The Geneva Motorshow 2017 – Our Highlights
It’s becoming a yearly ritual for us at Romans International to attend the Geneva motor show. Just like the previous years, this year did not disappoint with incredible new reveals from various world leading supercar manufacturers. This year we were guests of Noble Automotive and we thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality. Here are some of our highlights from the show and what we look forward to having in our showroom in the near future.
After endless teasers from McLaren and speculations about the 720S, their all new model made its official debut at Geneva and wow did it impress. Being the replacement model for the 650S, the 720S really is an all new car and not just a facelift like the 650s was to the 12C. Faster, lighter, roomier and more aerodynamic; the levels of engineering detail gone into this model is remarkable and promises to be game changing. With an all new carbon fibre tub, brand new 4.0 litre twin turbo engine producing 710 bhp, the 720s’ party piece is its aerodynamics.
In the flesh at Geneva, we really drank in the details from the radical headlight design were there are holes that allow room for vents to feed air into the oil cooler and air conditioning system to the stunning new rear with the new sleeker wing that offers 30% more downforce than its predecessor. Performance figures are also out of this world with 0-62mph being dealt within 2.8 seconds and reaching a top speed of 212 mph. Step inside and immediately, the car feels more spacious and airy with redesigned interior surfaces and new drive, reverse and park buttons. However, the real highlight is the new driver display unit. Depending on driving mode, the instrument display unit can flip up and down to declutter their view. This is particularly useful when on track, as all the driver needs is the rev counter and speedometer. Overall, there is a sense of excitement around McLaren and we hope to see it continue. To think McLaren Automotive is only 5 years old; it’s amazing to see how far the company has come in such a short time.
Ferrari 812 Superfast
As usual at Geneva, Ferrari never disappoint and this year was like no other with the 812 Superfast. Being the most powerful series production model to leave Maranello, the Superfast felt like a facelifted F12 than an all new car. With 789 bhp and 530 lb ft of torque, the 812 beats the F12 TDF which had 770 bhp and 520 lb ft of torque. Performance figures are also identical to the TDF with 0-62 mph being dealt within 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 211 mph. The 812 Superfast is expected to be Ferrari’s final unassisted pure V12 engine, with the replacement model rumoured to offer hybrid assistance of turbochargers.
Lamborghini Huracan Performante
Lamborghini shocked the world when they recently announced that the Huracan Performante is 5 seconds faster around the famed Nurburgring than the mighty Porsche 918 Spyder. With a lap time of 6 minutes 52.01 seconds, the Performante has caused a stir among forums and conversations between petrol heads. Prior to arriving at Geneva, this was one car we were looking forward to seeing and it didn’t disappoint. Lamborghini have made a big thing about the car’s active aero such as the fixed rear wing that includes air ducts and flaps made of a single piece of forged carbon fibre. Lamborghini claims the wing gives 750% more downforce than a standard Huracan with no wing. The design of the Performante reflects that of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo racer, with a redesigned front end which is more aggressive and aligned to a race car. Other cool touches included the bronze engine cover manifold cover previously used on Lamborghini’s special editions such as the Diablo 30th Anniversary. The Performante is not a limited run supercar so expect to see a few on the road. Prices with be starting at £213,000.
Range Rover Velar
Built to sit in-between the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque, the new Range Rover Velar is set to compete against the Porsche Macan and Jaguar F Pace. We love the looks of the Range Rover Velar and with new high tech that is expected to be rolled out across the rest of the range in the near future, we are interested to see how this car performs against its rivals.
Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo
The more practical five seat Panamera Sport Turismo was officially revealed at Geneva and it looked fantastic. With a new four plus one seating layout, a large electronically operated tailgate with a significantly lower loading lip and extra 20 litres of luggage capacity behind the rear seats to total 520 litres of boot capacity; the Sport Turismo was built to win over new buyers who may have chosen an estate car. The Sport Turismo will be offered as a 4, 4S, 4S Diesel, 4 E-Hybrid and Turbo.
Porsche 911 (991.2) GT3
The eagerly anticipated 991.2 GT3 was finally showcased at Geneva and secretly we could hear all the enthusiasts sighing with relief when Porsche announced that the manual is back. The car was launched in a delicious Guards Red paint and features the revised 493 bhp 4.0 litre flat six engine used in the 911 R and GT3 RS with upgraded parts. Amazingly, it will rev all the way to 9,000 rpm and will do 200 mph. The GT3 will certainly never disappoint.
Other highlights from the show included the Pagani Huayra Roadster that looked spectacular thanks to its stunning blue carbon fibre body. This car weighs 80 kg less than the coupe due to the extensive use of new developed carbon-titanium composite. Another highlight included the Aston Martin Valkyrie previously known as the AM-RB-001 Nebula; a car that is a partnership between Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin.
If you haven’t read our recent news article on the Mercedes-Maybach G650 Laundalet, you will know that the G650 Laundalet is the final swansong for the G-Wagon. With just 99 examples being built and priced around £426,000; the G650 comes with a mighty 6.0 litre twin turbocharged V12 producing 621 bhp and 738 lb ft of torque. We couldn’t believe how massive the car was in person but were blown away by the interior quality. With the new G-Class presumably in development, we hope that Mercedes-Benz don’t stray too far away to what made the G-Class so unique and iconic. Just like Land Rover ceasing production of the wonderful Defender, we too hope both manufacturers don’t change the recipe.
Other final highlights included the beautiful matte black Ford GT with a white stripe, the Mercedes AMG GT R and the all-electric Bentley EXP 12 Speed 6e convertible that we sincerely hope Bentley put into production.