2011 Geneva Motor Show Wrap-up Part 1
It’s that time of year again – the 2011 Geneva Motor Show is upon us. The first week of this world wide auto show event, full of concept cars and futuristic designs, is already complete. We have been blown away at this year’s additions to the showroom floor.
And of course, pretty much every vehicle to roll past us has been electric, hybrid, or some combination of both.
Who are we to judge; and one can’t fault the automotive world for staying competitive by looking ahead. Here’s some of our top choices from this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Week One:
Tata Pixel
Tata’s state of the art mini-car. Soon to hit the streets of India, Pixel seats two and includes a “tablet-style” (think iPad) dash and instrument panel. Power comes from a rear-mounted 1.2-liter three-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, equipped with start / stop technology. Tata says Pixel has a combined fuel economy rating 69.1 mpg.
Saab 9-5 SportCombi
Many were under the impression Saab went the way of Hummer and Saturn. But alas, Saab was saved by a Swedish investment firm – and is coming back with redesigned 9-3 and 9-5 variants. The 9-5 SportCombi wagon will include a 217 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a 296 horsepower turbocharged 2.8-liter V6, or 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel with 158 hp. It’s also equipped with AWD (all-wheel drive).
Lancia Flavia
When Fiat took over Chrysler back in 2009, we all expected these auto makers to share designs. But Fiat is just getting lazy. They took Chrysler’s highly anticipated 200 sedan and slapped a new badge on it. That’s about the only change made to the Lancia Flavia. Flavia comes with Fiat’s 1.6-liter 105 horsepower “MultiJet” engine mated to an automatic transmission, making it less powerful than the American 200. Let’s see Eminem get behind the wheel of this vehicle.
Mercedes SLS AMG
Mercedes brings a slew of AMG models to the Geneva Motor Show each year, but that doesn’t make Hamann Hawk’s Mercedes SLS AMG any less special. SLS AMG already has a 6.2-liter V8 engine installed, but tuners Hamann Hawk enhanced it with high-performance titanium exhaust manifolds and sports catalysts with sports air filter. Power is raised to 628 horsepower, from the standard 563 horsepower. It also has a recorded top speed of 199 mph!
2012 Kia Rio
Yes, Kia. We were impressed at the army of 2012 – 2013 concepts the much-dissed Korean auto maker brought to Europe. On the top of our list is the always impressive (for an economy class vehicle) Kia Rio. Redesigned for next year, Rio (and the Rio5 hatchback) includes choices of engines; from a 1.2 liter that produces 86 horsepower, to a 1.4 liter that produces 108 horsepower. The latter, surprisingly, hits a top speed of 112 mph.
Wiesmann Spyder
The Spyder is a retro-looking roadster, hearkening back to the days of goggle wearing cruisers and topless cars. Wiesmann created its concept with a 4.0 liter V8 engine, producing upwards of 414 horsepower. The car clocks in under 4 seconds in a 0 – 60 run.
Espera Sbarro Evoluzione
Remember The Tumbler from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight? Basically, the Espera Sbarro Evoluzione concept looks like an updated version. This concept study was created by a group of 25 French students in 13 weeks. (You know what they say about too many cooks?) According to its presenters: “The cabin features a centrally mounted seat for the driver with two rear passenger seats. Three Recaro bucket seats in all. The Evoluzione rides on 20-inch wheels and is powered by a 1.8 liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 180 PS (132 kW / 178 bhp) supplied by Audi.”
Honorable Mention: The Lotus Evora Enduro GT Concept
We decided to give the Lotus Evora Enduro GT a nod due to its happy disposition:
Photos: World Car Fans
Leave a Reply