2011 Geneva Auto Show with Concept Cars

The air at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show was ... ahem ... electric (with concept cars, that is). From the bottom of the spectrum with the new Toyota Yaris hybrid, all the way to the top with the purely electric Rolls-Royce Phantom-based 102EX, not since the 1881 Exhibition of Electricity in Paris, which congregated electric technologists from all over the world, has so much wattage been on display.

And yet, it wasn't just the electrically powered machines that had the crowd buzzing. Alternative fuels and unconventional propulsion systems have apparently taken deep root in the world's automotive labs. A four-wheel-drive Ferrari? Did you think you'd live to see the day? And who could have imagined a 

BMW that talks to inanimate objects?

The mood in Geneva was also decidedly upbeat, an indication that the auto industry has rebounded from the global economic downturn. At least the major players are showing signs of health, judging from the money they've been spending on R&D. Pardon the pun, but if Geneva's grab bag of tangible alternative-fuel, plug-in electric, and hybrid machinery indicates industry mood, the levity is almost shocking. 

Rolls Royce 102EX concept

The world's first electric Rolls-Royce. Makes perfect sense.

 

Andrew Martin, Rolls-Royce's chief engineer, remains humble. "We did nothing really clever here," he says as he shows me the 102EX Phantom. "We wanted it to drive just like the standard V12 car. We also want to challenge people's perceptions of electric drive; to offer everything you get with a V12, but using electric motors."

The plug-in ultra luxury sedan is powered by two rear-mounted water-cooled motors producing 290kW of total power and 590 ft-lbs of torque, while the engine bay formerly filled with the 6.75-liter V12 is now home to a bevy of lithium-ion batteries. Charging time is seven to eight hours at 440 volts through the special three-phase charge system. Accessories like the heating, air conditioning, power steering and vacuum pump for the brakes are all electric, too.

There are just two external differences to the electric 102EX Phantom from the standard car. The fuel door now houses a charging plug, and the "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament -- celebrating her 100th birthday as the brand's mascot -- is illuminated. 

Volkswagen Bulli Microbus concept

Coming soon to a rock festival near you?

Grateful Dead-heads, rejoice! Along with the Beetle, Volkswagen's Microbus (the first minivan) became an iconic hero vehicle to the American counter-culture of the 1960s and 1970s, yet they were never intended to achieve anything like that status. Those vehicles have now moved on to fastidious restorers from their bejointed hippie stewards.

VW actually penned a second-look Microbus concept about ten years ago. Any real plans got tossed in the ash tray like yesterday's roach clip, so a modern-day Microbus hit a road block. Now, Volkswagen offers another chance for its Microbus Redux at the Geneva show with the Bulli concept vehicle. "Bulli" was a popular nickname in Germany for the original bus.

The Bulli is a modern take on the classic Microbus with four hinged doors and two bench seats, though up-to-date technology bubbles over like bong water, including an Apple iPad that controls your Jefferson Airplane soundtrack, mated to a Fender - designed premium audio system. (Yes, that Fender. You see? It really is equipped for Woodstock!)

The retro design gets it right compete with two-tone paint which was popular on the original, a V-shape in paint at the front and bright hub caps. The two bench seats take six people, the flat floor makes the seats reconfigurable, the rear seat can stow and all the seats can form a bed for those impromptu bed-ins or to provide a stable platform during bad trips, man.

The Bulli uses a front-mounted 113-hp electric motor giving leisurely acceleration to 60 mph in 11.5 seconds, a mellow top speed of 87 mph and a range of roughly 186 miles. Volkswagen claims a full recharge is less than an hour's proposition. Not that you'd notice the wait in your altered state. VW of America President and CEO Jonathan Browning has stated that he's keen to re-introduce a Microbus in the US market, so the Bulli may, in fact, turn out to be more real than one might think. 

Nissan Esflow electric concept

Bringing out the sports car passion. Electrically. 

Nissan's bold, yet pretty Esflow concept shows a company striving to link up its sports car acumen with electric vehicle technology. This purely electric vehicle car accelerates from 0-60 mph in under five seconds, can be fully charged after 10 hours (using 220 volts and consuming 3.3 kilowatts in the process) and uses an aluminum chassis and carbon fiber body panels. The result? It's lighter than the current Nissan Leaf electric vehicle, with which it shares general technology.

The lithium-ion batteries of the Esflow are centralized between the front and rear axle lines, netting a good basic layout for agile, dynamic handling. Concentrating mass at one end of the car or the other would result in less-than-optimal handling characteristics, something Nissan has learned long ago through its sports car manufacturing. Tatsuya Shiosaki, Exploratory and Advanced Product Manager at Nissan and the man in charge of the Esflow, is clearly stoked.

"The business condition of the sports car segment is difficult," says Shiosaki. While there are no current plans to put an Esflow into production, Shiosaki grins at the possibility. "Nissan wants to express that the passion we have for sports cars can fit into an electric vehicle platform. I hope it's a starting point for a dialog on this possibility."

Smart Forspeed concept

Speed in name only.

If you designed a concept car and used the term "speed" in its name, wouldn't it make sense if it offered some? Perhaps speed really is relative. The Smart Forspeed can reach 75 mph using a 40-hp electric motor mounted in the rear and has a total range of 85 miles per charge.

Acceleration is not its strong suit, requiring 5.5 seconds to reach 37 mph. However, the little roadster can take on an 80-percent battery charge in just 45 minutes, which is a kind of acceleration, if you think about it. Indeed, an "overboost" function can add seven horses to the total stable of 40, but driving range diminishes with each fix of overboost.

With no roof or windshield per se, wind deflectors keep the bugs out of your teeth (bring toothpicks just in case). The bright, two-tone white and green interior exudes a somewhat sea-fairing aura with storage cubbies for both front seats.

The Forspeed reminds us of the old Smart Crossblade, which was funky, fussy (it looked a bit like an I.U.D., actually) and kind of fun. For about five minutes. Deja vu?

Okay, a bit more on the name, because we just can't let it go. All of Smart's "For-xxx" names (Fortwo, ForFour, Forspeed, etc.) and the constant regurgitation of that theme only indicate a brand either with no identity or with terminal self-doubt on explaining what it is. "It's ForYou." "It's ForMe." The Forspeed -- which is clearly not for speed -- spells out a capital "ED" at the end on the vehicle itself, to signify the electric drive propulsion system. Instead, it evokes the classic movie L.A. Story, a send-up satire of the most inane parts of Los Angeles culture and the misguided, airhead character SanDeE* (that's the correct spelling), who aspires to be a ... spokesmodel. Life imitates art? Car imitates ditzy blonde.

Ferrari FF

The most powerful Ferrari can dance even after the tarmac ends thanks to all-wheel-drive.

Stating that it is the most powerful and the most versatile car it has ever built, Ferrari debuted the new FF at Geneva, the first-ever four-wheel-drive Ferrari. Using a direct-injection gasoline V12 engine of 6.3 liters making a towering 660 hp and part-time all-wheel-drive, the FF can sprint to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and go on to a top speed of 209 mph. Ferrari CEO, Amadeo Felisa said that the legendary sports car maker asked itself ‘what should be the configuration of this next 2+2?'

"This needed to be a 2+2 for all conditions," Felisa told us. "That meant four-wheel-drive. Actually, we had already done some research into four-wheel-drive, though the FF's components and design are, in fact, all new."

Power is primarily delivered by the rear wheels, but power can also be transferred to the front wheels when necessary on slippery surfaces. The FF can individually apportion torque to each of the four wheels since all vehicle controls are integrated into a single processing unit.

The FF's design is somewhat controversial, but no one wins awards or hearts by being conservative or timid. Indeed, this design just may be the type that grows on Ferrari fans from all corners.
The FF will also will provide the chassis for a new-generation, V12-engined platform for the future. 

BMW Vision ConnectDrive Roadster concept

The total communications car.

BMW unleashed a daring design study that is more significant from a technical standpoint than a visual one. What really powers the ConnectDrive Roadster is internet connectivity. According to BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk, the internet and how it functions in and with cars is the next frontier.

"Today, it is not clear how to manage information and connectivity in cars, but this car shows how and why it's a good idea," the design chief told me. "It may be complicated, but it can lead to a more seamless interface. For example, the passenger can input a navigation destination while the car is moving and hand-swipe it -- CNN-style -- across the dashboard to the driver, who then gets guided to that location." Another system will read traffic and inform the driver not based on cameras or satellite interpretation of information, but actual positioning of cars in the area through a combination of cellular signal and related GPS locating. "This is an actual data-based system, unlike others that exist now," says van Hooydonk. The concept took one year from start to finish and it took six months to build the vehicle.

The ConnectDrive concept also sports lighting tubes that van Hooydonk says are metaphorical. Blue lighting represents infotainment data. As you enter a new town or city, the car reads information about entertainment in the area and restaurants and you can purchase tickets electronically or through a concierge service. The car's red lighting indicates safety information such as proximity to other vehicles, dangerous approaching speeds, etc. Green lighting inside indicates convenience information like music playlists, personal vehicle settings like seat and steering wheel positioning, climate control preferences, etc. Pie-in-the-sky? Perhaps, but what are designers if they don't dream a bit?

"The ConnectDrive shows that the next big thing in cars is close integration of interior and exterior design, the technical make-up and, now, of information."

Alfa Romeo 4C GTA

A painfully pretty sports car confirmed for production.

Alfa Romeo has shown itself to be a resurging brand recently, smartly reflected in the sheetmetal by the company's beautiful 4C GTA concept. During a sit-down discussion at the Geneva show with it's CEO and Chief Technical Officer, Harald Wester, we found out that where there's smoke, there's fire.

First, the 4C GTA is a very small, light weight sports car using a crafty mixture of a totally new and existing components. The carbon fiber body structure has aluminum front and rear frames attached, making for an extremely stiff structure, which helps refine and pinpoint suspension tuning. It's mid-engine -- the first modern Alfa to use a mid-mounted engine -- and powered by a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder generating 235 hp at a minimum. Transmission is a twin-clutch sequential semi-automatic unit which sends power to the rear wheels.

"Structurally, the 4C GTA is similar to the Ferrari Enzo [supercar]," says Wester. "Our Alfa 8C of a couple years' ago was quite different; more conventional construction, though with carbon fiber body panels. With some unique components and some series production ones, the 4C GTA reflects Alfa's absolute core values of light weight, agility, efficiency. The best of Alfa." Indeed, at just 1,870 pounds, the 4C is an absolute flyweight; lighter than a Lotus Elise or Exige; the exemplars of light weight sports cars.

Wester is also ambitious on market possibilities: "This car will indeed be built, somewhere around late 2012 or early 2013. I think we can put it to market for $60,000. Or less."

Wester is keenly aware of the U.S. market issues to face a re-emerging Alfa. "We can imagine that we would share some dealer ownerships with the re-entered Fiat brand in the U.S., but we are a near-premium brand, so we must have stand-alone showrooms."

Wester also declared that the first Alfa to debut in the U.S. in late 2012 will be a "C"-segment or compact SUV, with a "D"-segment sedan -- perhaps called "Giulia" -- and a proper long-nose/short trunk Spider to follow.

"We will never develop products for only one region of the world," says the CEO, with the recent memory of several products in clearly in mind that were unsellable in certain markets. He also indicated that Alfa is working on a distribution and sales strategy for the growing China market. 

Mini Rocketman concept

A modern Mini concept the size of a classic Mini, or, the Mini smaller than the Mini.

Elton John need not worry. Besides, in the words of Marcus Syring, Mini's Head of Exterior Design, "That song is too slow!"

No, the Mini Rocketman concept car turns out to be as much a training exercise for the design team as anything else, but a funny thing happened on the way to the concept studio. It may just be feasible, though there are no firm production plans now.

"We started the project with a clean sheet," says Syring. "No existing architecture. We did gather data on fixed dimensions of the original classic Mini like wheelbase, seat position relative to the wheels, overall length, but the thought process also centered around Rocketman being a city or weekend or holiday car."

The team also tackled a few practical questions. Double-hinged doors swing out in a parallel-to-body fashion and not just open, to make the most of tight space during close-quarters parking. A conventional trunk is replaced by a "drawer" which doubles as an outside platform for sports equipment. A movable back prevents nasty outside elements creeping inside when you leave the "drawer" open.

"Even if the Rocketman does not see production, it shows our thinking with different solutions like the door hinges and the drawer."

Annette Baumeister, Mini's Head of Color and Trim employed lots of recycled material for the interior, such as specially-treated papers.

"The original Mini was, for its day, very focused on what we now call ‘sustainability,'" recalls Baumeister. "It was environmentally friendly in that it used very little raw materials, was very frugal on fuel and the parts it did use were very small, of course!"

"A theme of ‘three' began after a short period with Rocketman," says Baumeister. "We were thinking of a three-cylinder engine, it was a little over three meters in length, we had three different papers or materials used inside and we designed it with three seats; two in front and one across the rear."

So, where does the name "Rocketman" come from, if not from Elton John? "Well, ‘rocket science' was a very optimistic term in the 1960s with space programs and science taking a front seat," says Syring. "We wanted to evoke that feeling of optimism." 

Toyota FT-86 II sports coupe

Manna from heaven for affordable sports car lovers.

News on the Geneva debut of the Toyota FT-86 sports coupe began long ago, though the car is no less newsworthy. The new front-engine/rear-wheel-drive sports coupe jointly developed with Subaru enters production in 2012.

Powered by a Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter flat (or "boxer") four-cylinder engine powered through the rear wheels, the company emphasizes that it will be a real driver's car, exhibiting precise throttle, steering, and braking characteristics and a low center of gravity. Low weight will help, though no official figures have been given.

The FT-86 is partially inspired by past rear-wheel-drive Toyota Corolla coupes (known by their fans as "AE86" models). These used the company's twin-cam 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that also powered the first-generation MR2. The AE86 Corollas became wildly popular to modify, hot rod and compete in drifting contests (think The Fast and the Furious, but with better real-life plots, less stupidity, early YouTube adopters and some impressive car-control skills). Fans of the AE86 Corollas have been waiting for this FT-86 for a long time.

This FT-86 II "gives the clearest indication yet as to the final design" says Toyota, also citing aerodynamics derived from Formula 1 racing know-how. It will hopefully all add up to a very high fun factor.

Lamborghini LP-700 Aventador

A numbers machine. Big, big numbers.

While it is not a concept car, the Lamborghini Aventador might as well be, with a price tag of $379,700. The big "A" replaces the Murcielago as the top model from the Italian exotic firm. Using all-wheel-drive and a new ISR (Independent Shifting Rods) transmission, its 700 hp catapults the 3,472-pound machine from zero to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, which is surely some sort of record somewhere. Customers begin their Aventador relationships this summer. A sticker price of $377,700 is just the first of many impressive numbers. Top speed: 217 mph. Twelve cylinders sweep through 6.5 liters of displacement. The bare forged carbon fiber unibody/frame is just 325 pounds. The time it takes to shift gears aggressively with the slick transmission: 50 milliseconds. You really don't want to know the fuel economy numbers, but do know this: the Aventdor is 20 percent more parsimonious with the stuff than the outgoing Murcielago was.

If you think you may have seen this machine glowering somewhere in the nether regions of your mind, you may be right. The F117 Stealth Fighter and other fighter jets served as partial design inspiration. Lastly, even though 700 hp can get you into a world of trouble, all-wheel-drive with advanced stability control serves as the driver's personal insurance policy against stupidity. Mostly.

Saab PhoeniX concept

The styling cues and all-wheel-drive system are likely to make future production. The rest? Not so much.

Like the mythical Firebird (not the Pontiac) that rises from its own ashes, Saab seemingly lays the metaphor on thick having been recently saved from certain death at GM by Dutch sports car maker Spyker. The PhoeniX is an electric hybrid, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive concept.

While not seriously aimed at actual production, the PhoeniX is drafted from the table of Saab's new design head, Jason Castriota, who has several very successful Ferraris and Maseratis under his belt (or pen) during his tenure at those storied companies.

The PhoeniX provides some direction for the look of future Saab models, but not complete direction. Dismiss everything but the nose of this concept, as that will likely adorn a future Saab coming to a dealer near you. Saab's aviation history (they've made commercial and military aircraft for years) shows itself in an active air shutter, which helps this concept reach a slippery, wind-cheating 0.25 coefficient of drag. Gullwing doors will not likely be seen on any Saab seen while sober.

The rear recalls the old Saab Sonnett coupe's chopped "Kamm" tail, though the details of the rear are quite fussy and not likely for prime time.

Saab's new all-wheel-drive system -- "eXWD," and it begets the capital "X" in the car's name (ah, have we seen this before?) -- sends power to the front wheels through a turbocharged, direct-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder from the BMW-Mini family. It makes 200 hp transmitted through a six-speed manual. A 34-hp electric motor and lithium-ion battery propel the rear wheels.

The PhoeniX supposedly uses the chassis of the next 9-3 model, but there are no details or specifics.

The PhoeniX will not generate enough altitude for Saab to rise from its recent near-ashen state, but may provide inspiration, if not actual perspiration.

Toyota Yaris HSD concept

Yaris concept houses the next-generation Prius powertrain.

Debuting at Geneva, the Yaris HSD concept shows Toyota's hybrid technology in one of the smallest models and biggest segments in Europe.

Though the production car that stems from the Yaris HSD will not be offered in the U.S. market, the upcoming Prius "C" will offer this generation of Toyota's powertrain, which is smaller than the present powertrain, with the batteries located under the back seat, rather than the trunk floor. European buyers will get a choice between gas, diesel and hybrid powertrain options in the Yaris, while the Prius C in the US will get the hybrid drivetrain only. Displacement of the gas engine for both Europe and America will also likely be smaller than the current 1.8-liter engine.

"We have to work on the packaging," says Product Manager, Wassim Kanoun. "Location of components will be important for this car."

The concept also previews the look for the next Yaris, which is set to launch by September this year in Europe; no word on yet on a U.S, launch.

With a very high level of competition in the hybrid-electric realm from Nissan, General Motors, and others, Toyota is seemingly working overtime to make sure it keeps alive the perception that it leads the alternative-fuel charge.

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