Favourite cars from the Geneva Motor Show 2019

Time to pick some of my personal favourite brand new cars and world premieres from the stands of Geneva Motor Show 2019.

The 89th edition of the world-famous Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) 2019 had closed its curtains a little fortnight ago, so we thought that it would be best for us to highlight some of our personal favourite brand new world premieres from the stand of Palexpo centre after the waves have cooled down.

• Aston Martin AM-RB 003 / Vanquish Vision Concept

Photo: Aston Martin

Photo: Aston Martin

ASTON MARTIN had launched three new cars, including a model under their luxury sub-division Lagonda, but all eyes were on the AM-RB 003 and the Vanquish Vision Concept. The AM-RB 003, christened "Son of Valkyrie", is meant to be a (relatively) more practical and affordable version of the Valkyrie. Very little technical detail is present at the moment, but it is confirmed that it will be powered by a brand new, in-house developed hybrid V6 engine rather than the hybrid V12 as in the Valkyrie. 

If a hybrid powertrain isn't your taste, then the Vanquish Vision Concept would definitely suit your petrol veins. It may look like a smaller version of the Valkyrie, but this all-petrol mid-engined V6 supercar aimed squarely at the likes of Ferrari F8 Tributo, Lamborghini Huracan EVO and McLaren 720S. It would be until later after 2020 where we hopefully see these two models come to life in full production guise.

• Bentley Continental GT Number 9 Edition

Photo: Bentley Motors

Believe it or not, BENTLEY has now turned 100 years old. To mark the special centennial occasion, they unveiled a special, limited edition model of their third-generation Continental GT. Called the Number 9 Edition, it marks a tribute to the legendary Blower back in the 1930s. Fun fact: the Blower was actually James Bond's first car in Ian Fleming's spy thriller novel trilogy.

Only 100 units of this special edition would be made worldwide and all of them will be powered by the same 6.0L twin-turbo W12 engine as found in the standard model. It's available in either Beluga or Viridian paint scheme with a "No. 9" white paint effect on the front grille. No word on the official pricing, but expect it to cost more than the standard model's £150,000 price tag.

• Bugatti La Voiture Noire

Photo: Bugatti

If you think Bentley is old enough, BUGATTI is even older than you might expect. For their 110th birthday this year, they showcased a Chiron-based one-off hypercar. While there is a special edition of the Chiron Sport called the 110 Ans present at their exhibition booth, this La Voiture Noire, aka The Black Car, definitely stole everyone's attention. The design was inspired by the most famous Bugatti of all called the Type 57 SC Atlantic. The classic masterpiece was created by Ettore Bugatti's eldest son Jean and only four examples were ever made.

Mechanically, it is pretty much identical to the standard Chiron with the same 1500 bhp 8.0L quad-turbo W16 engine, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and also the same all-wheel-drive system. At £11.4 million, this bespoke coach-built Bugatti is the world's most expensive new car right now. Whoever bought that one-and-only hypercar must be a really lucky guy.

• Ferrari F8 Tributo

Photo: Ferrari S.p.A.

FERRARI launched a new car... sort of. Called the F8 Tributo, Ferrari claimed that this was the replacement for the 488 GTB. But take a second glance, and you can tell that the 488 lines are still there, especially the air ducts near the door. Ironically, the 488 itself was the "so-called" successor to the all-new 458 Italia from 2010 with the front headlights showing its proof. This isn't so much of a successor or a replacement as in yet another mid-life cycle update with more variants in the lineup.

However, there is another way of looking at the F8. Think of it as a 488 Pista for grand touring. Hardly a surprise since the 711bhp twin-turbocharged 3.9L V8 comes directly from their current lightened supercar. Also, the F8 is 50kg lighter than the standard 488 GTB. The result is 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds and it will accelerate all the way to a top speed of 211 mph (340 km/h). That should make McLaren 720S sweating hard.

• Ginetta Akula

Photo: Ginetta

Car firms mainly established because of motor racing in mind hasn't gained much traction among the mainstream car fans, but that didn't stop GINETTA from making an appearance at this year's Geneva Motor Show. They debuted an all-new supercar called the Akula. The name might be a mixed bag for some people, but those angular lines definitely got people turning their heads. Despite the front-engine appearance, this is a mid-engined supercar. This is a similar layout to the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT R, where the engine sat in the front behind the front axle rather than in the middle in front of the rear axle.

Using their wide expertise in motorsport, particularly the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance racing, the body is an all carbon fibre monocoque chassis with LMP-derived aerodynamics. Powering this all-British 1150kg supercar is a naturally aspirated 6.0L V8 engine that produces 600 bhp and 700 Nm of torque with the top speed quoted at 200 mph (321 km/h). The price will start at around £284,000, not including VAT. Let's just hope that there are rich or loaded people out there who can give some real trashing to this machine at the track.

• Koenigsegg Jesko

Jesko
Photo: Koenigsegg Automotive AB

This KOENIGSEGG is, without a doubt, the true shining star of the show. Meet Jesko, the all-new replacement for the Agera and also the company's fourth brand new model after the Regera. It was named in honour of Christian von Koenigsegg's father named Jesko. Ford's ill-fated Edsel from the late 1950s, anyone?

Naming scheme aside, it features some of the latest technology from the ever-innovative company such as the all-new nine-speed multi-clutch gearbox called Light Speed Transmission (LST). It also features an all-new carbon fibre tub and a new active rear-wheel steering. It is powered by the familiar-yet-proven twin-turbocharged 5.0L V8, which now churns out 1280 bhp in standard high-performance fuel or 1600 bhp when running on E85 ethanol fuel. The price? A cool $3 million. If you want one, you're too late - Koenigsegg only made 125 Jesko and all of them have been sold. Ouch!

• Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster / Hurácan Evo Spyder

Photo: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

Photo: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

Fancy a roofless version of the recently-revised Hurácan and the most hardcore track-focused Aventador yet? LAMBORGHINI got you covered with the Aventador SVJ Roadster and the Hurácan EVO Spyder. Like the previous pre-facelift Aventador SV Roadster, the SVJ Roadster is a limited run model with only 800 units to be built worldwide with the price starting at around £325,000. It uses the same quick-release carbon fibre roof panel as other roofless Aventador. You also get the same sultry naturally-aspirated 6.5L V12 engine with 760 bhp and 720 Nm of torque on tap. Even though the Roadster weighs 50 kg more than the hardtop, it can do 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds and the needles won't stop until it hit 217 mph (350 km/h).

If the big and brash Aventador isn't your thing and you prefer something smaller and more discreet, then the Hurácan EVO is the choice. Now available in convertible Spyder trim, this is a mid-cycle update of the pre-facelift Hurácan Spyder. Despite the extra chassis strengthening that resulted in a 120 kg weight increase, you still get the same screaming naturally-aspirated 5.2L V10 engine from its hardtop counterpart and the track-focused Performanté. As a result, you have 631 bhp and 600 Nm of torque on disposal which can do 0-62 mph in 3.1 seconds and 202 mph (325 km/h) top speed. All yours for a more sensible £196,000.

• Mercedes-Benz AMG GT R Roadster

Photo: Mercedes-Benz GmbH

Since we mentioned a track-focused machine with no roof just now, MERCEDES-BENZ also decided to join in the party with the AMG GT R Roadster. The 911 GT3 RS arch rival is now available with a folding three-layer fabric roof. It also features adjustable coil-over suspension with active rear-wheel steering and active aero. The engine is the same Biturbo 4.0L V8 as in the hardtop version, so you have 577bhp and 700Nm of torque at your disposal, which can pull this convertible Beast of the Green Hell from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and maxed out at 197 mph (317 km/h). No word on the official pricing for now, but you better be fast if you want one - only 750 units will be built worldwide.

• Morgan Plus Six

Photo: Morgan Motor Company

When it comes to modern retro, no one does it better than the Malvern-based MORGAN Motor Cars and the brand new Plus Six didn't disappoint. Since this was meant to replace the Plus 8, the naturally-aspirated BMW-sourced V8 engine has taken the back seat. What you have now instead is a turbocharged V6 engine, also sourced from BMW. Here's a fun twist: the engine in question is the same B58 variant found in the G20 M340i, the G29 Z4 M40i and the new 2019 Toyota Supra A90. To put it in another way, this Morgan is powered by the same engine as the reborn Japanese icon!

That means 335 bhp and 500 Nm of torque on your right foot. 62 mph was dealt in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 165 mph and a combined fuel consumption figure of 38.2 mpg. Don't expect a manual gearbox since the Plus Six is only available with a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. If you don't mind the lack of a manual gearbox, you can either order one with your own bespoke customization for the price of £77,995 or opt for Emerald or Moonstone First Editions with an extra £12,000 above the standard car's price tag.

• RUF CTR Yellow Bird Anniversary / GT

Photo: RUF Automobiles GmbH

Photo: RUF Automobiles GmbH

Another company that celebrated its birthday in Geneva was the 80-year-old RUF Automobiles GmbH. To celebrate this milestone, the Pfaffenhausen-based tuner-cum-boutique car brand had brought in the CTR Yellow Bird Anniversary and the new GT. The 710 bhp 21st-century reincarnation of the iconic 1987 Yellow Bird was not new since the world had first seen it as a concept back in 2017, not least with Top Gear Magazine even wrote a full review of it. Fast forward to 2019, and this Anniversary edition was the finalized production unit of the model with the first unit had already been built and delivered to its lucky customer.

The GT, however, was the company's latest model to commemorate the company's 80th birthday. Based on the outgoing 991.2 Carrera GTS, it gained a 71 bhp power boost and a 95 Nm torque increase over the standard factory version. It means that the twin-turbocharged 3.0L flat-6 engine now reads 515 bhp and 645 Nm of torque. With 1450 kg curb weight, it can sprint to 62 mph in a claimed 3.4 seconds and climb all the way up to 199 mph (320 km/h) top speed.

What are your personal favourite world premieres? Let us know in the comment section down below.