2017 Automation Geneva International Motor Show

Dorifto_Dorito · 18 March 2017 09:39

I thought that was last year

Oskiinus · 18 March 2017 19:47

Airborne Motor Group announcement

We’re sad to announce that Haight Industries’s new luxury landship and RZ Automobili cars couldn’t make to the show due to our problems with transporting them to the show. They will be shown at NY Motor Show instead.

We also have good news, pricing of all cars shown are known now! Keep in mind that those are starting prices without any kind of additional taxation or additional stuff requested by buyer.

*Alpha Estate in Italy

Airborne Automotive
2018 Alpha 2.0 Coupe - 27.590 $ (110.130 zł)
2018 Alpha 2.0 Sedan - 27.910 $ (111.410 zł)
2018 Alpha Clubman - 39.515 $ (157.730 zł)
2018 Gamma* 2.0 - 27.930 $ (111.490 zł)

Additional equipment
Premium interior (N/A for Clubman) - 4000 $ (15.960 zł)
Digit Lap Recording (DLR system) (Clubman only) - 1500 $ (5980 zł)

Ray Automobiles/Cars
2018 Shibatron CJ - 2.984.350 JPY (approx. 26.360 $)
2018 Shibatron CJ-t - 2.990.800 JPY (approx. 26.410 $)
2018 Shibatron GTB - 32.360 GBP (approx. 40.100 $)

Additional equipment
Premium interior - 4700 $
Miles per hour speedometer - 0$ (it’s also standard on Shibatron GTB)

Today (18/03/2017) Mei Onashikara walked on the stage for a bit and started her final speech of this show:
Okay, people. I’m glad you had visited our stands. I want also to thank Gavin Anderson in name of CEO Skrzyszowicki and our master race driver… (quietly) well except me - Josef Weisswald for taking a part of our development here. We also hope for futher cooperation. And don’t worry sweetheart your boss doesn’t know about anything here (laughs).

Okay, thank you people for fun here and see you on next motor show, which I hope will occur soon because we have SO MUCH FUCKING DELAYS (laughs again). Okay, goodbye!

(Mei walks out of scene and everyone’s clapping)

ramthecowy · 18 March 2017 23:35

There’s quite a bit of reading in this. If you prefer a more convenient format, click here for the pdf which you can interact with more easily, it’s also just better flowing and looks crisper. I just thought it would be refreshing to bring out something a little unique - a magazine! I hope you enjoy!

Hshan · 18 March 2017 23:43

Well, yeah, and I came here with my Paint skills…

ramthecowy · 18 March 2017 23:45

You have no idea how much time I burned trying to get Photoshop, Inkscape, InDesign and Automation to all merge together to make this happen. You don’t want to either

DeusExMackia · 18 March 2017 23:52

#Daily Round-Up - Day 10
Welcome back to Geneva for the final time this year, where the doors have closed and the show has finished. It’s been a brilliant two weeks of amazing cars from all aspects of the automation world, and I can only hope to have conveyed that brilliance well enough with my writing.

Well, two things happened today. I was subtly flirted at by Mei of Airborne as they gave an end-of-show briefing, as well as revealling prices for the Alpha and the Shibatron. They all look to be fairly regular for an exclusive all-aluminum compact.

Then, out of the blue, Cavallera made a last-minute announcement and unveiled a new partnership with Zenshi. Called the Seiryu, this all new mid-engined sportscar is astoundingly quick by the looks of the specs, very light weight and is styled beautifully. Aside from the overtly sexual brochure accompanying the car, which is actually a review of the car…we’re not sure how that works, but anyway…the Seiryu seems to be one of the most promising sports cars in recent years.

While not quite ready for production yet, this collaboration between the Cavallera Japanese design house and Zenshi has got us very excited. How it will compare to the other sports cars revealled at the show, including the EADC Corsair and DSD Saratoga which are both very much in this thing’s price range, is yet to be seen. The high-grade materials and sheer preciseness of this thing though certainly make it stand out.

So, uh, cough cough, sports car shootout anyone?
this is a very subtle hint that i want the entry level Scarlet to be included in this review just saying hint hint wink wink nudge nudge all the rest and that i’d like somenone else to write it

Oh, and this other company, you might have heard of them, revealed this hot hot called the “C-Two-Thousand-R”…

.

Yes, that’s right, after what has felt the passing of an entire century, Saminda have revealed the C2000R, and there’s no other way to put it, pretty much everyone at the show was crowded around the stand for best part of the day. The hotly anticipated car actually managed to get trending on Tiwtter, and looks just as good as everyone hope it would. Crisp, blocky fixtures detailed with performance-hinting lines make this thing look stunning. And this really is it, this is the actual car C2KR that will actually be in actual Saminda showrooms very soon (hopefully).

However, I’ve spent most of the day hanging out with car enthusiasts in the form of some DSD and EADC engineers, plus a couple of DSD fans, driving some of the latest and greatest from the automotive world. Here’s what went down.

If you want a true Genevan experience while you’re in the city, seek out the Restaurant Hôtel du Parc des Eaux-Vives. Their dining room has a splendid view out over a lawn on a small hill in the south east of the city, and said view extends onto the lake and on to the Swiss Alps in the distance. I’m sitting near one of the massive windows eating the restaraunt’s acclaimed traditional veal blanquette, and while I’m no food reviewer, I can certainly say that I like it it.

Sitting with me are a group of car enthusiasts; two of the engineers I met at the EADC rally day, some guys from DSD and some DSD fans who’ve come down to the show from France. Apparently they’re fans of my work, which is saying something, as I didn’t think I had any. The conversation is, of course, about cars, and more specifically, the cars we’ve seen at Geneva this year. The Grandea GTR and Ginmei 38RS debate finds its way into our talk, and it’s fair to say that opinion is split. Among other things, we also discussed the Impakt 260R - the EADC guys seem very keen to have a go in it.

Lunch over and it’s time to go do some driving. It’s a glorious spring saturday afternoon, the lake is looking beautiful and the mountain roads are calling. In the carpark of the restaurant-hotel is a selection of the sports cars displayed at this years show, including two version of the Saratoga - the R+ and the Turbo -, a DSD Puissant, a DSD-tuned Maesima MRZ-384, and two very special cars indeed - the Sachiuri Sagitta and Auxuras Arrow. These two are still works in progress, but holy hell have I been waiting to get my hands on one…

tres Mini.jpg1609×1207 1.36 MB

Just about managing to squeeze all the cars in to one shot. Don’t tell the police we drove on the pavement, you know what they’re like in Switzerland…
Left to right: Puissant, MRZ 384, Arrow, Sagitta

…and that will have to wait. The joint Saminda-Maesima accompanying these cars are not letting me drive it, but they are going to be following our convoy. It’s incredible to finally see these things in the flesh; both based on the Maesima DRV concept, they’re expected to be the two new defining stars of the sports car world when they’re released soon, and there’s no doubt that this partnership has sent shivers down the spines of their rivals. No specs, no details, no nothing about these cars as of now. No one but us even knows they’re in Geneva.

We head back towards the city centre, passing through it on our way into the Swiss Alps. I’m in one of my personal favorite cars from this year’s show, the Saratoga, with an excited CEO Noble Romeo sat next to me. This car is the product of years and years of R&D, and is undoubtedly one of their finest achievements, and the pride in Romeo’s voice gives that away.

“It’s our finest car in years. I think of it almost as my child in some ways” he says in a prophetic manner.
It’s a proper, proper sports car. Such a vague phrase, I know, but it feels like a type of car we’re seeing less and less of today in the ever-corporaratising world of the auto industry. That makes it all the more glad to hear that not only do companies still want to make these cars, but there are people with huge passion for them behind such projects.

The Saratoga, however, is not too well suited to city driving. It’s a bit too wide for some of the narrower streets in the old town, unlike its new baby brother, the Puissant. It’s the automotive equivalent of a toddler shoe, yet it drives like a go-kart. The retro styling feels unique, while the hybrid powertrain is, for lack of a better word, electrifying.

Dos.jpg1903×1427 1.77 MB

These cobbled streets are no place for a supercar, but this shot could not be missed.
Left to right: Saratoga Turbo, Saratoga R+

We cruise up the E62 for an hour, passing Lausanne before turning north toward the mountains. Through the towns of Penthalaz and Cossonay we go, and we’ve made it into the Swiss countryside. Graceful roads, open fields and ever-increasing-hilliness greet us, and there’s a sense that the cars can feel that too. The Saratoga is at home here. This R+ trim is the best one in the range as a balance between power and finesse, less extreme than its Turbo cousin which is sitting in front of me, but more exciting than the less powerful entry-level trims.

On the straights, the Turbo is the king. It blasts away every time, and I get to enjoy watching that stunning rear-end design creep further into the distance before coming back again as we go into more corners. Behind us, the Sagitta and Arrow swoosh along, looking incredibly balanced and smooth. The low, wide nose of the body of those cars coupled with their massive grills really does create some serious presence, almost as if they’re always on the attack.

We’re not allowed to see them at full pelt, however. Not just because to do that, we’d have to break the law, but because we aren’t allowed to know just how fast they’re going to be yet. Still, we can confirm that Auxuars and Sachiuri have got the looks right.

We hit Mont-la-Ville for a quick regroup, and at last its time for some mountain driving. The DSD fans chose this route specifically for this. One of them says “I found this road while on holiday here last summer. We were in this hired Adenine of some sorts, I think it was some entry-level model as it had minute amounts of power, and we took it out here for blitz, never had so much fun in such a slow car!”. That’s the kind of enthusiasm I like to see.

The Puissant leads the way, being very well suited to these tight roads. As we climb up Mollendruz, it tackles each switchback bend and cliff-hugging turn with ease. It may be the baby of the DSD range, but it’s grown-up enough to know what it’s doing.

The MRZ-384 shoots past me to join it - two low-end sports cars battling it out on these roads, both with DSD underpinnings. The MRZ is a great car all round, but this DSD tuned version is properly exciting. Perhaps a bit too brash for a customer in search of a purer sports car experience, but it’s such a great car none the less. Plus, with the roof down, the added beauty of the smooth body not being disrupted by the folding roof is something to behold.

I wish I could tell you about the noise I experienced when we ducked into the valley along the Route de Marchairuz. It was something else. The thrummy i4’s of the MRZ and Puissant, the refined brashness of the V8s in the Saratogas, and the…broader and lower V8s, I think?, of the Sagitta and Arrow to add a bit apocalyptic bass to the soundtrack. What a joy to hear them all building up revs and then cascading down through the gears all at once. The hairs on my arms were on end.

We stop in the village of Saint George for a quick drink and some food. The DSD fans are having an amazing time, to say the least, while everyone else is concerned about how everyone else found the cars they were driving to be. The one everyone is talking about though is the Puissant. It holds up incredibly well against much more powerful contemporaries on roads like these, and by the looks on the faces of those who got to drive it, it made them very happy indeed.

Our convoy returns to Geneva and stops at the Palexpo, where I leave them to go and do another drive. Romeo and I are off to dinner in the city with some other journalists and DSD engineers before the big Hodan After Party, and I’m being joined by some contacts from Maesima and Znopresk. They’ve set aside a Maesima Devina and Znopresk Zap to be our rides for the evening.

The European city is the natural home of the supermini, and it’s no exception with the Zap and Devina. Even if the Maesima is not from round these parts, the international aspect of this little road test feels well suited to a city that is a world capital of science, politics and economics. On the motorway in, both cars do very well, as you’d expect. The sequential gearbox on the Zap was dismissed as a novelty by some reviewers, but for ease of usage, it’s absolutely brilliant.

We turn off onto some side streets around the Saint-Jean area for some tight city driving. Both cars are pretty indistinguishable here; small form factor, nice steering and good low-end performance. Romeo is certainly impressed by the quietness of the Zap - “I can’t believe this is sub-£15k car if I’m honest” he remarks.

The Devina certainly feels more at home here though. Not for physical reasons, but just because it’s more exciting. The Zap is great for those wanting a car that’s as easy to drive as cooking peas in a microwave, but the Devina feels like something with a more wide appeal. And on the stylish city streets of Geneva, it manages to blend in and still turn heads all at once.

Uno.jpg800×800 311 KB

Supermini chic, amirite? Either way, both cars look good here, and the cream of the Zap manages somehow not to look overly elderly …
Left to right: Devina, Zap!

A quick cruise around the Plainpalais and we sift down into the heart of the city. We arrive at our destination, the Restaurant Le Flore on a cosy backstreet. I’m told they serve some amazing Alpine puddings here, as well as some German inspired main courses with a home-made twist. Sitting with my new friends for the next 9 hours, I glance out to the Devina and Zap parked outside. Few could deny how at-home they look here.

A few hours later and fresh change of clothes and it’s time to go the after party. Days like these are what I live for as a motoring journalists - spending time with enthusiasts who love driving as much as I do, and talking with them is always so enlightening and interesting. And of course, one of the perks of the job is being able to go night-outs like this. Here’s hoping we won’t have a repeat of last time…

And there we have it! Geneva 2017 comes to a close. Thank you very much for following our coverage, we hope you’ve enjoyed this as much as we have. I’ll be back later in the year when the next show is on, most likely New York at this rate, though that isn’t for 6 darn months. Ugh.

Anyhow, time to get shitfaced at the After Party and possibly see if Mei will go for the classic “Can I get you a drink?” line… bye for now!

- Gavin Anderson

abg7 · 19 March 2017 00:04

The Geneva Motor Show could not have come to a better conclusion!

ramthecowy · 19 March 2017 00:10

I can’t tell if Gavin is mocking me or what

cough magazine article

Seiryu

Anyhow, thanks @DeusExMackia for putting on another motor show for us, it was really enjoyable and great fun. If only I had more time…

[official mode activated]
Unfortunately Cavallera has been unable to bring the rally concept teased earlier in this show here. An appearance is guaranteed in the next motor show.

DeusExMackia · 19 March 2017 00:24

My bad! Blame that on my reading skills, trying to do this from my laptop in a dark room is harder than it sounds

Darkshine5 · 19 March 2017 12:24

Awesome dude. Amazing writing and amazing pics. Thank you for the kind words tgese are goind straight into the dsd lore vault

Dorifto_Dorito · 19 March 2017 17:15

Dont worry! Ill just get the Delorean back up to 88mph and we’ll all be in 60’s in no time…get ready for the 1960’s Earls Court Auto Show coming soon…

Also Part 1 of the Independent Review of the Berlose and Espada coming soon too

ramthecowy · 19 March 2017 17:16

UWOTM8

Dorifto_Dorito · 19 March 2017 17:19

Thats right! We’re going back in time.

DeusExMackia · 19 March 2017 20:43

Get ready for Gordon Anderson, dashing jet-set journalist with more grease in his hair than a 3 speed column changer!

Hshan · 19 March 2017 21:05

Will we get “best in show” voting this time, as we did in Detroit?

DeusExMackia · 19 March 2017 21:45

Damn! I haven’t thought about that at all. I’ll do it if people want, though if I’m honest I don’t want to go through all the cars again to find best ones in each category, so what I might do instead is simply pick the best car from company (selected based on my opinion). How does that sound guys?

Hshan · 19 March 2017 21:46

Perfect for me

ramthecowy · 19 March 2017 21:46

Great considering my company only released one car

stickmaster62 · 19 March 2017 23:42

I have no quarrels over the idea. I’m curios which MAC car is most popular.

DeusExMackia · 20 March 2017 15:17

It’s the most coveted .png file in the whole world!
probably

And it’s up to you to decide it. One vote per person to decide who really stole the show at Geneva this year.

Rules of selection are simple: one new car per company* chosen by Gavin Anderson.

No limits on voting; vote for yourself if you want, though I’d encourage to vote for something else.

One thing to note: This has had to be split up into two poles. Such is the way with Discourse’s poll feature, you can only have two options per poll. So, there will be two winners and then a final vote. I hope this is fair to you guys!

Vote away! You have until Thursday 23rd at 22:00 GMT to get your votes in!

0 voters

Yeah. That’s a lot of cars. Then again, it was a big show this year, and we can’t have all that talent not being included in the vote!

As a side note, here are S.A.M.'s pick of the best cars from the show.

Kimura Auriga - A whole new definition of the compact. Smart, well presented and well equipped, and superbly well priced.

Maesima Devina/Evgenis Nemean/Znopresk Zap! - Three very good supermini’s all in one show, each offering a different experience and all very competitive. Which one is best is going to become one of the big automotive debates of the year.

DSD Saratoga - Easily the most exciting thing that has been released this year so far, and so much better now that the final production version has been launched.

AMCC Comet - We’re seriously looking forward to driving this later in the year. A stunning new mid-range GT coupe, which with any luck will drive as good as it looks.

Turin Exalt/Cavallea-Zenshi Seiryu - Exceptionally fun to drive, both aiming to offer roughly the same thing (a no-frills sports car experience), both very good at what they do.

OAM Traveller II - We have the saddest feeling that this car might flop in its market for simply being too powerful and inefficient, but it’s such a unique and fun motor that such an outcome would be a huge shame.