Geneva motor show

Geneva motor show: Luxury and recession

There is spring in the air in balmy Geneva, where it seems a good idea to whip the roofs off and cruise along the lake.

The idea is far from alien to carmakers here; General Motors is unveiling the world premiere of its convertible Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and Toyota's GT86 Open, which has been penned as a vision of youthful glamour, helps set the tone for this year's motor show.
Such topless extravagance pales into insignificance, however, at a show dominated by even more luxurious model launches.
At the high performance end of the market, Ferrari's F-150 Enzo-replacement, with a price tag well in excess of a million euros, will be challenged by McLaren's P1, which was first seen as a concept in Paris last September.
Both combine conventional petrol engines with electric motors that will boost their performance.
In the luxury grand tourer segment, Bentley's redesigned Flying Spur will face competition from Rolls-Royce, which is unveiling its ultra-powerful and rather butch-looking Wraith.
The Wraith will be more expensive than Bentley's family of Continental models, however, so it will actually carve out a small market segment that is currently not served by anyone, Rolls-Royce's chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos told BBC News during a recent exclusive preview event near the carmaker's Goodwood factory.