Mercedes-Benz has used this week’s Geneva motor show to roll out five world premieres, ranging from the sub-compact CLA Shooting Brake to a roadster version of the thunderous AMG GT R. It’s also the last motor show appearance for long-standing company chairman Dr Dieter Zetsche, who will step down in May to make way for current board member Ola Källenius as his successor.
Roadsters aren’t the big-volume players in BMW’s line-up, but this genre has thrown up some of the Bavarian marque’s most iconic models over the years, dating back to the timeless 328 (1936-40) and sublime 507 (1956-59). In more recent times, we’ve had the offbeat Z1 (with its unusual vertically sliding doors) and the beautiful Z8 that served as James Bond’s ride in the 1999 blockbuster The World is Not Enough.
Remember the BMW 8-Series? A large, eye-catching coupe built from 1990-99, it was in many ways a pioneer for the Bavarian brand. Apart from the low-volume M1 sold in the early-’80s, the 8-Series is the only BeeEm to date with pop-up headlights, and its other claims to fame include being the Bavarian brand’s only V12 model to be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox. What’s more, it was one of the company’s first vehicles to feature a multilink rear axle.
Ford’s Focus is a big seller in Europe, but it’s an underrated entity in our UAE market. Despite its tidy looks and arguably class-leading driving dynamics, the C-segment hatchback – and sedan – has been forced to take a back seat (in sales terms) to the likes of the Japanese and the Koreans in the GCC.
Chevrolet’s current-gen Corvette will be usurped in about 18 months by the revamped C8 model based on a tradition-shattering mid-engine architecture, but the C7 isn’t quite done just yet. Want proof? Here it is – the just-released top-dog ZR1, backed by performance stats that should send a shiver or two down the collective spines of the boffins at Zuffenhausen, Maranello and Sant’Agata Bolognese.
V8 engines are synonymous with Range Rovers, ever since the first-gen model debuted way back in 1970. True, there is now a supercharged V6 and various turbodiesels (in other markets) on offer, but the V8 has always been the core powerplant in the range – especially in the Middle East.
It seemed a no-brainer that Ferrari would launch the Portofino in the picturesque northern Italian fishing village after which it is was named. However, company execs say Portofino is a ghost town in winter – everything shuts down – so instead we find ourselves in Puglia, in the south eastern tip of Italy, for our maiden acquaintance with Maranello’s all-new drop-top that replaces the California T.
Audi’s slinky A7 Sportback has carved a small but solid niche for itself since its 2010 launch, targeting buyers who want the space and functionality of a large sedan, yet aren’t keen on the formulaic three-box proportions that come with the traditional four-door format.
Maserati’s GranTurismo has now been soldiering on for 10 years, but the stylish coupe – and cabrio – have now come in for a final round of upgrades to keep the car fresh until an all-new replacement finally arrives over the coming year or two.
Yanking a silk sheet off a car at ‘grand reveals’ is so old-hat. Audi obviously thinks so, and didn’t resort to this old chestnut for the first public appearance of its Merc S-Class/BMW 7 Series-baiting A8 limo. Instead, the Ingolstadt carmaker spun the debutant around like a Tonka Toy on a giant robotic arm. It was all part of the glitz and glamour of the ‘Audi Summit’ in Barcelona – a four-ringed extravaganza where the brand aimed to put the focus on its plans for future mobility, autonomous driving…and basically anything other than diesel scandals.