Geneva Auto Show 07

 

Pagani Zonda F

Pagani featured a pair of Zonda Fs in Geneva: a deep-blue coupe and an awe-inspiring roadster of bare carbon fiber with vibrant yellow ostrich leather. The Zonda is not a car easily missed in any color, but even amidst all the glitz and glamour of the Geneva motor show, the exposed-weave Roadster F grabbed attention like a bull by the nose.

 

Lotus Exige GT3

Lotus Sport, the performance arm of Lotus Cars that brought us the 2-Eleven track car, has developed a new concept based on the Exige GT3 racer. The new car, unveiled today in Geneva, is called the Exige GT3 'concept road vehicle', and it looks downright menacing. Its lightweight structure - made of epoxy bonded aluminium alloy and a lightweight galvanised steel rear sub-frame - is clothed in a one-piece front and wide track rear clamshell, with a full length roof scoop design taken from the Cup Exige 255 race car. The rear deck has been flattened to reduce overall drag and a massive aero-efficient rear wing with integral end plates mounted to the rear clam maintains front to rear downforce balance. A front splitter and multi-element rear diffuser further emphasise the car's sporting assertion.

 

Spyker C12 Zagato

The new Spyker C12 Zagato is the result of collaboration between Spyker Cars and the Zagato design house to commemorate Spyker's entry into the world of Formula One. The new car draws design elements and styling cues from Spyker's own F8-VII F1 car, and features a typical Zagato style element, the 'Double Bubble' panoramic roof. The C12 Zagato was built by the company's long time fabrication partner, Coventry Prototype Panels, along with a dedicated Spyker crew in a scant four weeks. Made entirely from aluminium - and based on the Spyker C12 Spyder - the rear-wheel drive sports car is powered by a Volkswagen-sourced 6-litre 12-cylinder W12 engine with 500bhp and 450lb.ft of torque. Measuring 4505mm in length with a width of 2031mm (excluding mirrors), and a height of 1250mm, the car weighs just 1480kg and is claimed to accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds, with a top speed approaching 200mph.

 

Maserati GranTurismo

Maserati revealed an all-new GT coupé at the Geneva motorshow, called GranTurismo, in the process stealing the show. A modest power increase accompanies the new car, with the naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 producing 400bhp (against the 2002 Coupé's 390bhp). The rear-wheel drive GranTurismo will also employ the new ZF automatic gearbox currently offered in the Quattroporte saloon, but will retain the steering wheel mounted paddles of the Cambiocorsa automated manual. The new transmission is equipped with an adaptive control system that adjusts the shift strategy depending on driving style and road conditions. A more powerful performance edition fitted with the Quattroporte's 'DuoSelect' transmission will join the line-up later in the year.

 

Nissan 350Z

Nissan has fitted nearly 80 per cent new engine parts to the 'next generation' 3.5-litre V6 engine, boosting power to 309bhp at 6800rpm and torque to 264lb.ft at 4800rpm. Nissan claims to have achieved this by employing a wider operating range for the variable intake and variable valve timing systems, as well as a common length exhaust manifold to reduce back pressure. Those changes supposedly act to boost low and mid-range torque. The introduction of a second knock sensor, an asymmetric piston pattern, improved cylinder cooling and iridium spark plugs are said to improve efficiency of the ignition cycle, while an increase in compression ratio from 10.3 to 10.6 has been key in liberating more top end power.

 

Saab BioPower 100

The Saab BioPower 100 concept is the company's first dedicated bio-ethanol powered vehicle. Building on the Saab 9-5 BioPower estate car revealed and subsequently sold on the European market in 2005, the BioPower 100 concept employs a 2-litre in-line four-cylinder engine optimised to run on 100 per cent bio-ethanol (E100). With the high octane ethanol fuel streaming into Saab's turbocharged engine, power output soars to a claimed 300bhp (or 150bhp per litre). This is a substantial increase over the previous 2.0t BioPower that ran on E85 - a mixture of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol - and only produced 180bhp. Torque levels have also been raised to a claimed 295lb.ft for the BioPower 100 concept and the new fuel is said to enable the optimised engine to propel the car to 62mph in 6.6 seconds, while the 50-70mph stint in fifth gear is alleged to be accomplished in an equally impressive 8.2 seconds.

 

Opel's GTC concept of its future car

The GTC concept's aggressive front end is emphasised by large aluminium vertical intakes that intersect the headlamps, elements that are mimicked in the rear exhaust outlets. The inclusion of LED lighting in the front and rear lamps propose a signature illumination graphic when the car prowls around at night. Outboard LED vertical driving lamps were also designed to communicate power and strength, while a rear diffuser is tucked beneath the rear bumper and an integrated bootlid spoiler. Under the skin, the four-seat coupé is powered by a 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine claimed to create 300bhp and a maximum 295lb.ft of torque. Acceleration to 62mph is estimated to take six seconds and the car is alleged to reach a limited 155mph top speed. A six-speed manual transmission driving an electronically-controlled four-wheel drive system (with a rear bias) transmits power to the road.

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Lamborghini unveiled a special edition Gallardo Superleggera at the Geneva motor show. The Superleggera (meaning 'super light' in Italian) weighs in at a scant 1330kg - shedding 100kg from the normal Gallardo's frame. These weight reductions were achieved through extensive use of carbon fibre, aluminium and polycarbonate and should ensure that the car appeals to enthusiasts wanting a more driver-focused Lamborghini. The lightweight carbon fibre elements include a rear diffuser and underbody covering, rear-view mirrors, door panels and the transmission tunnel covering. A carbon fibre bonnet has been fitted with transparent polycarbonate instead of glass (so the V10 powerplant is still on show, but not at the cost of weight) and some steel components within the chassis are now made from aluminium. The cabin also features monocoque carbon fibre sports seats swathed in Alcantara. Lamborghini's five-litre V10 engine is the same unit found in the standard Gallardo, but the intake and exhaust systems have been tweaked to moderately boost power. The engine's improved volumetric efficiency through reduced intake load losses and exhaust backpressure has enabled engineers to squeeze a further 10bhp from the unit, raising output to 530bhp. Torque is still rated at a healthy 376lb.ft, but revised engine performance and decreased weight allow the Superleggera to shed two-tenths off the 0-62mph run, to 3.8 seconds.

 

Gumpert Apollo Sport

The new Apollo Sport employs a tubular space frame fabricated from chrome-molybdenum steel with an integrated safety monocoque carbon-fibre structure Enormous roof and side-mounted air intakes feed cold air to the twin-turbo powerplant, based on an Audi-sourced 4.2-litre V8. Output from the mid-mounted engine is claimed to be a staggering 800bhp, enabling the Apollo Sport to reach 62mph in just 3 seconds. The car's top speed is estimated to be 233mph. A full racing aero package with a massive rear wing and lower front spoilers separates the Sport edition from its 'lesser Apollo' sibling visually. The two-seat interior is swathed with such luxury amenities as Alcantara trim, air-conditioning, a CD player and a satnav system. A reversing camera is also included to avoid embarrassing rear-end crunches.