By Nauman Farooq
One of the main attractions for many at a motor show are concept cars. At the 79th Geneva Motor Show, there was no shortage of concept vehicles. However some will never see a traffic light, and some are within months of going into production.
Giugiaro Frazer-Nash Namir Concept
Here is a list of some of the interesting concepts from this years show.
We start off with the Fioravanti LF1, which is certainly the type of vehicle every car enthusiast would want. Think of it as a Formula-One race car for the streets, literally.
Fioravanti LF1 Concept
Designed by Leonardo Fioravanti, who has designed many Ferrari road cars, this is his idea of the fusion between the road and track.
The full-size concept wasn’t functional and Fioravanti didn’t name any specific engines for it, but that is probably because this concept is never likely to see the light of day. But it sure would be great to have a car like this in my fantasy garage.
From a fantasy to a nightmare, and that is exactly what came to mind when I first saw pictures of the Aston Martin Lagonda Concept.
Aston Martin Lagonda Concept
Aston Martin typically gets their styling right, and personally being a fan of the quirky yet interesting Lagonda from the 1980’s, I was really looking forward to this new one. Until I saw what was brought to the Geneva stage. This looked like something designed by Dr. Frankenstein, not Marek Reichman.
Due to the global economic downturn, even Aston Martin are cautious to go any further with this concept, and trust me, that is for the better. This four-wheel drive monster deserves to be shot at birth.
Unlike the Infiniti Essence Concept, which deserves to be given life and brought to the market.
Infiniti Essence Concept
Not only is the Essence breathtakingly beautiful, it is somewhat green too, as this is a gas-electric hybrid. However, despite its hybrid drivetrain, I don’t think this 3.7-liter, twin-turbo V6 coupe, producing 592 hp, will give you the gas mileage of a Toyota Prius.
The exterior design has some resemblance of Maserati’s and Jaguar’s, but that is no bad thing. The interior is all original and very high-tech. Lets just all hope and pray that this gorgeous coupe will one day replace the current Infiniti G37 coupe.
Nissan Qazana concept
Same goes for the Nissan Qazana concept. Think of it as a replacement for the Nissan Rogue, as it is about the same size, only much better looking. Nissan is looking to introduce a new cross-over in the European market, let’s just hope they don’t forget about those who live on this side of the Atlantic.
Speaking of something huge (like the Atlantic Ocean), Rolls Royce brought out their latest concept in Geneva, called the 200EX. Many are calling it the ‘baby-Phantom’ but don’t think it’s a small car, infact it is longer than a BMW 750Li.
Rolls Royce 200EX concept
Don’t think this is just a concept car either, this is production ready, and will be rolled out for consumption later this year. Maybe Rolls Royce timed it right, because now if you can’t afford the big Phantom, perhaps you’ll make do with this smaller one.
The 200EX however seriously disappointed me with its engine, a new V12. Come on Rolls Royce, you should have used this opportunity to bring out a hybrid, or perhaps a clean-diesel, which would have suited this car just fine. So for me, the 200EX gets a thumb down.
From thumbs down, to thumbs up, which is what the Frazer-Nash Namir concept gets from me. This concept is designed by Giugiaro, and while it might resemble some of their previous efforts, this car still looks wild, just like a supercar should. However, this supercar is not out to destroy the planet, because it is a hybrid. Thanks to its 814cc, rotary engine, that gets help from four electric motors (370 hp produced in total), this car, according to the manufacturer, can sprint from 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, and top out at 300 km/h. If those claims are proven true, this will be the fastest hybrid in the world.
Giugiaro Frazer-Nash Namir Concept
Apart from the concepts brought by design houses and major manufacturers, there were plenty of interesting cars from component manufacturers and coachbuild companies, like the Rinspeed iChange, the EDAG Light Car, and my personal favorite, the Sbarro Alcador GTB.
There were way too many concepts at this years Geneva Motor Show and if every single one is described, I’d have to write a book. Hope you enjoyed a look at some of the interesting ones.
