Geneva 2016: The rumours

It may seem unusual talking about a motor show two months ahead of the doors opening. However, the internet is awash with various different rumours and announcements of cars that are expected to debut at Geneva in March. Here is a roundup of my top 5 cars that we may be seeing on the stands!

Bugatti Chiron

Possibly the most highly anticipated car of the year, the hybrid Bugatti Veyron replacement will debut at the Geneva motor show. Packing an upgraded version of the Veyron’s 8.0 litre W16 powerplant with electric turbochargers, power is expected to be somewhere near 1,500 horsepower and a 0-62mph time of just 2.5 seconds. Bugatti themselves are keeping their cards close to their chest on this one, only saying that “Bugatti Chiron will be the world’s most powerful, fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive production super sports car.” The name stems from Louis Chiron – the only Monegasque driver to win a Monaco Grand Prix! Just 500 cars are expected to be sold and, with the price rumoured to be on the higher side of £2 million, we can expect to see some very exclusive individuals behind the wheel.

Lamborghini Centenario

Lamborghini has a tradition of presenting some rather outrageous concept cars at motor shows, including Geneva. Having previously presented us with the Egoista and the Aventador J, Lamborghini have announced a very limited special edition car to mark the centenary of the company founder’s birth. Rumoured to be called the Centenario – only 20 will be made and join an elite group of special run Lamborghini’s that includes the Reventon, Veneno and Sesto Elemento models. In an interview with Auto Express, CEO Stephan Winkelmann announced that the design will be more subtle than that of other Lamborghini specials.

Stephan told the magazine: 

“It is a car which is covering the best balance between tradition and innovation because we are speaking about performance, design, weight, aerodynamics and also the chassis in terms of adaptability control. You are familiar with our one-offs – it will be something like this, a coupe bodystyle. And it will initiate the celebration of the 100 years.”

Expect horsepower to be in the mid 700s and a 0-62mph time of around 2.5 seconds.

Image: Falcon Photography

Porsche 911 R

Salvation for those who enjoy using their left leg and moving a stick about – this may well be a GT3 engined 911 with a manual gearbox. Rumours are circling that Porsche may be launching a limited edition monster with nearly 500 brake horsepower and a seven-speed ‘box. Car and Driver are claiming that Porsche insiders have described the car as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” There is no way of knowing yet if these rumours are true, but I’m sure an audience for this car is out there and are very excited for the prospect!

Aston Martin DB11

Following the success of the DB10 used in the James Bond movie Spectre, Aston Martin are capitalising on the hype with the launch of their new customer car – the DB11. Taking over the baton from the ageing but achingly beautiful DB9, the DB11 which has been seen by Autocar, is said to be notably different from the DB9 whilst still retaining several core Aston Martin cues. Power is set to come from a new 5.2 litre twin-turbo V12 with V8’s from the Mercedes tuning house AMG expected in the future. The partnership with Mercedes and AMG has already led to the release of the Mercedes AMG GT but the two cars share no parts of their aluminium structures. You will be able to find the DB11 offered with a manual gearbox, something rare in supercars these days; however, it is likely to be offered alongside a more 21st century ZF eight-speed gearbox.

Image: KeithjustKeith

Vauxhall GT

Due to be revealed at the show, the Vauxhall GT is a little different to the fire breathing monsters above. Opel, the parent brand of Vauxhall have been very quiet on specification of the model but have released a trailer, which looks not too dissimilar to the reveal of a Bond villain, introducing the name Vauxhall/Opel GT with the line “Take a look at Opel with a fresh pair of eyes”. Rumoured to be a development of the Monza concept from the 2013 Frankfurt show, insiders are suggesting it may resemble a mini Corvette – another brand owned by Vauxhall/Opel’s parent company General Motors. 

What cars are you looking forward to seeing at Geneva? Let us know in the comments below!