Speed machines show off at Geneva

FAMOUS for its automotive cottage-industry support, the 2009 Geneva show had its share of fringe sports, concept and just plain offbeat car debuts.

Spyker C8 Aileron

AFTER its prototype debut at last year’s Geneva show, the second-generation Spyker C8 sports car was revealed at this year’s event.

Designed “from scratch” by the Dutch company, it encompasses the aircraft theme bodywork and aluminium-heavy cabin design that has become a company signature. Indeed, Aileron is an aviation-derived name.

With deliveries starting in Europe in May, the new C8 Aileron uses a 299kW 4.2-litre V8 from Audi, driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox to catapult it from standstill to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and then on to 300km/h.

Rinspeed iChange and E2

WACKY Swiss specialist car-maker Rinspeed debuted the iChange, a 150kW, 220km/h, 1050kg, lithium ion battery powered electric vehicle with a four-second 0-100km/h-sprint time, as well as the ability to change its shape according to how many people are on board.

“In seconds, a streamlined one-seater sports car transforms into a comfortable car with ample room for three,” teases the blurb. Via a press of a button, the rear of the streamlined coupe extends to accommodate two more people.

Genius/insane ideas prevail, including a Jetsons-style canopy instead of doors, an Apple iPhone interface replaceing the key and media/communications functions, an E85-powered heater independent of the EV drivetrain, eco-friendly pure wool cabin trim, a diamond-coated anti-slip floor, roof-mounted solar panels for recharging and to drive the fan-assisted ventilation and flyweight alloy wheels. Sadly, no production plans exist.

Meanwhile, a special eco Fiat 500 called the E2 was revealed at Geneva, with some serious engine management software on the Abarth 500 SuperSport drivetrain that turned the rip-snorting 120kW hot hatch into a Prius-pretending 45kW urban-commuting fuel miser capable of around 4L/100km at a press of a button – BMW M5 style.

Zagato Perana Z-One

ITALIAN couture coupled with American muscle and … err … South African initiative has created the Perana Z-One.

Zagato of Milan’s voluptuous design catapults the mid-engined and steel-tubed space-framed Z-One into the supercar stratosphere visually, while Chevrolet’s worked 328kW/583Nm 6.2-litre Gen IV V8 keeps the 1195kg rear-drive two-seater there with a sub-4.0 second 0-100km/h-dash time.

The Z-One’s proposed €50,000 pre-tax price tag ($A99,550) makes the upcoming production version appear a viable proposition.

From top: Rinspeed iChange, Zagato Perana Z-one, Giugario Fraser-Nash Namir concept, Protoscar Lampo concept, Fiorvanti TRIS concept, Koenigsegg Quant EV concept and KTM X-Bow Superlight.

Giugiaro Fraser-Nash Namir concept

ITALIAN design house Giugiaro takes care of this car’s styling, with its Lamborghini Gallardo-esque exterior and a cabin oozing with 1970s future/retro chic.

But the notion of the mid 20th century British brand that was in cohorts with pre-wartime BMW, WW2 armaments manufacturing and – more recently – automotive engineering consultancy, comes as a shock.

The all-wheel-drive Namir Concept previews a series hybrid drivetrain that employs an 814cc rotary engine driving a generator charging a 400V lithium polymer battery pack to power a pair of electric motors at each axle to produce about 270kW of power, for a 300km/h top speed, 0-100km/h standing start of 3.5 seconds and up to about 2000km of range. There is also a 400-litre boot.

Protoscar Lampo concept

LAMPO means flash or lightning in Italian – an appropriate name for the all-wheel-drive two-seater convertible Protoscar Lampo concept with a purely electric drivetrain delivering 200kW and 440Nm.

Protoscar says it will fully recharge in about 12 hours with a 240V power outlet, while regenerative braking technology helps recharge the two lithium-ion battery set-up.

Fioravanti F1 and TRIS concepts

ITALIAN car-maker Fioravanti displayed both an F1-style sports car and an economy car – TRIS – but long-time Geneva show followers may feel déjà vu with the latter.

The LF1 tries to marry F1 research with a production vehicle with racing car style aerodynamic styling and lightweight construction techniques. There are few air ducts to create drag, with Fioravanti instead relying on electric fans and intercoolers to keep the 1.8-litre turbo-charged four-cylinder engine from overheating.

Meanwhile, the TRIS reappears again after a nine-year hiatus. It is a low-cost three-door hatch that is designed to highlight more efficient building procedures.

Examples of this include identical lights and bumpers all round, while all three doors – including the hatch – are also the same.

Koenigsegg Quant EV concept

THE Quant EV concept from Swedish sports car firm Koenigsegg is a co-development with compatriots NLV Solar AG – a pioneer in photovoltaic and electrical power technology.

So it is no surprise that the rear-drive, four-seater Quant, with its gullwing doors, is an EV, using AC induction electric motors that deliver 382kW of power and 715Nm of torque instantaneously, for an astounding top speed of 275km/h. However, the Porsche Cayman-like 0-100km/h-sprint time of 5.2 seconds seems mildly disappointing.

Koenigsegg is aiming to keep weight at about 1780kg, aided by a carbon-fibre monotube backbone chassis and a 450kg power storage system that avoids hazardous materials associated with the lithium ion batteries of other EVs.

Regenerative braking also helps the Quant achieve a range of more than 500km, while full charging is claimed to take 20 minutes.

Arguably one of the most exciting concepts at the Swiss show, the Quant is being investigated for production.

KTM X-Bow Superlight

A YEAR on from its 2008 Geneva debut, this year’s KTM X-BOW retains the open sportscar look and feel, with five different versions ranging from about $100,000 to almost $170,000.

Headlining at Geneva was the high-tech Superlight powered by a 177kW 2.0-litre TSFI four-cylinder engine from Audi. It combines all of KTM’s ultimate mass-reducing technologies such as a carbon fibre chassis made, and does away with non-essentials such as a roof, windscreen, air-conditioning and audio unit.

“It is so pure as to be similar to that of a motorbike,” said a spokesperson for the Austrian brand.

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