MAREK’S TOP 5 CONCEPT CARS FROM THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW 2019
Lagonda All-Terrain Concept
Part two of the marque’s relaunch as a luxury all-electric brand, this SUV is poised as a rival to the Bentley Bentega for “tech entrepreneurs, the guys who drive Teslas, not Bentleys and Rolls-Royces,” said CEO Andy Palmer. “It’s in the same highnet-worth market but not aimed at the same customer.” With looks inspired by the nautical world and progressive styling, it’s like nothing else out there. “It challenges but it works,” says Marek. “It has to be unearthly and different.”
Futuristic details abound inside, from a steering wheel with an integrated gauge cluster in the hub and a wheel that offers an autonomous driving mode. Once activated, the front seats can face the rear, turning a car journey into a social event. The best bit? The car key levitates between the two front seats using electromagnets.
Volvo Polestar 2
Volvo showed their first concept car as a coupé to gauge the market and put it into production two years later. Polestar 2 looks set to follow suit with an avant-garde design featuring distinctive flourishes such as a hexagonal gear shifter with an illuminated Polestar at the centre. A versatile electric car, tech such as intelligent seat sensors and responsive accessibility negate the need for a key, offering drivers freedom and minimal faff. Wireless inductive phone charging is another neat feature: place your phone in the tunnel console and it will be juiced up on arrival at your destination.
Renault EZ-GO
Illustrating a “vision for shared urban mobility”, the EZ-GO concept is the first incarnation of autonomous, connected and shared mobility using an electric engine without a steering wheel or a driver. More affordable than rival driverless pods such as the Volkswagen Sedric, it features cocoon styling and innovative architecture that allows six passengers to enter from standing.
“As you can see, our fully autonomous robo-vehicle concept still looks like a car and not a box on wheels,” said Renault Director of Design Laurens Van Den Acker. “We believe that driverless shared vehicles should be attractive and can become even more iconic. The former Mazda design chief went as far as suggesting the EZ-GO could rival London’s black cabs and the NYC yellow taxi.
Aston Martin Valhalla
“A pre-production concept car”, according to Marek, 90 per cent of what is showcased in the Valhalla will be in the final design and it is scheduled for the road in two to three years. Shown for the first time at Geneva, Aston Martin will make just 500 of this model. Also known as ‘ Son of Valkyrie’, this will be the third hypercar in Aston Martin’s mid-engine story, incorporating concepts and technologies taken directly from F1 and featuring the new V6 engine, that will make its debut in the Valhalla in hybrid turbo form. It’s also set to star in Bond 25, the latest film in the 007 franchise.
Vanquish Vision
This core rear mid-engine car is set to compete with the likes of Ferrari’s F8 and McLaren’s 720. In a departure from the Aston Martin Valkyrie and AM-RB 003’s all-carbon fibre construction, it features a bespoke bonded aluminium chassis and benefits from further crystallisation of the philosophy pioneered by the Valkyrie, with the pursuit of weight, packaging and aerodynamic efficiency informing every aspect of the design and engineering.
With a reception so successful that customers are already trying to order the Vanquish Vision without a set a production date, this car is one to watch.