Lamborghini Huracan Performante emerged as
the “star of the show” for achieving a unique circuit lap record before coming to Geneva.
The superstars on display at the motor show are plenty but choosing one overall winner this year was no easy task.
At least seven new models have been revealed this year including the Ferrari 812 Superfast, the Lamborghini Huracan Performante, the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the McLaren 720 S, the Porsche 911 GT3 and the Mercedes AMG GT.
They are all worthy supercars but judging by actual performance — not company-released figures — the winner at this year’s event in Geneva is without doubt the Lamborghini Huracan Performante.
Before coming to Geneva the company put the new Huracan to the test at the toughest circuit in the world: The Nurburgring Nordschleife for a few laps during a 15-minute window last October. The Huracan set a record lap time 6 minutes 52.01 seconds. The Porsche 918 Spyder held the record of the 13-mile circuit but the Huracan took full 5 seconds off the record. The Huracan did it while cloaked in camouflage to hide details of its design prior to its official unveiling this week at Geneva.
This is a tuned version of the original Huracan and has the same 5.2-liter V-10 engine but raising output from 602 brake horsepower (bhp) to 640bhp.
The 2017 Geneva Motor Show, which started this week and continues through March 19, managed to impress the media beyond their expectations. Although there were many topics of discussions about future mobility, autonomous driving, electric vehicles and the GM abandoning Europe, the main focus of Geneva this year was speed and style.
The Ferrari 812 Superfast — 800bhp from a V12 engine — has more power than the Huracan but the Huracan has active aerodynamics, carbon-fiber lightweight body and a proven record. Other supercars are also very capable and they all belong to the Geneva’s hall of fame. The McLaren seems to excel in looks and style. But, supercars need to try a lap at Nurburgring.
There were also many affordable sports cars including the Alpine A110, the Alfa 4C and the Honda Civic Type R.
SUVs
Geneva was not about sports cars alone as sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and crossover utility vehicles (CUVs) made their mark too, with Land Rover revealing the Range Rover Velar and Volvo displaying the new XC60. Both companies used to belong to Ford but they are now owned by Indians and Chinese investors and are very successful after gaining their independence.
Velar proved to be one of the best-looking SUVs at the show with an impressive interior with minimal use of buttons and hidden-until-lit panels. It was displayed on the stand between the Evoque and the Sport filling the middle gap in the company’s SUV lineup.
The star of the SUV segment was without a doubt the Bentley Bentayga Mulliner, the ultimate luxury SUV. Exclusive features include a bottle cooler and bespoke Mulliner interior with color-split and contrast embroidery. This unique Mulliner collection will be built in limited numbers. Specifications include the Bentley’s class-leading 6.0-liter, W12 engine. With 608 PS (600 bhp) and 900 Nm of torque delivering a 0-60 mph time of 4 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds) and a top speed of 187 mph (301 km/h), the Bentayga is the world’s fastest SUV.
Jaguar also introduced the F-Pace SUV, which came in the top three of 2017 World Car of the Year and World Car Design Awards.
Electric future
Bentley also introduced the EXP 12 Speed 6e concept, which defines a new luxury electric vehicles’ segment. This concept was designed to gauge public feedback in order to shape Bentley’s future strategy. Wolfgang Durheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, said: “The EXP 12 Speed 6e is a concept to show that Bentley is defining electric motoring in the luxury sector, with the appropriate technology, high quality materials and refinement levels you’d expect from a true Bentley.”
Another electric concept on display was the I-Pace from Jaguar, which promises Tesla-matching performance. Chief designer Ian Callum confirms that the concept is very close to the real version.
One more concept came from Volkswagen (VW) in the form of a driverless pod called Sedric, which could be a future taxi working in an urban environment or perhaps at the airports.
Another form of future technology was introduced by Hyundai. FE Concept is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle capable of 800 km between fuel stops.

Source: Arab News