Inside Lane Magazine Issue 26 "Geneva Motor Show"

Inside Lane

To e m o c l e W e ne v a G Issue 26

Geneva Motor Show

Here we go... The 81st Geneva International motor show, arguably the biggest show of the year and in 2011 promises to be one of the most exciting. With a vast array of new production models and concepts being seen for the first time this really is the place to be for any petrol head.

Filled with anticipation? Lets crank it up to 11 and begin!

The New Face of School Runs

If you have a mass of human cargo to transport about the place you can’t do much better than the Vauxhall Zafira. For years it has ferried children to school and back with room to spare, as a people mover it is near faultless however it was never the most exciting way of getting around. A new incarnation of this car is just around the corner and to preview it the company has let a Concept out into the wild.

The Zafira Concept looks much more space age shuttle than a people carrier, something that can only be to its advantage. It’s not just the exterior that has received a transformation, inside the cabin has moved up several pegs in terms of quality. Durability is now not the only focus as the whole environment has a much more premium look to it. The Zafira is powered by a fuel efficient 1.4 litre turbo engine with start/stop technology keeping those pounds in check whilst offering the same practicality as its predecessor.

“This Cat’s Got Claws!”

Jaguar XKR-S

Jaguar, though funded and owned by Tata motors, is still seen as the quint essential British sports car. Nobody does it like the Brits and deep within this cats heritage is a host of examples to back its CV. Today Jaguar isn’t quite as dominant as it would like to be and of late old foes have come back into view. Aston Martin since being sold by Ford has thrived and Jaguar, after being released from the same company, have done well but in comparison not as well. Whats new pussy cat?

Meet the XKR-S, Jag’s nuclear warhead!

Based upon the XK this predator of the road has had a good going over in preparation for battle. The 5.0 litre supercharged V8 engine now produces 542BHP and an astonishing 502lb-ft of torque.

0-60MPH is banished within 4.2 seconds and this shark inspired machine will continue on to 186MPH. Performance at this level rivals Aston Martin’s V12 Vantage, something that Jaguar will be keen to use as propaganda. The car sits lower with a new suspension set-up and wider rear tyres to insure that all this power can be put to good use.

Let the Jaguar/Aston rivalry reignite!

Ford hit the nail right on the head a few years ago with the C-Max. The Focus based MPV with more hight and length was perfect for those looking ford durability and practicality.

The car recently saw a redesign incorporating the companies ever evolving “Kinetic” design language. Now the blue oval are aiming for a similar market with the new Fiesta based B-Max. This “production ready concept” is larger than the Fiesta it is based on yet smaller than a C-Max. Vauxhall Meriva you have been warned! The cars revolutionary design missing the B-pillar allows for ample entry and exit space for all forms of cargo. Sliding doors at the rear add an extra element of practicality. Another interesting note is the BMax’s 1.0 litre engine that was first seen in the Start concept. This one is coupled with a turbo and boasts vast reductions in CO2 emissions.

Ford are staying tight lipped about when we will see the BMax in the showroom but from looking at what we have here we can’t imagine it being far off.

B -M A X

Boredom Has Taken A Siesta Seat, hmmmmm‌ Design wise they do often produce some rather interesting shapes. In fact the new Leon I thought was rather good but these days its whats underneath a Seat that may bother you. Oh its all perfectly well engineered stuff but it does seem like the Spanish firm received all of VW’s old hand-me-downs.

However from under a silk sheet in Geneva appears a rather exciting concept.

The Seat IBX Crossover is a very attractive car indeed. It previews future design directions for the company and also marks the first time they have considered moving into this market. Its a hybrid and in all-electric mode the car can cover a respectable 28.6 miles. Seat say this is a genuine probe to test the market for such a model and if it is well received we could see a production variant possibly with 4WD.

“Forget Ikea... This Is IKILLER!!!”

Koenigsegg Agera R Koenigsegg, much like Pagani,

Imagine one of the fastest land based

appeared to materialize from nowhere

machines on Earth and crank it up to

and take the supercar world by storm.

11. That is exactly what the R is! A no

The entire CC range went collecting

holding back, nuclear grade explosion

performance victories over well

of a car. The 5.0 litre twin turbo V8

established brands like it was doing

can produce a biblical 1,115BHP and

the weekly shop. Last year the

885lb-ft of torque, enough to frighten

company announced the Agera, the

the likes of Bugatti. Packed with a 7

first of what we now call the next

speed dual clutch gearbox even the

generation of supercar. But the

manufacturer doesn’t yet know just

Swedish company haven’t stopped

where this cars limit is. The specially

there as Geneva marks the

crafted tyres, according Koenigsegg,

beginnings of the Agera R!

are rated at 260MPH+ more than any other road tyre available.

Lamborghini Built the Murcielago, And We Saw That It Was Good...

Then Lamborghini Created The

AVENTADOR...

And We Saw That It Was BETTER!”

“Bedroom Walls Will Be Covered In Posters Of This Thing!

Lamborghini exists solely for one purpose. One night deep within the pages of history both Mr Ferrari and Mr Lamborghini sat down to dine together. The topic of sports cars arose where the two men met at a disagreement. Mr Lamborghini, who at the time built tractors, didn’t like the way Enzo was building his road cars and so he told him. He was met with a reply along the lines of “if you don’t like it build your own…” And so out of pure spite he did. Decades later and the two are still at each others throats but now Lamborghini have a new weapon of choice to take on the prancing horse. Its called the Aventador!

Replacing the much loved Murcielago the Aventador is an all new car suited and booted with the latest technology. A brand new V12 heart pounds out 691BHP and will hurtle this monster from 0-62MPH in just 2.9 seconds. The car will not relent until it hits 217MPH, with a sharp new dual clutch gearbox and redline of 8,250rpm it wont take long at all to get there. Inside is a fabulously sculpted cockpit with high centre console and man eating seats.

We just love it! This truly does represent the Lamborghini of today.

Aggressive, powerful, the sort of machine that if it walked into a crowded room could cause silence to fall. Until you fired it up of course.

Alfa Romeo 4C

Alfa Romeo is the definition what cars mean to

This glorious piece of design is called the 4C

many people. It is more than just a way of

and it is to become one of the ultimate cars the

getting from point A to point B, it is more than

brand has ever made. Though not as powerful

something to put the shopping in. An Alfa

as its bigger brother it is intended to be a

Romeo is what driving pleasure is all about.

permanent fixture to the line-up. The car is

The car communicating with the driver,

powered by a four cylinder turbo engine that

rewarding him or her for exuberance. The

offers just over 200BHP. That may sound a

current range, though brilliant, is lacking a

little on the low side but do bare in mind this it

coupe since the limited edition 8C left us. But

weighs just 850KG meaning a 0-62MPH run

now Alfa Romeo have brought us a new gift,

can be done in under 5 seconds. This is a

and we like it a lot!

concept but sources from within Alfa Romeo are expecting the 4C to hit production.

Aston Martin Virage We were none too happy about Aston Martin’s We were none too happy about Aston Martin’s latest release. The ugly rebadged Toyota iQ that goes by the name Cygnet was about as far away from an Aston Martin as is physically possible to be so. However the British company have yet another new car for us to get excited about, and lets be honest, a new model from this brand always means excitement.

It is called the Virage and if you are thinking “that looks very much like a DB9” you would be spot on. You see when manufacturers say “all new” they mean its a new model and the Virage is based upon the DB9.

Designed to slot between the standard DB9 and the DBS the new car has some very seductive new shapes and that certainly worked their magic on us. Under the bonnet is the same 6.0 litre V12 heart but with 490BHP and 420lb-ft of torque. 0-62MPH is done in under 4.5 seconds and it wont stop until it reaches 186MPH. Carbon breaks and Pirell P Zero tyres are standard making this car a true performance package from the get go.

We like, we like very much.

Double Bubble

Now the way motor shows work

Zagato, have taken a shine to

into the profile. The rear

from our point of view is that the

the 500 and produced a

quarters have also gained more

show is announced, there is a

masterpiece.

muscle in the hunches making it

few truck loads of speculation

look like a little bruiser that

that builds up, we get some of

The 500 Coupe by Zagato is of

might just take a pop at anyone

the facts from manufacturers

course based upon the

who calls it a “pretty boy.�

and are told to keep them quiet,

standard car but with a few

then the day arrives and all

gorgeous new aspects to it. The

Unfortunately the car is just a

goes to plan. Well Fiat kept this

double-bubble roof is the Italian

concept for now but we live in

one quiet and it has become the

design firms signature and on

hope that it could make it into

biggest surprise of the show so

the 500 in combination with the

production if the current is

far. Legendary designers,

sloping roofline fits beautifully

flowing in the right direction.