The 2019 Geneva Motor Show opened to the public this morning. It’s always been a performance-oriented event, filled with lots of outrageous sports cars and ultra-posh luxury machines that excite the senses. This year is no different.
Sure, the European economy is on the verge of recession, and fallout from Brexit promises to hobble its major auto manufacturers, but that hasn’t stopped the world’s top car builders—including Aston Martin, Audi, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and others—from delivering some of the most otherworldly performance vehicles in years.
Previously code-named Project 003, the AM-RB 003 is the third model in Aston Martin’s mid-engine lineup, joining the stunning Valkyrie and extreme Valkyrie AMR Pro. The all-new vehicle will slot below the Valkyrie and compete for bragging rights with the likes of the Ferrari LaFerrari and the McLaren Senna.
Though a lot of the vehicle’s design language is shared with the Valkyrie (the rear diffuser and air tunnels appear to be nearly identical), the AM-RB 003 sports a more traditional mid-engine supercar layout, with high-exit exhausts, a jet-fighter-style canopy, and active aerodynamics and suspension.
The 003 is propelled by an all-new V6 engine that will feature some level of hybridization and turbocharging to aid performance. For example, it might employ KERS technology. A mainstay in Formula One racing, KERS captures kinetic energy under braking and stores it for use when needed to enhance a car’s performance. We’ll just have to wait and see. And even though Aston Martin won’t comment on power output, the rumor mill has it at 1,000-plus horsepower.
Though AM-RB 003, which will be limited to 500 models, doesn’t yet have a real name, it will when the car goes into production in 2021. Again, rumor is that Aston Martin will continue with the Norse God theme and call it the Valhalla.
La Voiture Noire translates quite simply to “The Black Car.” However, there is nothing simple about this black-on-black one-off coupe with the comfort of a luxury limousine and the muscle of a hypercar.
According to Bugatti, La Voiture Noire is a modern interpretation of the French automaker’s legendary Type 57 SC Atlantic, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. But it’s much more. Technically, the vehicle borrows much of its underpinnings from the Bugatti Chiron. Distinctive bodywork, an elegant glossy black finish, a longer wheelbase and significant engine tweaks make it one of a kind.
At its core is the automaker’s iconic W16 8-liter 16-cylinder engine, which develops 1,500 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. Though Bugatti did not release performance figures, the car is technically capable of the same blistering performance exhibited by the Chiron and Divo since it is equipped with the same mill. However, Bugatti says the car is set up for cruising rather than just going fast, so your guess on speed and capability is as good as mine.
Sadly, you can’t buy this black beauty. Not because Bugatti is keeping the $12.5 million (before taxes, nearly $19 million after) vehicle for itself—but because even before the Geneva Motor Show began, it was sold.
This mid-rear-engine two-seater is the successor to Ferrari’s popular 488 GTB. According to the Italian car builder, the F8 Tributo is every bit at as powerful as the company’s more performance-oriented 488 Pista, but tuned with more focus on drivability and comfort.
The F8 Tributo features a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8 that produces 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, making it the prancing horse’s most powerful mid-rear-engine production car to date. Those figures are identical to those of its rival, the McLaren 720S, and are suitable for a top speed of 211 mph and zero-to-62 mph romp of 2.9 seconds.
The vehicle is also equipped with a system called the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer that makes it easier to exploit the car’s power and capability at the limits of its handling.
On the outside, you might say, “It looks like a Ferrari—so what?” Look closer; you’ll see a new, cleaner styling direction, a bridge to a new design language that emphasizes performance and aerodynamic efficiency—or so says Ferrari.