Karl went to the Geneva Motor Show in the hunt for a little escapism, and came home disappointed by the lull in concept land.
The capital of diplomacy. The home of the Red Cross. A chief site for the United Nations. Yes, Geneva, Switzerland’s second largest city, has certainly cemented its place on the world stage. For those with a penchant for all things automotive, it’s no less important.
The Salon International de l’Auto is the venue to be seen in if you want to be noticed. It’s the biggest motor show on the automotive calendar, in terms of both floor space and visitor numbers. The motoring industry’s heaviest hitters are all there, and it’s certainly a spectacle to behold – especially when manufacturers all try to outdo each other’s launches and reveals. Smoke machines, light shows, circus acts, singers – grabbing your attention is the aim of the game.
Fiat’s coffee was the best this year. It drew more crowds than the machines on its stands. So much so that security guards were called in to monitor the journos desperately clawing past each other, trying to get caffeinated before the next reveal. But, sadly, there was something lacking from the Geneva Motor Show. Looking around, the displays and the cutaways, rolling chassis and new models were all there. So what was it?
Last year, Bentley wowed us with the EXP 10 Speed 6. The year before, it was the Toyota FT-1 that caught our attention. In 2013, the Opel Monza, Maserati Alfieri and the Cadillac Elmiraj all vied for the best looking sheet-metal on show.
Over the past decade, there have been some absolutely stunning machines. Witness the Lamborghini Estoque from 2008 (which really should have got the green light), Bugatti Galiber (2009), the Citroen Numero 9 (2012), Citroen Survolt (2010), Ford Interceptor (2007), Peugeot Onyx (2012), Jaguar C-X75 (2010), Cadillac Elmiraj (2013), Maserati Birdcage (2005), Citroen GT (2008), and Lotus Esprit (2010).
As you’ve probably guessed, the common theme running through all of these is that they were concept cars. They were all beautiful to behold, and probably horrible to drive if we’re honest – after all, concepts aren’t exactly the most complete vehicles underneath. But they were there. They were eye candy. They were the future.
This year’s show was a different story. Where was the wow factor? Where were the sultry curves and impossible angles? Where were the impractical wheels and wild body kits? Oh, sure, there were some concept cars – and Pininfarina’s H2 Speed was probably closest to what we’ve come to expect – but, for the most part, there was nothing to knock your socks off. The Toyota C-HR? Ugly. The Opel GT Concept? The proportions are wrong. The Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze? Yawn.
Have we reached peak concept? Is there no imagination left? Thing is, some of the best metal was in actual production machines. The Bugatti Chiron and the Aston Martin DB11 come to mind. Just in those two you have the drool factor sorted. Then there’s the insane Lamborghini Centenario. Enough said. Move down to more affordable metal and Volvo’s new wagon, the V90, and Renault’s Megane GT Wagon, are both stunning to ogle.
When the production cars are outshining the concepts, you know there’s something wrong with the world. We don’t need more SUV concepts – variations on a theme can only go so far. Designers of the world take note – look at the past decade in concepts and go from there.
Sure, we’re only in the first half of the year, and there are a few motor shows to go – but here’s hoping that things turn around in concept land.
We all need a bit of escapism now and then.
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