato Concept based on the 500.   FISKERJust the one example of the Karma was on show. Recently driven by the press, and receiving good reviews, this elegant electric vehicle is finally entering series production.

FORDOne very good reason for visiting this stand many times was the fact that there was a supply of glasses of water being handed out, and very welcome there were, too.

Clearly, it was also a chance to see the latest Focus in the metal, now as a production car, although the rather gawkily styled ST and the electric version are not currently available to order.

The related C-Max went on sale late in 2010, though it has yet to be particularly evident on the roads. Concept car showings included the Vertrek (a future Kuga) and the B-Max (a replacement for the largely unloved Fusion). Both exhibit the current Ford styling very clearly, and are neatly designed. There was also a concept version of the Ranger Wildtrack to see. Among other show cars was an electric version of the popular Transit Connect.Reminding us of their rallying pedigree was this Fiesta WRC car.FORNASARIKnown for their “range” of boldly styled and rather large vehicles, the 2011 stand did not disappoint, with these offerings on show

GIUGIARONo sign of the two VW concepts, the Go! and the Tex, but there were a couple of other cars on show instead.

GTA MOTORSThe Spano looked neat enough, but ultimately lacking any particularly distinguishing USP.

GUMPERTThe Tournante is a rather toned down looking car compared to previous Gumpert offerings

HAMANNYikes!

HONDAHonda had a vast stand area, with lots of space between most of their cars. Biggest highlight for them was the launch of the Jazz Hybrid, and several of these were on show.

Reflecting Honda’s development work with alternative fuel technologies, the hydrogen-powered FCX-Clarity and the US Fit EV were also on show. There were examples of the rest of the production car range, as well.HYUNDAIIt is a measure of the progress being made by this marque, to note that this stand was one of the busier ones, and it was only by returning after the show had officially closed that we were able to get some photos.

The i40 was one of the cars attracting a lot of interest. Will it sell in Europe? Only time will tell if the badge will hold it back. If that is the case, then one would have to conclude that Hyundai will have to rebrand to solve the problem, as this car looks very impressive indeed.

It will also be interesting to see how well the Veloster sells. Not perhaps the prettiest car in the class, it is well finished, and once you have ducked down a bit to clear the low roof line, there is plenty of space in the back of the car. Concept offering was the Curb. Much smaller than you might have been expecting, the looks of this are perhaps a little awkward.   In among all the other environmentally friendly vehicles, we found this one  IEDThis stunning Abarth concept is very striking indeed.

INFINITIThe Erethrea Concept car provides some clues to a forthcoming smaller Infiniti which we can expect to see in 2013. I am not sure I would want it to look quite like this, though!

Representative examples of all the current production cars were on the stand, and we had a good look at the G37 Convertible, whose folding roof seemed even more complex than typically found on such cars, and to deprive the car of any usable boot space at all. Statically, the Lexus IS was declared a better bet, but on the road, I have no doubt that the views would be reversed. INVADERNot sure that there are (printable) words to describe this. Once upon a time, this was a Lexus LX570, apparently.

JAGUAROne of few classic cars at the show was this, the self same “E” Type that so stunned the world when it debuted at the show exactly 50 years ago.

Will the same be said about the XK-R S that was making its debut in 2011? Somehow, I doubt it. Production cars included several XJ, XF and an XK. JEEPMost significant car on this stand was the latest Grand Cherokee, which is, in quality terms,a big advance on the previous model.

Also new was the facelifted Compass, with a “family look” front end replacing the rather gawky front of the earlier cars.

KIAAmong a raft of familiar production cars, three newcomers were making their debut: the new Picanto, Rio and Optima. All three look like they should help Kia to continue their relentless progress and increase in sales volume

KOENIGGSEGGTwo examples of the latest Agera car were on this stand.

LAMBORGHININo surprise that this was a popular stand, as despite all the leaked images, the real production Aventador only appeared a couple of days before the show opened. In reality, it is perhaps a little smaller than you might be expecting, but that does not reduce its visual impact, which is colossal. A stunning and very worthy looking successor to the much loved Murcielago.

Two Gallardos were there to keep it company. LANCIASeveral of the new Ypsilon were on show.

There were also a number of the Chrysler-based cars including the Flavia and Thema. Familiar models included the Musa and Delta.LAND-ROVERFirst chance to get inside an Evoque. There were two cars on the stand, both of which were three door models. Very nice indeed.

LEXUSProduction LF-A cars are now available, though the chances of seeing one on the road remain low. There was a great view of one here at the show.

There were several examples of the new CT200h, a car just going on sale, with lots of advertising publicity telling us all how this is a unique proposition as the world’s only family car sized luxury hybrid. None of the reviews I’ve yet read have been more positive than luke warm, and there was nothing in the show cars to cause to think they were being too harsh.   There were representative examples of the rest of the Lexus range, too.LOTUSJust one of the concept cars that debuted at Paris, the Esprit, was on show here. Yet again, it was hemmed into a display making it all but impossible to get decent photos.

LUMMA MAGNA STEYRMASERATIStar of the stand here was the GranCabrio Sport, making its world debut.

Also on show were a number on other cars based on the GranTurismo and Quattroporte MANSORYThere are not words to describe these. Well, not nice words. Who on earth could want things that look like this?

MAZDATwo concept cars, and both are stunning. The Shinari has been seen before, whereas the Minagi is new, and is said to be close to what we will see in a future CX3 or CX5 car later in 2011.

Production cars included the recently updated 5, the 2 and the ever popular MX5. This 787 Le Mans car was not on Mazda’s own stand, but that of a motoring magazine. Very nice.MERCEDES-BENZTwo SLS cars were on this stand, one of which was the E-Cell car, and could not be missed, thanks to its rather billious bright green paintwork.

Making its debut was the new SLK, a car which looks like a slightly wider and bulkier version of the outgoing model. The C Class Coupe was also new, and looks neat enough, but does not really shout “I want one”. Among other cars on this massive stand, was the CLS63AMG MIAAn odd design, with a central driving position, and rear seats astride this.

MINIUpstairs, the free cups of water, complete with a branded plastic cup that was yours to keep, were reason enough to visit this stand. Downstairs, and it was the Rocketman that everyone wanted to see. Overall response seemed to be very positive, though it is clear that any prospective production version would need to be made of rather less carbon fibre if the car were to be affordable.

MITSUBISHIThe Global Small Car concept presages the arrival in 2012 of a replacement for the Colt hatchback. It will be built in Thailand. Let us hope it does not go down all the same path as Nissan have done with their Micra.

MORGANThree pairs of cars on this stand: the SuperSports, the latest three wheeler and the “traditional” cars.

NISSANTucked away in a corner of Nissan’s stand was their latest concept, the Esflow. Not sure about the name and for that matter, the looks did not quite convince, either.

The Town Pod was making another appearance, as well. Definitely an ungainly looking thing, this. Among the production cars, the latest Micra was the newest vehicle on show. Although the interior quality on this one was not quite as bad as previously shown cars, disappointment has to be expressed at this car.    NOVITEC ROSSO OPELThe Zafira Concept car was the star of this stand, and looked as if it is unlikely to be changed much before it becomes a production reality.

PAGANIAlthough the world is still struggling to pronounce the latest Pagain car, the Huayra, at least the lucky ones know what it looks like in the flesh. Simply stunning is the simple answer to that. There were two cars on the stand, one in grey and the other in a lovely red colour which really suited it.

PEUGEOTShow premiere for the facelifted 308. The front end is still hideous, and the addition of a chrome strip across the hatchback does little to make this rather humdrum car any more desirable.

There is hope, though. The new 508 is a return to good looking Peugeots and the interior ambience is really rather nice. The 3008, now a common sight on the roads, appeared in Hybrid format.The concept HR1 made another reappearance. Not one of their finer efforts, I think. Also on show was the 908 HDi FAP racer.PININFARINAThis was the first stand which we visited, as it was at the top of the stairs in Hall 1. Highlight was an example of the new Ferrari FF.

PORSCHEUnlike Paris 2010, most areas of this stand were accessible to everyone. The display area at the back of the stand included a Panamera Hybrid and the 918 RSR.

Elsewhere, we were attracted by the Cayman R.   RENAULTThree dramatic concept cars were attracting large crowds. Most were around the DeZir, a car which had been seen before, but there was plenty of interest in the Captur and the R-Space, too.

The Twizy looks ready for production that is promised for early 2012.The same could be said for the Zoe. Already on sale is the large Latitude, a car unashamedly based on the Korean Samsung SM7. Destined to remain a low volume car in Europe, for sure.Production Renaults sadly not really capture the interest of the concept cars, and no amount of special editions, as applied to the Wind which was in Gordini form, can really help.RINSPEEDCentrepiece of this stand was the Bamboo.

There were also a couple of the Mitsubishi iMIEV based cars on show. ROLLS-ROYCEAll three Phantom based cars were finished in this rather regal purple hue.

RUF SAABA large stand for SAAB was probably an indication of confidence now that the much needed new models have started to filter through. There was also a concept car called the PhoeniX, which for us at least did not quite work.

SBARROLong known for outlandish creations, Sbarro was doubtless trumped by some of the more grotesque styling houses’ cars this time.

SEAT

The IBx Concept was the star of this stand, looking very much like an updated version of the Tribu that was shown a  few years ago.   SKODAThis very neatly styled concept, Vision D, was the star of the Skoda stand, and is said to presage the look for future models. I would guess that the next generation Octavia could, therefore, look something like this, which would be no bad thing, as this is a neat shape indeed.

There were plenty of examples of the extensive current production range occupying the rest of the stand. SMARTThe only car that had not been seen before was this ForSpeed concept.

SPEEDART SPORTECSPYKERTwo C8 Aileron cars on this stand

SSANGYONGThere were two examples of the new Korando, a far more conventionally styled car than previous efforts from this Korean manufacturer.

There was also a concept version of a pickup, the SUT-1.SUBARUQuite a contrast here between the production cars and the concept ones. The former are exemplified by the rather unlovable styling of the latest Legacy and Impreza models.

There is hope, though, as the concepts for the next generation Impreza and the future sports car shared with Toyota did show. A recent addition to the range is the Trezia. SUZUKIThe bright yellow Concept S version of the latest Swift was the star of this stand.

The Kizashi is already on sale in Switzerland. With no diesel car yet available, it could well struggle to sell in volumes in Europe, even though it is quite a neat design. The rest of the stand comprised plenty of familiar models. TATACentrepiece of the stand was the Pixel.

The Indigo Vista is the follow on car to the Indica hatchback, and it was complemented by the four door Manza and the SUV-esque Aria.    TESLAThe Roadster is now seen on the world’s roads, from time to time, and now we await the expansion of the range to include the saloon car that is promised for “soon”. This was as much of a glimpse as we were going to get at this show.

TOURINGAnother showing for the Bentley Flying Star model which has been produced in very small numbers.

TOYOTAMost interesting car, by some way, has to be the second iteration of the FT-86 Concept. Sporting quite a few changes from the car show in 2010 the paintwork did not make it easy to appreciate just what the car might end up looking like when we finally see the production cars.

Previewing the third generation Yaris, which is likely to appear later in 2011, was the HSD Hybrid Concept version. The Prius EV plug in hybrid was making another appearance, as was a smaller iQ based model. Among production cars were these: the Urban Cruiser and the Auris HSDVALMETVERITASShown on the Yokohama stand, note the blue tyres!

VOLKSWAGENThe Bulli is one of those concepts which looks very different in reality from the pictures. For a start. it is much smaller than I had imagined, a it is definitely Golf sized and not like the Type 2 whose styling it references.

The Golf Cabrio is a completely new production car, and is very neat, albeit not that different from the established Eos VW has a huge range these days and there were examples of almost every model, from the latest Passat, Polo GTi to the very subtle Golf R VOLVOLots of production cars here, reminding everyone of their environmental credentials, a point reinforced by the appearance of the V60 plug-in hybrid.

VREDESTEINWIESMANNJoining the more familiar MF3, 4 and 5 cars, was a new comer, the less than pretty new Spyder.

We rounded it off with a couple of much needed “grandes pressions” each and a large pizza. An excellent event. Well worth those early morning alarm calls2011-03-05 19:25:57