Trend Three
Pure electric cars aren’t selling, but massive, almost ridiculous bling is, at least to non-UK audiences.
Don’t doubt me on this. Toyota noted that hybrids are making serious money in Europe, and Tesla is interesting (it is also huge – think Range Rover footprint, to accommodate all the batteries). But apart from BMW’s i3, which has already blended into the landscape, EVs were thin on the ground at Geneva.
The bling was amazing though.
First prize goes to the Carlsson ‘gold leaf’ Mercedes S-Class, a snip at £270,000. Second goes to the Brabus 700 6×6: 700 BHP, six-wheel-drive and 37 inch tyres, which will find a home in the Gulf, obviously; and finally third place to the Mansory Rolls-Royce in an extraordinary shade of green.
Less ridiculous bling but still far away from the real world for most of us, there was the Ferrari California T, the Lamborghini Huracan, the McLaren 650 S Spider, a special edition of the Bugatti Veyron, a pretty Maserati concept called Alfieri and a face-lifted Rolls-Royce Ghost.
None of these qualifies as very attractive BIK, I’m afraid to say, but the new SEAT Leon Cupra 280 looked very real-world lovely.
Click here to see what Mr Lofthouse found the last time he wrote home from Geneva.
