Geneva- impressions - baby Aston next ?
Discussion
Just back from my first visit to Geneva - here are a few random observations from a first timer, because there is nothing like seeing the stuff in the metal.
Good news is that AM did not have the Cygnet with them and they still make the best looking cars on the planet.
In the metal the disappointments were as follows ;
458 Ferrari - nice and curvy lbut pretty standard mid engine race car looks did not blow me away as I expected - put the £200k back in my pocket
Mercedes - .
E convertible - again not blown away - pretty ordinary.
SLS - impressive in the flesh but not good looking - interior looked bullet proof but without those doors it would look like a slab sided 70's muscle car - not a curve in sight.
BMW-
5 series looks good but strangley I think the 7 series looks even better and has a cavernous boot unlike the GT which is somewhat under endowed in this department.
Audi -
New A1 is rubbish - no character whatsoever, R8 convertible looks fab but will be much more impractical than the Vantage . New A8 looks much better in the flesh than the pictures and the interior looks a cut above the rest.
VW-
New Polo GTI looks fab - like a series 1 Golf . Golf R also looks great.
Spyker-
New Aileron - the interior is to die for the best in the business - Aston have a look at that quilt - reminds you of a Zagato finish but better.
Maserati-
Convertible looks great as per the pictures but it is far too big and heavy for a drivers car . This is something Aston and others need to watch . Saw a poser in a California turning a 3 point turn into a 7 point turn outside the 4 Seasons in town and consequently not looking cool but an idiot for spending £170k on a car that does not work in the real world . Too heavy too big for a sports car.
Porsche-
New light weight boxster revealed as a bit of cynical marketing exercise - yes it's light and no doubt drives brilliantly - but so does a boxster S and it does not have an umbrella for a roof - nor does it have a stupid lid stuck on the back to make it look more exotic than a boxster - which is what it is. The guy on the stand - despite no doubt hours of training - took forever to get the umbrella up .
Jaguar-
New XJ looks good but is overhyped in my opinion. The interior seemed not as good as the photos although different finishes make a big difference. The front seats also looked pretty tight to me for a big car.
No LRX to see I am afraid on the sister Land Rover stand.
Bentley-
Nothing unusual here but on another stand someone had produced a bentley conti shooting brake which looked great - they should make it - it would sell.
Toyota-
Don't know if the brakes work but the little concept coupe FT-86 looks sensational - small,light ,in proportion see Autocar 17 Feb for details.
Of the other stuff the little Honda CRZ hybred looks sawn off and badly packaged but the Nissan Juke - though clearly a marmite car - has got something - it's different , in proportion and funky.
Concept cars don't really interest me - anybody can produce a design - getting it to work on the road in the real world is the challenge.
Conclusion - we still drive the most attractive cars in the world - what about a Spyker interior next and dump the Cygnet and do a deal with Toyota to produce an upmarket version of the FT-86 as a baby Aston.
Good news is that AM did not have the Cygnet with them and they still make the best looking cars on the planet.
In the metal the disappointments were as follows ;
458 Ferrari - nice and curvy lbut pretty standard mid engine race car looks did not blow me away as I expected - put the £200k back in my pocket
Mercedes - .
E convertible - again not blown away - pretty ordinary.
SLS - impressive in the flesh but not good looking - interior looked bullet proof but without those doors it would look like a slab sided 70's muscle car - not a curve in sight.
BMW-
5 series looks good but strangley I think the 7 series looks even better and has a cavernous boot unlike the GT which is somewhat under endowed in this department.
Audi -
New A1 is rubbish - no character whatsoever, R8 convertible looks fab but will be much more impractical than the Vantage . New A8 looks much better in the flesh than the pictures and the interior looks a cut above the rest.
VW-
New Polo GTI looks fab - like a series 1 Golf . Golf R also looks great.
Spyker-
New Aileron - the interior is to die for the best in the business - Aston have a look at that quilt - reminds you of a Zagato finish but better.
Maserati-
Convertible looks great as per the pictures but it is far too big and heavy for a drivers car . This is something Aston and others need to watch . Saw a poser in a California turning a 3 point turn into a 7 point turn outside the 4 Seasons in town and consequently not looking cool but an idiot for spending £170k on a car that does not work in the real world . Too heavy too big for a sports car.
Porsche-
New light weight boxster revealed as a bit of cynical marketing exercise - yes it's light and no doubt drives brilliantly - but so does a boxster S and it does not have an umbrella for a roof - nor does it have a stupid lid stuck on the back to make it look more exotic than a boxster - which is what it is. The guy on the stand - despite no doubt hours of training - took forever to get the umbrella up .
Jaguar-
New XJ looks good but is overhyped in my opinion. The interior seemed not as good as the photos although different finishes make a big difference. The front seats also looked pretty tight to me for a big car.
No LRX to see I am afraid on the sister Land Rover stand.
Bentley-
Nothing unusual here but on another stand someone had produced a bentley conti shooting brake which looked great - they should make it - it would sell.
Toyota-
Don't know if the brakes work but the little concept coupe FT-86 looks sensational - small,light ,in proportion see Autocar 17 Feb for details.
Of the other stuff the little Honda CRZ hybred looks sawn off and badly packaged but the Nissan Juke - though clearly a marmite car - has got something - it's different , in proportion and funky.
Concept cars don't really interest me - anybody can produce a design - getting it to work on the road in the real world is the challenge.
Conclusion - we still drive the most attractive cars in the world - what about a Spyker interior next and dump the Cygnet and do a deal with Toyota to produce an upmarket version of the FT-86 as a baby Aston.
Sorry but I can't follow your logic.
You say "Concept cars don't really interest me - anybody can produce a design - getting it to work on the road in the real world is the challenge". But then you follow this up with "the little concept coupe FT-86 looks sensational" and "dump the Cygnet and do a deal with Toyota to produce an upmarket version of the FT-86 as a baby Aston".
With Toyota's current image the best thing for AM to do would be to cut all ties with them and get back to what they do best - designing and building their own "proper" sporting cars.
You say "Concept cars don't really interest me - anybody can produce a design - getting it to work on the road in the real world is the challenge". But then you follow this up with "the little concept coupe FT-86 looks sensational" and "dump the Cygnet and do a deal with Toyota to produce an upmarket version of the FT-86 as a baby Aston".
With Toyota's current image the best thing for AM to do would be to cut all ties with them and get back to what they do best - designing and building their own "proper" sporting cars.
LordBretSinclair said:
Sorry but I can't follow your logic.
You say "Concept cars don't really interest me - anybody can produce a design - getting it to work on the road in the real world is the challenge". But then you follow this up with "the little concept coupe FT-86 looks sensational" and "dump the Cygnet and do a deal with Toyota to produce an upmarket version of the FT-86 as a baby Aston".
With Toyota's current image the best thing for AM to do would be to cut all ties with them and get back to what they do best - designing and building their own "proper" sporting cars.
The answer to your question is that the FT-86 is not really a concept it's pretty close to production ( I suspect they will lose the zips oin the dash ).You say "Concept cars don't really interest me - anybody can produce a design - getting it to work on the road in the real world is the challenge". But then you follow this up with "the little concept coupe FT-86 looks sensational" and "dump the Cygnet and do a deal with Toyota to produce an upmarket version of the FT-86 as a baby Aston".
With Toyota's current image the best thing for AM to do would be to cut all ties with them and get back to what they do best - designing and building their own "proper" sporting cars.
If you need Toyota technology and you are trying to get your average Co2 footprint down why not go for a lightweight perfectly in proportion sports car which could actually form the basis of a proper baby Aston rather than some pug ugly town car with a makeover out of a rap star' video.
I must have missed the baby swan - what a pity - better to be lucky than smart !
There is a serious point here though guys - where do Aston go next they do need to technology share if they want to avoid falling behind.
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