46 FEATURE Geneva Motor Show
Geneva Motor Show Top 10
engine acquired from AMG, Mercedes-Benz’s performance division. Pagani claims a 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top end of 230mph. Its looks are a bit Marmite and it will no doubt appeal to lovers of ultra-high-end sports cars, but it does strike us as being irrelevant to the point of absurd. Thankfully, the Alfa Romeo 4C concept previews what is
likely to be a more reasonably priced production car, which the Italian carmaker says we’ll see in 2012. Following a path forged by the exclusive 8C, Alfa describes its smaller sibling as a compact supercar. It’s a two-seat, rear-wheel drive coupe with a mid-mounted 1,750cc turbo petrol engine producing more than 200bhp but its looks are what make it worthy of note. With echoes of the Lotus Evora, and elements of Ferrari thrown in for good measure, its muscular rear and sensual surfaces make it every inch an Italian sports car. If it also manages to somehow restore Alfa’s renowned driving mojo, it should be a winner. If this year’s Geneva show tells us anything, it’s that the
car industry is a considerably more buoyant mood than it was two years ago. If that mood is based on anything more than hope and blind faith that consumers will always be there to buy its latest products, the manufacturers are fully justified in showering us with this array of exciting and innovative cars. The one real positive, though, is that carmakers are finally conscious of the need to build cars for a future in which oil is in short supply. Hybrids are certainly a stepping stone in that direction, but electric vehicles – if industrialised economies also grasp the mantle of producing cleaner electricity – are a more long-term solution. Nobody knows for sure if the future looks bright, but Geneva showed that at least the car industry is finally monitoring the weather forecast closely.
With so much new and exciting metal on display in the Geneva, picking the highlights isn’t easy. But here, in no particular order are the 10 cars we’d most like to drive:
1 2
9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Alfa Romeo 4C 10
Ferrari FF You have to hand it to the prancing horse for having the chutzpah to eschew its usual classic sports car form and design a 4x4 shooting brake that still looks like a Ferrari.
Alfa Romeo 4C A rather beautiful sports car, the proof of the production car pudding in 2012 will be whether its driving dynamics match its looks.
Kia Rio Kia could well have the best-looking model range of any mass-market manufacturer in the near future, if it continues building cars that look this good.
BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Stunning roadster looks and more technology than you can shake an iPad at, if this is the future, we can’t wait to hop into a car like this and get there.
Renault R-Space An unheralded surprise unveiling, the R-Space shows off Renault’s new design direction and previews an intriguing new look for its MPVs.
Mini Rocketman After the supersized – and maligned – Countryman, Mini returns to its small car roots with a concept that hints at a new city car for the brand.
Nissan Esflow Electric cars don’t have to be practical hatchbacks – and if they look this sexy, drivers will be queuing around the block to sign up for one.
Ford B-Max A Fiesta-based mini-MPV with twin rear sliding doors? What’s not to like?
Volkswagen Combi Volkswagen designs a microbus for the 21st Century – finally. If a version of this concept makes it to series production, we predict that it will be a huge success.
Rolls-Royce 102EX Although it’s only a test bed, this electric Rolls-Royce shows that electric cars are viable even at the upper reaches of the car market.
Alfa Romeo 4C driving | April / May 2011
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