One of the most popular motor shows in the world, the annual Geneva motor show kicked off earlier this week. The cars that got maximum attention at the show were some really powerful supercars and there were more than a handful.
Bugatti Chiron
The Chiron is the fastest production car ever to be made by Bugatti. Now it certainly cannot get better than this. The sports car has a new 8.0-litre 16 cylinder engine that that churns out a maximum power of 1478hp. That 1600Nm of torque is available from as low as 2000rpm is just another mind boggling figure. To get to a speed of 100 km/hr from stationary the Chiron just takes 2.5 and it’s got an unbelievable top speed of 420 km/hr.
If there were any critics on how the Veyron was designed, we are sure the Chiron will not have any. Apart from the trademark Bugatti grille, the front fascia gets contoured hood and new LED headlights. There is a massive 1.6 meter long LED strip light as well. More importantly, the car is now wider and taller than its predecessor. The cabin has a bigger interior space making for a roomier cockpit. The centre console is now trimmed and the instrument cluster is a mix of digital and analog dials. For a more comfortable ride there’s an adaptive suspension setup and specially developed tyres to ensure higher levels of agility. The production of the Chiron will be kept limited to just 500 units and one third of the production is already sold out, despite an unbelievable price tag of $2.61 million.
Lamborghini Centenario
Italian supercar maker, Lamborghini revealed the Centenario at Geneva. The car is so named as it celebrates the centenary of company’s founder Ferruccio Lamborghini’s birthday. Like every other Lamborghini this one too is a design marvel that aids in functionality too, like the extended rear wing that gives more down force at high speeds. The feature list of the Centenario also includes a touch screen infotainment system with Apple Car Play.
As is the case with the Chiron the numbers on the Centenario are massive. There is a V12 motor that churns out a maximum power of 770PS. According to Lamborghini, the car will race to 100kmph in a mere 2.8 seconds along with a top speed of 350kmph. The supercar has an amazing power to weight ratio of 1.97 kg/PS. There will be only 40 units of the car available worldwide, 20 each in coupe and roadster forms. The company says they have already sold all 40 cars. The starting price of the car is kept at Euro 1.75 million or Rs. 12.8 crore.
Audi Q2
Making the Audi range of SUVs even more affordable will be the Q2, a sub-compact crossover that was revealed to the media at the Geneva Motor Show. The good thing about the Q2 is that it looks considerably different from other cars in the Q family. There’s a single frame grille with an octagonal layout and rectangular shaped headlights. At the rear there are squared LED tail lamps again a unique feature. At just over the 4 meters in length the Q2 isn’t really big but still offers a decent boot space of 405-litres. The famed Audi MMI infotainment screen finds a place here too and now comes with ios and Android compatibility.
There will be six different engine options on the Q2. The Petrol engine range will start with a 1.0-litre 114bhp three-cylinder motor and will end at 2.0-litre 187bhp TFSI engine. The Diesel range will include a 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre units. The options will also include manual and DSG gearboxes as well as the Audi Quattro system. Safety features include adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, lane departure warning and much more.
Maserati Levante
Here is a car that was premiered in Geneva and will make its way to India soon. The Levante is the first ever SUV made by the Italian sports car maker Maserati. Built on the Ghibli platform the car seat five and has an aggressive design language which includes the large grille and the gills on front fenders.
The car is based on a steel and aluminum chassis, which according to the company gives on-road dynamics of a sedan with the performance of an off-roader. The SUV will be offered with both petrol and diesel engines and is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission along with all-wheel drive system. The petrol is a twin-turbo V6 mill making 430PS and does a 0-100kmph time in 5.2 seconds with a top speed of 260kmph. The diesel at 270 PS is not as powerful. Some special features on the SUV include electronic suspension that offers five ride height levels.
Aston Martin
Finally British car maker Aston Martin revealed the stunning DB 11 sports car at Geneva. The car that is the successor to the iconic DB 10 can boast of some mind boggling figures. Powering the DB 11 is a 5.2-litre, twin turbocharged V12 engine that does a speed from 0-100 in just over 4 seconds. The top speed remains at a modest 200 kmph.
The car is big on features too and amongst other things, it comes with an 8-inch screen for the infotainment system and a 360-degree birds-eye view camera. The car also has a self park assist feature. According to Aston Martin, the DB 11 is the most important car in the company’s more than a century old existence.
Shams Naqvi is an anchor/producer for the News X motor show Living Cars.