Escape through Geneva 2018

Even if we’re heading for a big full-electric change in the next few years, we can still enjoy the plasures of “old school” cars at the Geneva Auto Show. Even if we saw unprecedented levels of EV premiers this year, we’d like to stick to our roots: Escape cars, noisy, sporty and fun.

RUF SCR

This year, the real showstopper was in a different shade of green and it wasn’t the GT3 RS. The RUF SCR is serious petrolhead material, a car only true geeks will fully appreciate and confidently say “I would spend 650k on it, no question asked”. So… shut up and take my money then! The SCR is truly a work of art: 510 hp from an atmospheric 4.0 liter Metzger flat six, derived from the venerable 997 3.8 liter unit found in the GT3. All the internals have been re-worked by RUF and the car sits on a bespoke carbon fiber chassis with a 70mm longer wheelbase than the regular 964-based models. At 650.000 € is not a bargain but for an almost full carbon fiber car that can be made to your exact specifications, it is one hell of a deal. Manual only, lightweight and powered by a glorious flat six, the SCR is indeed the queen of the show: all the praise to RUF for making cars for true nerds and showing them to the world.

488 Pista

We won’t lie: no one has ever forgot about the excellent 458 Speciale and no one ever will. The Speciale has been very last naturally aspirated mid-engined V8 Ferrari in history and therefore it represented the end of an era. Now we have a new successor and it looks just as promising as its precedessor did: the 488 Pista is in any way a proper Ferrari, and it looks miles better than the GTB version. Geeks will love it, thanks to a great sharing of technology from the GT3 car that won its class at Le Mans this year. Allow us to say this: it is great to see Ferrari putting under the spotlight the successes of its non F1 racing and to see that technology implemented on a road going car is indeed great. Iconel intake, reworked air scoops, extensive use of carbon fiber and the 6th generation SSC differential already make the Pista a very exciting car to drive on paper. Although we’re a too small magazine for the Prancing Horse to give us a go behind the wheel of a press car, we’ll eventually get our hands on one as soon as we can. We cannot wait.

GT3 RS

Well, here there’s another chapter in the history of some epic track-day cars wars. The new GT3 RS doesn’t look very different from the previous generation but it sure is an exciting new car that we can dream about. It will most likely be the last ever Porsche featuring a naturally aspirated engine: this is quite a sad news but we had it coming. Nevertheless, we’ll sure enjoy the very last of the GT3’s as we know them.

Chiron Sport

The question everyone’s asking is: how in the world is the Sport 5 second faster than a regular Chiron? Bugatti simplfies the answers, quoting minor tuning to the suspensions and the engine, but the 5-second-magic has left everyone pretty much speechless. Looks gorgeous in its two-tone livery of red and black with alcatara interior accents, and it sure will make you want to challenge the Shinkansen train.

Huracan Performante Spyder

If you’d like to conquer the Ring in less than 7 minutes, savoring the fresh teutonic breeze, this Lambo is the choice for you. Basically nothing different than the Coupè, the Performante Spyder is for those who want to go fast and look very cool indeed.

Zenvo TSR S

If supercars give you wings, the Zenvo TSR S will even make you corner with fighter-jet dynamics. According to the guys of the Danish manufacturer, their latest creation uses a centripetal system which helps the car achieve more balance during high speed corners simply by putting more pressure on the inside wheels, helping to reduce the lean angle and increasing the overall speed. It is definitely a futuristic system and we’re sure it might work extremely well on a track.

Megane RS

The holy grail of modern hot hatches, the Megane RS is the untouchable, the king of the hill, the 911 GT3 of hot hatches. The new model uses four wheel steering and is equipped with the same 1.8 liter turbocharged l4 found in the Alpine A110. The two versions of the RS, the Sport and the CUP are directed to the enthusiast who is still looking for some pocket rocket power and practicality.

BMW i8 Roadster

We’ve had the pleasure of testing the i8 on the Route Napoleon, and it was an adequate sportscar for the twisties. The new Roadster version will probably be the perfect silent sportcar for a trip around the South of France this summer.

New Strato’s

Manifattura Automobili Torino has claimed a piece of the show by introducing a remake of the famous Lancia Stratos with a new, full carbon car based on a F430. Does it capture the same magic as the original? it sure is a show stoppers and many visitors made it to Geneva just for this car: whether is it good or not to drive we’ll hope to have the chance to find out soon.