Mar 30 2020
The future of motor shows is being hotly debated following the coronavirus outbreak that is crippling economies around the world.
As with the Baselworld watch fair and the Watches and Wonders watch fair the planned Geneva motor show was cancelled due to health fears around the virus sweeping the world.
The show must go on
However, despite the cancelling of the Geneva show, much of the model launch activity took place anyway.
Car makers had already created their motor show stars and had planned products in the pipeline.
So instead of a physical reveal, manufacturers turned to the internet with many conducting live streams of the reveals, albeit not in Switzerland.
BMW Concept i4
BMW was one such brand, revealing its Concept i4 (the real car will be similar and arrives in 2021) to the media and enthusiasts across social media channels and on the company’s website.
“Instead, the BMW Group will present the programme planned for Geneva, including the world premiere of the BMW Concept i4, at a digital press conference with the Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Oliver Zipse, in Munich at the originally planned time.”
The Concept i4 has a toothy grille that had many questioning BMW’s design direction, something set to follow through on the upcoming M3 and M4 performance cars.
But it’s what’s beneath the skin that has electric car fans talking – and even has Tesla fans interested.
An electric motor makes 390kW and is powered by an 80kWh battery claimed to give up to 600km of driving range.
As a pure electric car – the i4 is part of BMW’s i sub-brand – it’s seen as a more direct rival for the successful Tesla Model 3.
Koenigsegg Gemera
Swedish hypercar maker Koenigsegg spread its high-performance thinking to more people with its first four-seater, the Gemera, which was also revealed in a live stream.
Just 300 will be produced, each priced upwards of $3 million – a figure that could rise given the drop in the Australian dollar over recent weeks.
Claimed to blast to 100km/h in just 1.9 seconds, the Gemera can also top 400km/h. However, rather than a pulsing V8 engine, the only thing sucking fuel is a tiny 2.0-litre three-cylinder twin-turbo engine.
The rest of the performance comes courtesy of three electric motors that between them make 800kW – more than your average Formula 1 car.
Combined with 450kW from the three-cylinder engine it makes a combined 1270kW and 3500Nm.
Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA
Less weight and more power is a favourite for Alfa Romeo and the struggling Italian brand has stepped it up with the return of the iconic GTA.
It takes the Quadrifoglio’s Ferrari-inspired 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 and steps it up to 402kW while shedding around 100kg.
There’s also a more aggressive body kit for the Giulia GTA, including an enormous rear wing, and wider 20-inch alloy wheels protruding further out each side.
Bentley Bacalar
One of 12 special edition drop-tops – each already accounted for – the Bacalar steps back the practicality and ramps up the style. It was shown off in a live stream.
Based on the Continental GT convertible, the Bacalar gets unique exterior panels and lights for a radically different look.
Instead of four seats there are two, as well as some materials not usually seen in a Bentley, including wool and ” 5000-year-old Riverwood sourced from the ancient Fenlands of East Anglia”.
The yellow paint contains ash from rice husks, “which provides a sustainable way of delivering a rich metallic finish”.
Under the bonnet is a twin-turbo V12 for suitable performance.
Volkswagen Golf GTI
It’s the original hot hatch and now the Golf GTI has stepped things up with the most powerful regular version to date.
The 2.0-litre engine of the eighth-generation Golf – called Golf 8 – now makes 180kW, for fiery pocket rocket performance.
It still maintains the everyday practicality of a five-door body and those wanting more power can wait for the Golf R (each are expected in 2021) with all-wheel drive and a reported 245kW.
Is the motor show game up?
The big question for motor shows is whether they will continue moving forward.
For years car makers have been questioning the effectiveness of motor shows. Many big brands have pulled out of big global shows that a decade earlier they never would have missed.
The upcoming Beijing motor show that was due in April has also been cancelled and the New York show has been postponed until later in 2020 (although it appears there’s a chance it will be cancelled altogether).
Take it online
The internet has made it much easier for car makers to spread the message about those head-turning concept cars and upcoming models. The cancellation of the recent Geneva motor show proved that.
That’s partly why Australia no longer has a motor show and others continue to wane in attendance.
Major motor shows can cost tens of millions of dollars from the manufacturer side, something many increasingly believe can better be spent elsewhere.
And the coronavirus has fast tracked some lateral thinking to maximise the message without attending the event.