Home / Geneva Show Highlights: Concept Cars
Geneva Show Highlights: Concept Cars
The Geneva Auto Show, which runs March 8-18, showcases a wide variety of concepts, from near-production-ready models to futuristic exercises in creativity and design. Below are world-debuting concept cars significant to North America; check back for more updates.
Click here to see the new production cars unveiled in Geneva.BMW M3 concept
Though BMW calls the next-generation M3 revealed in Geneva a concept car, this model should be very similar to the finalized production version. “This is a concept study of what the M3 may or will look like,” said BMW board member Klaus Dreager at the car’s unveiling. “You’ll have to wait a couple months for the production version.” Industry watchers speculate that the production version will be officially unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show later this summer. The M3 concept features a carbon-fiber roof, a hood with a prominent power dome and 19-inch wheels. BMW confirmed that this will be the first M3 with a high-revving V8. It should produce more than 400 hp. Details of the powertrain and suspension were withheld. The car will be on sale in North America by the end of 2007. The BMW rep who confirmed this also said that the M3 concept’s carbon-fiber roof, as well as a hybrid-like brake regeneration system, would likely make it into the production M3, two moves that align with the “efficient dynamics” motto BMW highlighted at the show.
Dodge Demon concept
Dodge unveiled a small, convertible concept car called the Demon that if produced would compete with the Mazda Miata, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. The Demon is slightly shorter than the Miata, but wider, taller and heavier. The car has two seats, rear-wheel drive and a 172-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 165 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Dodge folks have hinted that the turbocharged 300-hp monster engine from the Caliber SRT-4 might also fit in the Demon. But Dodge is pointing the conversation toward the Demon's style rather than its mechanicals, as no production plans are imminent.
Honda Small Hybrid Sports concept
Honda revealed its vision for a three-door hybrid hatchback that’s both sporty and eco-conscious with this concept. It was designed by Honda’s European R&D department based in Offenbach, Germany. The Small Hybrid Sports concept boasts dramatic design elements, with a wheels-out-to-the-corners stance, aggressively cut rear fender lines and large, exposed 20-inch wheels. High-tech touches include a floating LED taillight unit and rear-facing digital cameras that would replace conventional rearview mirrors. The front-wheel-drive Small Hybrid Sports concept would be powered by a four-cylinder gas/electric system. “Today we’re presenting a concept that combines performance and fuel efficiency,” said Takeo Fukui, Honda’s CEO, at the car’s debut. He also confirmed that the company is working on a new hybrid vehicle, scheduled for 2009. It won’t be a production version of this concept, but more likely a four-door vehicle to rival Toyota’s Prius. Currently, the Honda Civic Hybrid is the Prius’ main competition.
Hyundai QarmaQ concept
Europe’s No. 2 SUV manufacturer presented a futuristic concept called the QarmaQ, a so-called "crossover" coupe produced in association with GE Plastics. The QarmaQ features more than 20 advanced safety and environmental technologies that Hyundai says it will incorporate into new models between 2008 and 2014. This includes an advanced front-end plastic safety structure in the hood that will help reduce the risk of severe injuries in vehicle-pedestrian collisions. Hyundai calls the system “Elastic Front.” In addition, polycarbonate glazing is used in place of heavier glass to save weight and increase occupant and pedestrian safety. The vehicle’s tailgate is composed of lighting assemblies fused into one component. Hyundai says the QarmaQ is lighter, stronger and more economical than any current production car-based SUV in its class, thanks to these advanced technologies.
Kia ex_Cee'd convertible concept
Kia focused on its new Europe-only production models in Geneva — specifically the Cee’d wagon — but the flashiest model the Korean company put on display is the ex_Cee’d convertible concept, styled by Kia’s new head of design Peter Schreyer. The concept has a fabric roof, a retro touch which Schreyer bets will make a comeback in the European market, where even inexpensive cars like the Nissan Micra coupe/convertible, Peugeot 307, Mazda MX-5, Vauxhall Tigra and Ford Focus CC offer folding metal roofs. Kia says its research found that the majority of convertible buyers would welcome greater availability of fabric roofs. The four-seater concept offers 19-inch wheels on 10.5-inch wide tires, a power-operated fabric roof as well as a lower body than the production Cee’d three-door on which it’s based. There are no U.S. plans for the Cee’d, but Kia is on a path for continued growth in North America: It will soon open a design studio in California and has announced a $1.2 billion assembly plant to be built in West Point, Ga. Kia is also ramping up a hybrid test program this year in Europe.
Lotus Exige GT3 concept
There could be a coming storm of corporate upheaval in the Lotus world. The small company recently reported its third quarterly loss in a row, and some investors expect Lotus Group owner Proton to sell the company in the near future. With that development looming, Lotus unveiled an Exige GT3 concept vehicle that is planned to make it into production late this year in Europe. One Lotus official said the Exige GT3 concept is not likely to make it to the U.S. Despite these production plans, Lotus calls the Exige GT3 a concept vehicle, albeit one with a very real aim of creating the latest in a line of increasingly hot track-oriented Exige models. The Exige GT3 concept features a 271-hp supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, a special rear wing, upgraded brakes and an adjustable Ohlins suspension. Lotus says the sprint to 60 mph will take only 3.9 seconds. The Exige GT3 probably won’t be road legal and therefore will be only for track use pretty much everywhere but in England.
Mazda Hakaze concept
Though not a “green” car per se, the gasoline-powered Mazda Hakaze concept is guided by earthy themes. This is the third of Mazda’s so-called Nagare concept vehicles, which have a design language that takes cues from the natural "flow lines" of wind and water. The small, two-door Hakaze has rippled surfaces along its fender line, which Mazda says were inspired by the windswept surface of a sand dune. The car was crafted in Mazda’s European design center near Frankfurt, Germany, and is expected to be the most production-ready concept of Mazda’s three Nagare design studies. The first was the Nagare itself, a futuristic roadster concept which was shown at the 2006 L.A. Auto Show, followed by the Ryuga, a coupe shown at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. Mazda has called the concepts "more than just flights of fancy," and intends the Nagare models to influence the look of future models. “Hakaze is the first of this new and effective process of future development,” said Jose R.G. Santamaria, director of advanced product planning.
Opel GTC concept
Saturn has been highlighting its close partnership with GM’s German-based Opel brand of late — the 2007 Astra unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show is essentially an Opel with a Saturn logo. So we speculate that the new Opel GTC concept revealed in Geneva may have a future as a Saturn in North America, as well. The GTC, for Grand Touring Coupe, features all-wheel drive, a matte grey finish on menacing 20-inch black rims and an interior that appears to be production ready, with silver accented design elements that resemble four wheels all connected. “The GTC concept embodies the confident, emotional direction we’re taking with Opel,” said Alain Visser, executive director of European Opel marketing. Based on Saturn’s close alignment with Opel in recent months, don’t be surprised if the GTC turns out to be a signpost for Saturns to come, too.
Toyota Hybrid X concept
Toyota revealed a new vision for the hybrid vehicle with this aggressive concept that features an airy cabin. The Hybrid X concept features an almost full-length glass roof and four doors — the back two are rear-hinged. The only painted panels on the roof are thin structural braces that resemble an X when seen from above; hence the name. “The Hybrid X is an unconventional fusion of strength, emotion and futurism,” said Thierry Dombreval, executive vice president of Toyota Europe. In contrast to the California-designed, low-and-sleek FT-HS two-door sport coupe that Toyota showed off in Detroit, the Hybrid X was designed in Europe, with a much taller body, and presumably with more emphasis placed on efficiency and passenger comfort than performance. “These cars represent two poles of the hybrid spectrum of the future,” Dombreval said.
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