Red carpets, beautiful models and a horde of journalists – no, it’s not the Oscars, it’s the Geneva Motor Show, one of the most exciting times of year for anyone who likes their cars. The show officially takes place from 6-16 March, but the world’s motoring media is already there, reporting on all the exciting announcements as they happen. The Signature Car Hire team is flying out to join them, and if the early indications are anything to go by, 10 days isn’t enough time to examine all the incredible cars on display!
One car that’s really got the critics buzzing is the new Mercedes S 500 Coupe, which takes the much-feted new S Class and boosts it to a new aesthetic level. As the Daily Telegraph commented: “It’s… the most elegant Mercedes in many years and puts in a strong case for Car of the Show.” Featuring a 4.6-liter V8 biturbo engine and 455bhp, it comes with the excellent Magic Body Control and all the luxurious hallmarks of the S Class sedan, but with a sleeker front end and a strong rear partly thanks to chunky rectangular exhaust pipes. We’re extremely excited to have already added the new S Class to the Signature Car Hire fleet, and we guarantee that this beautiful coupe won’t be far behind!
Lamborghini are also making a splash at Geneva with their hotly-anticipated new Huracan LP 610-4, which was fittingly presented in the marque’s trademark bright yellow. It’s certainly stolen the thunder from rivals such as Ferrari’s California T – even though the latter (the T stands for ‘turbo’) delivers 552 bhp and can do 0-62 in 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 196MPH. The Huracan delivers 10 more horsepower than the Ferrari, and is, overall, a stunning and far more feminine-looking car (the side profile, for example, looks a bit like a mechanical petal) than its sister the Aventador.
Alongside Lamborghini and Ferrari, there are huge number of exciting supercars on display this year, including the Maclaren 650 S Spider, the Bugatti Vitesse and the Maserati Alfieri Concept. A special mention has to go to the extraordinary Koenigsegg One:1, which features a 5 litre V8 – so far, so normal, you might think… – that can take it up to a top speed of 248.5MPH in just 20 seconds….
On the 4 x 4 front, it seems like Geneva is shaping up to be a great show for Range Rover. One of the main attractions on its stand is the Evoque Autobiography Dynamic, which heaps extra performance and power onto an already impressive vehicle. This is the first time that the Autobiography badge has been applied to the Evoque, and it brings with it a range of embellishments such as an extra 43BHP – bringing the total up to 280 – a chassis designed to optimise handling and even a gorgeous new colour which is exclusive to this model – Pheonix Orange.
Ultra-luxury brands Rolls Royce and Bentley have also delivered eye-catching new models at Geneva this year. Rolls Royce debuted the Ghost II series, which delivers a combination of power and luxury designed, according to the marque’s representatives, for those “seeking an oasis of calm in a frenetic business world”. With re-sculpted headlights, bumpers and a ‘vapour trail’ over the front bonnet, the Ghost II looks like the car you could take over the world in, and given that it has business-critical features such as on-board WiFi – you just might. Bentley have gone in the opposite direction and unveiled the new Continental GT Speed, which is the marque’s fastest-ever production model. Containing a 6-litre twin-turbo W12 engine, it can reach a top speed of 206MPH – and astonishingly the beautiful convertible version is only 3MPH behind.
The Signature team will be taking their time over the next few days in Geneva to find the best new cars due to come onto the market – as well as having a lot of fun! We’ll be providing you with regular updates and adding our chosen models to the Signature fleet as soon as possible, but in the meantime you can browse our coming soon page to see what is already booked an on its way to the Signature Experience Centre in addition to our magnificent range of current vehicles for a truly special UK car hire experience.