Bugatti Chiron leads a wealth of performance cars at next week's Geneva motor show
The annual Geneva motor show is upon us, with a press preview next week followed by public days, and along with the Bugatti Chiron, we expect to see the Mercedes-AMG C43, McLaren 570GT, Lexus LC 500h and many other high performance cars.
Next week begins the 86th instance of the Geneva motor show, this yearly event occurring on Europe's neutral ground where automakers from around the world will reveal their latest creations. While there will certainly be new launches of everyday economy cars on hand, Geneva has become the setting for the world's supercars, the most exotic and expensive amalgams of carbon fiber, aluminum and steel in the world.
The Roadshow staff will be on the show floor, posting our stories, photos and video about the new cars, and here are a few of the most exciting cars we expect to see. Click here to see all of our Geneva show coverage.
Bugatti Chiron
The Veyron is dead, long live the Chiron! Bugatti gave its Veyron supercar a 10-year run, but announced La Finale last year, making way for a new model. The Chiron is an early favorite to be the star of the show, a new high performance and exclusive car from the single model Bugatti brand.
No pictures have been released yet of the Chiron, although we got a hint of the designer's thoughts last year with the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo, a 1:1 scale model of a car for the Gran Turismo video game. We do know that Bugatti is aiming for a top speed of 270 mph and will likely integrate some sort of electric propulsion with the Chiron's gasoline engine.
Read more about the Bugatti Chiron.
McLaren 570GT
McLaren 570GT
McLaren continues its aggressive cadence of performance cars all based on the same platform, unveiling the all new 570GT at Geneva. Where McLaren focused on race engineering in its previous models, developing a carbon fiber tub for the cabin with bolt-on suspension pieces and high-revving V-8 engines, the 570GT shows more emphasis on cabin comfort.
Along with a suspension tuned for ride comfort, the 570GT features an accessible luggage under a side-opening rear window, power adjustable seats and full leather interior. McLaren's comfort focus can be seen as the second phase in its grand plan to go up against Ferrari in the supercar set.
Read more about the McLaren 570GT.
Jaguar F-type SVR
We first saw the SVR name applied to the Range Rover Sport, and now Jaguar adopts it for the F-type, signaling a new performance division for the Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover company. The F-type SVR, to be unveiled in Geneva, is based on the F-type R model, with its supercharged V-8 engined tuned up to 575 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque.
This new, high performance variant of the F-type will be available as both a coupe and roadster, like its base model, and will be somewhat more affordable than most of the exotics in Geneva, with a price point of just over $125,000.
Read more about the Jaguar F-type SVR.
Lexus LC 500h
Lexus LC 500h
We saw Lexus' new sports car, the LC 500 at the Detroit auto show earlier this year, and the company follows up with a hybrid version, promising equal driving pleasure but much greater efficiency. At preview event before the Geneva show we got a look at this gorgeous new sports car, which couples an electric drive motor to its 3.5-liter V-6 gasoline engine.
To eliminate the ropiness of typical hybrid car acceleration, Lexus adds a four speed fixed gear transmission to the LC 500h's driveline, complementing the existing electronic variable transmission. Lexus engineers insist it will deliver more satisfying sports car performance, living up to the dramatic looks of the body.
Read more about the Lexus LC 500h.
Techrules Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle
Frankly, this one sounds a bit like vaporware, but Chinese company Techrules promises a supercar with 1,030 horsepower and a range of more than 1,200 miles. The company has only released a teaser photo ahead of the unveiling, and notes the car uses turbines that generate electricity for the drive motors. The turbines can run on a variety of fuels, such as gasoline, bio-diesel, propane and compressed natural gas.
We will be eager to see what Techrules has in store, and whether it is wishful thinking or a true breakthrough.
Read more about the Techrules Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle.
Beyond those five, there will be a huge assortment of new production cars and concepts, some cars that will be sold in the US and some that will only show up in Europe and other markets.
The Geneva motor show's press preview days occur on Tuesday, March 1, and Wednesday, March 2. Check out our show coverage on those days to see full stories and video of the most exciting new cars in Geneva.