Geneva Motor Show – Report

If you have never been to the motor show in Geneva the first thing that will strike you is the sheer size of it. Spread across seven halls and featuring all the major manufacturers alongside some of the more bespoke design houses you need to plan for a full day in order to see it all in sufficient detail.

Entering the halls I was struck by the evolving nature of the motor industry. Ahead the established names of Mercedes and BMW and to the right the relative newcomer, Kia Hyundai. It doesn't take much to understand why the latter has come so far in such a short period of time. The exciting styling and well-finished cabins of the Ceed GT and Proceed emphasize their ability to compete effectively. Their Provo concept was one of the stars of the show – little doubt in my mind that future cars will require due consideration.

Down the hall at Mercedes and the dual attractions of the AMG cars and the soon to be launched CLA. Unsurprisingly the main feature of the AMG space was the A45 AMG featured in both the, in all likelihood, more common standard spec and also in the more aggressive AMG Aerodynamics package. The car looked stunning in either guise and is clearly capable of bringing the fight to both the Audi S3 and BMW M135i challengers. Alongside the A45, the CLA looked equally appealing and a real option to consider in the small saloon segment. The only issue that I could see is the somewhat restrictive sloping roof, which really makes it uncomfortable for all but the smallest adults to sit in the back.

One of the surprises of the show and not in a good way was the almost mundane nature of BMW display, which had the 3 series GT at its center. Given both Mercedes and Audi heavily featured their AMG and RS brands the lack of anything in the way of M cars was disappointing.

Speaking of Audi, their stand took up as much space as anyone and presented a number of reasons as to why the brand has performed so well in recent years. The range features a variety of 'sensible' models, which appeal to the majority of buyers alongside the likes of the forthcoming 189mph RS6, the Q3RS (Quattro GmbH first SUV) and the SQ5. Audi was just one brand in a huge area taken over by the various VW group companies – huge credit to a business that no so long ago was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Part of the VW empire is, of course, Lamborghini who yet again tried to steal the show with the Veneno, the very limited (3) run costing €3m a piece. The car itself is something only Lamborghini could pull off – unbelievable lines, incredible styling and a voluminous presence. I can't see any of the cars seeing anything resembling a road given it anything other than a polished surface will be a challenge to navigate.

Next door to Lamborghini were McLaren who in my view won the battle of the hyper cars. The P1 almost seems of another world – in shimmering yellow – the incredible curves seem to almost glide over the car's form

No effort has been spared in making the car stunning from every angle – something, I think, has not quite been achieved by La Ferrari.

So what of the other hyper car launched in Geneva – there was no doubt that Ferrari were the most popular stand at the show. In many aspects La Ferrari is everything it should have been – knowing nods to classic Ferrari shapes and curves of years gone by, the latest technology and inspiration from the latest formula one car. However if I was going to be critical I would suggest that the design just suddenly stops towards the rear and doesn't have the overarching beauty of the P1. Talking to Chris Evans on the stand saw this as a common view. It was also interesting to hear that the cabin is maybe not quite of the expected level and that the driving position is not as optimal as could have been.

Ferrari's sister brand, Alfa Romeo also had its own launch to bring to Geneva in the mid-engine 4C coupe. I desperately want to love this car given how impressive its big brother the 8C is and how the car industry should have a good, well priced Alfa. However I've had a nagging feeling since seeing the first official shots that something about it is not quite right. In the flesh none of those nagging doubts have really gone away. I can't put my finger on it but the styling just seems to be trying that bit too hard. That being said I would still be queuing up to drive one although I can't help but think that at circa £50k for the launch edition, they might have missed their price point. I say this influenced by the superb experience I had on the Porsche stand where both the new Boxster and Cayman stood out as fantastically well built and engineered options for similar money. If I had to pick one I'd take the open top Boxster just over the Cayman as the latter felt slightly enclosed with a dark headlining. Interesting despite the manual box of both cars feeling like an incredible tough option to top, Porsche expect some 70% of these cars to carry the optional PDK kit. As much as I am in awe of modern dual clutch automatic boxes, it seems a shame to me that so many owners will not seek out the joys of a manual particularly given how smooth and slick it seems.

Finally what of the other stand outs from the show. Well in amongst a somewhat drab Honda stand, the NSX Concept highlighted just how important it is that they get this right and soon. It's exactly the sort of car that could create a Halo effect for the brand and encourage greater investment in bold, charismatic vehicles.

As expected the Aston Martin stand featured probably the most beautiful collection of six cars (excluding the Cygnet I'm sorry to say) on the planet. The Vanquish Q and Centenary Editions beautifully contrasted by a matt black V12 Vantage and the elegant reworked Rapide. Huge thanks must go to Paul Dunk at Stratstone for arranging stand passes and the opportunity to get up close to such an incredible range.

Across the isle Maserati were one of the few brands who could legitimately challenge Aston for the most beautiful stand award. On display the MC Stradale versions of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio cut a stunning pair. The former now revised to include all important rear seats – now there's a true 'family friendly' car.

Final stop of the day was to catch sight of a couple of items of Americana: The Hot Wheels special edition Camaro and the 2014 Dodge Viper. Proof in my mind that if petrol prices in the UK were slightly lower both would make fantastic editions to the garage.

And with that it was the end of a busy day in Geneva. Just time to confirm my car of the show as the McLaren P1, proof indeed that the UK is well capable of keeping up with, indeed bettering, the best on offer from Maranello