88th International Motor Show (Geneva International Motor Show 2018)

DeusExMackia · 8 March 2018 22:22

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Press Day 2

After a less-than-sightly time last night where I managed to end up buying no less than 3 rounds of drinks for some of the women from Scagliati at the show, I managed to get composed enough and sober enough to get the low-down on day 2. With the show opening to the public shortly, Geneva 2018’s reel of official announcements are now complete. Time to see what went down on the final day

Montes are going retro with spoked wheels on their new Roadster. It’s a bit of a fad, but it’s at least a decent looker. See earlier for my full verdict in my review of the car.

The, er…Mikonop Auto Group (???) announced a slew of cars. There was the previously-seen and now slightly updated 1200hp EcaMobile Project 400 is now called “Final Table”. Eh? The name is about as exciting as it looks. Then there was the equally plane Neko Maneki Hybrid. It’s a fast MR sports coupe which comes with active aero. Prices look decent, but there doesn’t seem to be much else to be excited about. The DeerAndHunt (is that really its name?) SuperCoupe is very slivery and sounds severely underpowered for a “supercoupe” with just 250hp to boot. And then there was the Burgerfahrzeug which…well I don’t know what it looks like. It seems to have a very flat mouth and is very brown. About as enticing as a budget airline cottage pie.

JHW intorduced the R510, which looks positively unfinished. You can read my full thoughts below.

At last! Ceder’s updated mid-range sedan is here! Yes, the Aspera still sounds a bit like a health product, but it looks determined, if a bit squashed at the front. Generic elegance is found at the rear to complete a handsome looks four door saloon. The usual range of fairly standard engines is also availible, including a 3.0l turbo i6 option (can’t go wrong there) and some decent equipment too. So, it’s not going to win against its more premium rivals, but as a bog-standard middle-market model, it seems to be decent. That said, I fear it’ll have a tough time against very competitive rivals like the Adenine Valence.

Caliban’s Thunder is a bonkers little track machine that I reviewed yesterday. See above for the full low-down.

Ah. Znopresk. A fully updated compact line-up for 2018. Like a good cup of tea, there is something satisfying and warming about the Zest and Zenit lineup. As I’ve noted before, the new look they’re going for is yet to grow on me, though I am warming to the rear especially. Of particular note is how cheap the new base spec Zest is; at just $10k - without options - it seriously undercuts most of the competition by a long way, meaning that a for more high spec model, you can expect very competitive pricing. That said, there seem to be some suggestions from other journalists that this new range of Zests and Zenits is lacking in terms of comfort, which seems to be the price you pay for that low low price. Still, it seems only to affect those base level models the most.

Cornaldie revealed another car today, this time to the Solander GT. What can I say? It’s a green GT car that, like all the other so-called GT cars out, offers the usual blend of generic phrasing around “something that makes driving long distances super fun, but also super easy”, as well some very weird wording around the idea of “the man or woman who wants to embrace every moment of their journey”…I had my boss The Editor read over that just to confirm I’d actually read that correctly and that I wasn’t stupid for thinking it was just about the weirdest thing I’ve read about a car ever.
Oh right the car. It looks generic, has those same silly thin headlights at the rear as the Sprint I drove yesterday, but does have a V10, which is at least something. I guess.

LMC unveiled the Scylla, a slightly quirky and oddly small sort of premium coupe thing. You can read my review of the GT trim below.

FMU’s (not so) new Pampero was revealed today in a few trims. You can find my review of the SE trim below.

[RCM and Mont Royal revealed two concepts at this year’s show, the first one being the Ace Vision 2025 Concept. It sort of looks a bit like a batmobile, only with this hideous bump on its rear. What even is with that raised bit in the middle of the boot? It ruins the flow entirely. The rest is stellar. As for the Mont Royal Deco, I gave the classy saloon a test drive which you can read below.

Following on from their announcements yesterday, EVE jointly announced with GBSC of their entry into LMP1 Hybrid and LMP2this year. The team are aiming for a podium finish at the end of this coming WEC season. A shared chassis will be used between the teams, with each car then running on its own respective drivetrain. This is the first time in the Automationverse that an electric car company has ventured into the world of WEC, and we for one are looking forward to seeing how well the technology does.

Holy god. I really don’t know how to comprehend the Yamato display. They revealed lots of cars with outdated styling, with one claiming to be able to “destroy corners” (nope, me neither), the “rev happy” Shinobi that appears to be a very lightweight entry level sports car competitor and “a pure drivers car” in the form of the Kasano, which has Carbon Ceraic brakes on a car that costs £32k. Do you mind me asking how much profit you’re intending to make from sales there Yamato?

ErinSport announced the full detail for their WEC lineup, joining EVE/GBSC in officially announcing their entry. It’s really starting to hot up.

Dimension have announced another car, called the Miracle. Solid respect for that mega wing you have plonked on the back, it’s a pretty decent looker from that end too. And another V10 performance machine! Hell yeah! As for how it drives…

Everyone’s favourite Japanese marque want to sell you a guide to 1990s compute programing. No wait, they want to sell you a car with “100% Electric” written on the side. Nope, they probably don’t, but it is Saminda’s first fully electric car. Competitive acceleration, decent styling and a claimed 400km range. That’s pretty darn good. What’s the price though? Not a clue. Shame that…

And the arrived the proper NSFW stuff. Sachiuri’s sL1000 is finally here in Europe. There’s not much point in reviewing it at the moment given how sparse the detail is, but why does that matter. Just. Look. At. It. That side profile is about to close as perfect for a luxury sedan as I can envisage. It also happens to have a V10 engine option, confirming rumours that have been swirling around in recent times of the Maesima group working on a new V10 range. Heck I can’t wait to see this on the road.

Azanti’s new ~~Asda~~ Asada had the covers removed today, and holy god will I be avoiding that white-on-blue option. Stick with the black for two clour options. The popular cross over is quirkier than ever, with a nice range of Kimura-group engines as rumours suggested. Prices look decent for the upmarket crossover.

Speaking of quirky, the face lifted Planck arrived in Europe today. The cute city car comes with two engines, a nice interior, and some very french tail lights. Clean, cute, I dare say even stylish. More details to follow.

The representative from Aurora asked if I could be a little more constructive on Twitter yesterday. No problems mate; seriously reduce the amount of chrome on front of the night shade, get right of the smiley grille and the circle headlight fixtures, go for something more angular and crisper, sort out the bottom half ofthe front too - it’s too soft and curvy to feel interesting. Those would be my tips at least.

There were also a few more reviews to be done too…

Review: 2018 FMU Pampero SE

“A grannymobile and then some”

What the hell is a model from 2010 doing here? The Mk 4 Pampero hatchback was launched over 7 years ago, yet they still seem to be keeping it going. That age wouldn’t save the styling though; sure, it’s very smooth, but it looks decades out of date. And those wheel! They’re so small!

All of which is quite a shame, because underneath, this is actually a very decent little compact hatch. 80hp from its peppy 5 valve 1l I3 means a decent amount of power with the added benefit of low weight and low tax rates too. It the smoothest turbo I’ve come across in a long time. Sure, it’s so unoticeable that it is remarkably boring to use as an engine, but it provides a good amount of mid-range torque and excellent efficiency. Higher up though, it’s a bit gutless; this SE trim seems more suited to town driving rather than longer journeys and cruising.

Sadly, it wouldn’t be too great as a cruising machine anyway; it lacks in comfort, both with the base-spec interior and dulling suspension. It feels unresponsive and stodgy, though thankfully not hard. That, however, only ends up making feel rubbish and dealing with road imperfections. It’s also a dissapointment to see only 2 seats in the rear; I’d at least expect a middle seat even if it’s a bit of a squeeze.

The gearbox is quite nice though; a snazzy advanced automatic, which certainly doesn’t make it fast - 0-60 in 14.6 seconds is what I’d expect from an entry level compact such as this - but does make it very smooth on the shifts. Shame it isn’t as comforting elsewhere.

If that engine and transmission were in a more comfortable and much better looking car, this would be a strong contender as a recommendation for best “Buy this if you just want a car” car. Sadly, it lacks in those latter two categories too much to be worth your time.

Review: 2019 LMC/Leviathan Scylla GT

“A bit like putting everything in your fridge into one stew and seeing what happens”

Does this sound like you? ‘I want an £80k GT coupe that is as small as a Maesima Prova, has all wheel drive, and is powered by a turbo V12’. Because if so, well heck, your prayers have been answered.

The Scylla GT is exactly that. A cobbling together of cherry picked aspects of other cars, brought together in a fairly succint package. That 4.3l V12 produces 488 hp, which is just the right amount in my view for this car; enough to rocket you off the line, but not too much that the car can’t handle it. AWD is also nice, even if, as a GT traditionalist, it gets a mark down in my books.

The power is a bit off though. Lots of mid range torque, and then it starts giving up 7000 rpm - so just as you’re getting to the real sonorous heights of that V12 soundtrack, it lacks that extra excitement that you keep asking of it. And this despite it having variable valve timing. Still, 0-60 in 4.4 seconds is very capable; as to where they pulled that 3.6 second time on the press hand out, I don’t know.

It may be a 2+2, but that rear space is cramped compared to other GT cars for this sort of price, which is disappointing. Not that the interior isn’t a gorgeous place to be, especially with all the high end equipment you get in here. You’d expect it on a car £20k more than this, so its welcome to see it on a cheaper model.

It’s also very comfortable. Active suspension aside, it’s been set up well and feels composed. It feels quite tail happy without the traction control on, though thanks to the AWD, you can push this car a lot without it giving up on grip. The carbon ceramic brakes aren’t quite as comfort focused though; a bit overkill in my view, and not something this car needs. Exciting enough to be fun to drive, and composed enough to suit low end cruising.

But for a GT car, those looks are overkill. This feels more like a glitzy German executive coupe, not some pretty and understated luxury coupe. And while concerns have yet to be raised by the approrpriate parties, I’m fairly sure Shromet might be filing a law suit soon enough for that headlight-grille design.

Not quite there then. But the idea? Hell yeah, I’m on board with that. A nice V12 powered mini-GT coupe; it’s odd, but it’s the kind of car I can see enthusiasts reminiscing about in 30 years time. And better still, it’s damn nice to drive too.

Review: 2018 JHW R510

“Styling inspiration: a tin of grey paint”

Usually, V10 supercars really get me riled up. Who wouldn’t want a V10 soundtrack in their life? What a shame then that R510 offers you that with the extra benefit of looking about as bored and confused as one could ever expect a supercar too look. The tail lights scream “2004”, the front screams “unfinished”, and yet elsewhere, it manages to be okay.

The 5.0l V10 is a real N/A screamer, and sounds wondrous on the limit. Better still, it keeps costs in check and doesn’t seem to be likely to melt through your bank account like some other supercars, save for the race exhaust; really? I mean, really?

The interior is nice too. I mean, it could be better, but it’s at least decently comfortable, and keeps weight down. Which is good, because you wouldn’t want it being any heavy when it feels like your pivoting around the front of the car whenever you brake hard; it’s too strong at the front for its own good.

Aside from that braking quandry, the handling is nice. Not quite a purists experience with all that electric active equipment on it, but its surprisingly supple and balance, and it surprisingly even keeps oversteer in control, which is saying something for such a powerful MR car.

But then you get out of it, and you’re reminded that it looks a bit like a dead fish. How have JHW done this when there cars usually look quite decent? Not worth your time if you’re in the market for a supercar.

Review: Mont Royal Deco Vision 2025 Concept

“That rich friend of yours who you suspect might have skimped on taxes once or twice: Classy, lazy, and hiding something…”

Ooh now, this is something that really oozes class, doesn’t it? Canada’s premier luxury marque have made one hell of a stylish, if a bit flat and blocky, limousine thing. Thin, modern details meat a classically imposing chrome grille. Even then, it’s not overbearing; it’s got an underlying delicacy to it that really works wonders for it.

Naturally, it’s a V12. But, it’s a big lazy one. Smoother as butter, gorgeously slow on the power delivery. 348hp isn’t much for a 5.8l unit, but it suits the character of this very civil concept car.

So what on earth is up with the 20-something’s executive saloon interior? This does not feel like the luxury the outside would have convinced is on the inside. Sure, the toys and tech are very nice. But it just doesn’t feel like luxury in here, not matter how comfortable the suspension it is.

And it certainly is comfortable, if very, very soft. It wallows a bit, but not too much thanks to good swaybar tuning. It’s not unexpected, of course; if it goes into production, its buyers aren’t going to need to be driving hard that often.

Deliciously smooth, and brilliantly styled, but seriously lacking on the inside. Unless I’ve misread this car entirely, I would have expected cream aniline leather instead of office-block reception waiting sofa levels of quality.

And with that, we’re done. Whew! Time to spend the weekend chilling in the early spring sun along the shores of Lake Geneva. I swear I’m not a wanna-be playboy, I do…

See you in New York folks.

- Gavin Anderson