The 2019 Geneva International Motor Show has come and gone, and it was another bumper year especially for performance fans. There were supercars and hypercars galore, and one of our favorites was the Aston Martin Vanquish Vision Concept, which previews the new mid-engine Vanquish coming early next decade to challenge the Ferrari F8 Tributo and McLaren 720S.
Ferrari F8 Tributo
The F8 Tributo also made its world debut in Geneva. The car replaces the 488 GTB in the Ferrari fold and is essentially the 488 Pista in a new wrapper. We're talking 710 horsepower of grunt, a 0-60 mph time of less than 3.0 seconds, and a top speed of 211 mph. Incredibly, it's just the first of five new Ferraris due in 2019.
Koenigsegg Jesko
Another showstopper was the Koenigsegg Jesko. The car replaces the Agera line and is the track-focused alternative to the more grand touring-focused Regera in the Swedish hypercar marque's lineup. There's a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 capable of delivering 1,600 horsepower, as well as a 9-speed automatic transmission that can switch directly between any two gears.
Bugatti La Voiture Noire
Bugatti rolled out a one-off hypercar based on its Chiron platform. Called the La Voiture Noire, the car is a tribute to the Type 57SC Atlantic of the 1930s and cost its owner a staggering $12.4 million. There aren't any performance upgrades. Instead, the car is “a feast of aesthetics.”
Aston Martin AM-RB 003 hypercar
In addition to its Vanquish concept, Aston Martin also rolled out a new hypercar code-named the AM-RB 003. The car is the little brother to the Valkyrie and will operate at a performance level similar to the Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1 in performance. Incredibly, it will do so with a V-6 engine, which Aston Martin is developing in-house.
Pininfarina Battista
The most powerful car at the show was actually electric. We're talking about Pininfarina's new Battista, which is named after the Italian firm's founder and packs an insane 1,877 horsepower. It's the first model from Pininfarina's recently launched car brand.
New Stratos
Another favorite was the New Stratos. Additional examples of the retro supercar has finally entered production, nine years after the first one was shown. The car was originally a one-off project built by Pininfarina on a shortened Ferrari F430 Scuderia platform, but thanks to Manifattura Automobili Torino a further 25 examples will now see the light of day. The first two customer cars were shown in Geneva.
Alfa Romeo Tonale concept
It wasn't all performance cars. Alfa Romeo previewed its upcoming compact crossover SUV with the Tonale concept. We hear the design will change very little for production, which is expected to start in late 2020 or early the following year. The car will go up against the Mercedes-Benz GLA, BMW X1/X2, and Audi Q3.
Audi Q4 e-tron concept
Audi is working on a new Q4 compact crossover SUV but concurrent with development of the internal-combustion version will be a battery-electric Q4 e-tron based on the Volkswagen Group's new MEB platform for EVs. A concept of the Q4 e-tron at Geneva previews the design we can expect.
Lagonda All-Terrain Concept
Aston Martin is reviving historic British brand Lagonda as a luxury EV marque capable of challenging Rolls-Royce and Bentley. The first of the new Lagondas will be an SUV, a preview of which came in the form of the All-Terrain Concept at this week's Geneva show. One of the goals of the design team is to ensure that Lagonda vehicles look like no other on the market, not only to stand out from the crowd but also to reflect the technology they're packing.
There was much, much more in Geneva. As always, you’ll find our complete coverage on the show over at our dedicated hub.
