Road to Geneva: What to Look Out for at the Geneva Motor Show

Next Thursday will mark the beginning of the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. It’s regarded as one of the most prestigious car shows on the calendar and often sees the release of many highly anticipated cars. This year will be no different. Cars we’re expecting to see range from hardcore track toys to luxury vehicles to economic city drivers, and much, much more. Like many of you, we won’t be able to be there in person, so we’ve compiled a list of the most anticipated cars this year at the Geneva International Motor Show.

Range Rover SV Coupe

With the popularity of coupe-styled SUVs, especially in the luxury car market, Land Rover are planning to reveal a 2-door Range Rover at Geneva. Reports say that Land Rover will only make 999 iterations with a price tag of $250,000. Land Rover say the SV will come with a 5-liter V8, undoubtedly derived from the F-Type. However, that’s not what we’re interested in. The real reason anyone will buy this car is to show their wealth. It will need to have presence and a decadent interior. From what we’ve been able to see so far, the latter element is promising.

Range Rover SV Coupe Interior – Photo courtesy of http://autoweek.com/gallery/los-angeles-auto-show/gallery-2018-range-rover-svautobiography-interior

From this, it’s clear the SV Coupe will be a 2+2 configuration (no middle rear seat). This means customer will likely have a rear-seat refrigerator option, a staple on ultra-luxury vehicles. Comfort will be focused on the rear seats. Additionally, the SV Coupe, if sold at $250,000 fills a market gap in the luxury SUV market. It provides plenty of presence and stature without the Cullinan’s astronomical price tag. Hopefully, it won’t be as flashy as the Urus and less performance-oriented than the Macan Turbo.

Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Porsche GT-2 RS – Photo courtesy of https://www.porsche.com/usa/models/911/911-gt2-rs/911-gt2-rs/

The highly anticipated return of the hardcore GT2 RS will make an appearance on Thursday. Porsche’s 700HP Nurburgring-record-holding track monster sold out before it ever went into production. Controversy ensued, as people scrambled to figure out if their deposits actually secured them a car or not. Either way, wealthy track-toy enthusiasts will be itching to get a glimpse of the car they may-or-may-not have bought. None of us here have the money to buy one (otherwise we probably won’t be doing this), but we are excited to see what people do with these cars and how they fare on the track at the hands of ordinary drivers.

Ferrari 488 Pista

Ferrari 488 Pista – Photo courtesy of http://auto.ferrari.com/en_US/sports-cars-models/car-range/ferrari-488-pista/

Yet another hardcore track toy, the newly announced Ferrari 488 Pista is set to make its first appearance on Thursday. Pictures have already been released and they certain get your heart rate going. The front air vents are bigger and more aggressive, and the rear wing is more pronounced. The scoops and radiator ducts are going to be bigger and get combined into one big duct, instead of the split design on the regular 488. The 488 Pista will also get a 40bhp boost to 710hp. Weight savings will come from more carbon fiber bits, a lighter crankshaft, and titanium connecting rods. Don’t expect the interior to be as posh as the regular 488, because you’re in a proper racing car now. Leather will be replaced with carbon fiber, and adjustable comfort seats will be replaced with fixed-back buckets. Don’t be too surprised if the door handles and radio are missing too.

Corbellati Missile

Corbellati Missile – Photo courtesy of http://compositesmanufacturingmagazine.com/2018/01/world-record-car-corbellati-missile-debut-geneva/

To be entirely honest, none of us have heard of this company before. That’s probably because Corbellati is a family of jewelers and designers, and it shows. The lines on the Corbellati Missile are spectacular, reminiscent of the old Le Mans racers of the 1970s-1980s, with a few modern twists. Corbellati’s jewelry design heritage shines bright (pun-intended) in the Missile’s headlights. On top of the pretty lines and necklace-like headlights, Corbellati also claim the Missile will reach speeds of over 300mph. It seems every hypercar producer and its mother is trying to hit that mark. The company’s website boasts about an 1800HP twin-turbocharged V8 which, if true, could propel this car to the speeds they claim. However, there is one thing I don’t think they thought about: where the hell is the aero? The car looks pretty, don’t get me wrong, but it lacks any hint of downforce to keep it from going airborne if ti ever hits 300MPH. We probably won’t see it try to hit 300mph at Geneva, but we’re still pretty excited to see how people react to this off-brand hypercar.

BMW M3 CS

BMW M3 CS – Photo courtesy of https://www.bmw-m.com/en/all-models/overview-m-and-m-performance/bmw-m3-cs/2017/bmw-m3-cs.html

The return of the legendary “CS” badge is going to come with something (or two somethings) a bit extra this time: two more doors. On Thursday, BMW will bring the first four-door CS model to Geneva in the form of an M3. The car will be a limited run; only 1200 models will be made. The interior will be simplified and more track-focused, with suede accents replacing stained wood and sporty bucket seats in place of comfortable ones. There’s not price tag on it right now, but we should see one closer to Geneva.

 

Subaru Viziv Tourer

Subaru Viziv Tourer teaser shot – Photo courtesy of https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/subaru-viziv-tourer-concept-geneva-preview/

After we saw the Subaru Viziv Concept, a futuristic and sexy idea of what new Impreza could look like, we’re now going to see the wagon version called the Viziv Tourer. It’s no doubt surprise that Subaru is making a wagon version. After all, their wagons have an almost cult-like following (our own Keaton Williams even has one). The image above is a teaser of the Tourer that was revealed by Subaru last week. It has all the design cues, just from the taillights, that we loved on the Viziv. If the real next-generation Imprezas and wagons look like this, consider me in.

Track-Only Techrules Ren RS

Techrules Ren RS – Photo courtesy of https://newatlas.com/techrules-ren-rs-turbine-car/53485/

Chinese electric-supercar startup Techrules is set to debut the track-only version of their already sensationally fast supercar at Geneva. The Ren RS, said to have 1,287hp thanks to a six-motor electric drivetrain. Techrules also claims the Ren will have a range of 727 miles with assistance of their diesel-powered generator which can quick-charge the battery on the move. Techrules isn’t without competition though, as a few other Chinese EV startups are also set to bring fast electric cars to Geneva. We love this one because it reminds us a bit of Prototype endurance racers.

Morgan 50th Anniversary Plus 8 Special Edition

Morgan Plus 8 50th Anniversary Edition – Photo courtesy of https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-geneva-motor-show/morgan-plus-8-50th-anniversary-edition-celebrates-end-v8

Morgan is planning on unveiling their 50th anniversary special edition of the Plus 8 at Geneva Thursday. Teaser pictures released by Morgan show a stunning blue-and-gold paint scheme (eat your heart out Subaru), and will mark the end of naturally-aspirated V8s for Morgan. There is currently no set price, but it will likely be more expensive considering Morgan will only make 50 of these. Each will have the special edition paint scheme and 50th anniversary decals. Craving more, here’s a cool video that Morgan made to tickle our curiosities even more.

Lotus 3-Eleven 430 Edition

Lotus 3-Eleven 430 Edition – Photo courtesy of http://www.lotuscars.com/lotus-3-eleven-range

Another car that’s seeing its last light, the Lotus 3-Eleven Final Edition will bring lighter weight and more power (430 hp, hence the name). The current 3-Eleven is one of the most hardcore track toys money can buy. It may not be the fastest of the bunch, but it represents the power of good balance. Lotus will be bringing the 430 Edition to Geneva this Thursday to mark the end of their most hardcore model. The question remains; what will Lotus do next? What kind of exhilarating track monster will the British car company give us next? And the most important question: will it be electric?

Toyota Supra

Toyota Supra Spy Shots – Photos courtesy of https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/spy-shots/toyota/new-2019-toyota-supra-coupe-j29-spy-photos-specs-news-prices/

Ever since Toyota announced they will be reviving the Supra name, fans across the globe have been speculating on what it will look like. The FT-1 concept showed us what it could look like. However, we all knew the concept was an idealized vision and the real thing wouldn’t be the same. A few weeks ago, we heard news that a Japanese car magazine apparently leaked early photos of the actual Supra. To be honest, I hated the look of it. Certain angles of the car looked good, but compared to the FT-1, it was a bit odd. Hopefully, the images weren’t the real thing, but only time will tell. We’ll definitely be watching closely for what Toyota brings this Thursday.

About Lei Yang

Photographer and Car Enthusiast Founder of Project DRIVE