Friday 2nd March 2012

Geneva Motor Show on ice

PH gets a preview of some of the new cars heading for Geneva ... in frozen Sweden

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Arjeplog hates spy photographers. Not just the car test engineers that swarm to this remote part of frozen north Sweden, but the whole town.

Saab lives! Well, this one does at least

So much so that the weekly Arjeplog Times back in February gave most of page three to a story about a heroic bus driver who parked his bus in between a spy snapper and his prey: one of the many camouflaged prototypes running around the snow-covered roads.

But nowhere in the world are you more likely scoop the world with a brand new car, not even at the Nurburgring. We're here to sample drivetrain innovations, but dammit, we're not leaving without a trophy spy shot. A lynching from elk-hunters and powerfully built engineers would be worth it for an exclusive pic of, say, the new Bentley SUV.

In the season from December to April this place is the Geneva motor show on ice. The morning rush hour has revealed to us the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe, the new Fiat Panda 4x4, the next gen Kia Cee'd and Vauxhall's Mokka mini-SUV. But these have been seen before and we are eating our breakfast at the time. We need a real scoop.

Existing Bentleys dull - we want SUV scoops!

In summer the population of Arjeplog is around 1,200. In winter it more than doubles as engineers from the likes of Mercedes, BMW, Opel, Fiat, Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley, Bosch and GKN descend.

Outside Harry's bar on our first evening, we spot two Bentley Continental V8s parked next to a Porsche Cayenne. Not a scoop, but amazing nonetheless in a town 12 hours drive from Stockholm. Inside, table after table of mainly German engineers try gamely to find fresh topics of conversation.

They're all here for the estimated 1,000km of tracks on the vast frozen lakes that surround the town. With around half a metre of ice to support the cars, the lakes are divided up between companies who create their preferred handling tracks. It's mind-blowing how much potential fun this place is.

This way for sliding fun/serious testing

The story goes that around 35 years ago a couple of engineers asked a local if the ice could support a car for testing. Sure, was the answer, and the town's helicopter was used to clear the snow. Now it's the town's sole money earner. We ask local cabbie Olof Johannsson what he does for fun during the winter. "Nothing, we work," is the reply. In summer he heads off to Norway on his Harley.

Day three and we still haven't got our scoop. A couple of plastic clad superminis cruise past, but we're too slow on the camera and, anyway, who can tell what the hell they are? We have new respect for spy photographers.

Nick's scoop ... the long-awaited Astra saloon

Then, we spot it. In our hotel car park of all places, just brazenly sitting there while the engineer has his breakfast. We draw out our Nikon and ... ladies and gentlemen, we bring you the first glimpse of this important new car: the Astra saloon.

Oh well, back to the day job.

 

[Beefmeister]

Is that Saab plugged in? Wassatabout?



I'm guessing it's a trickle charger as the cold will probably muller a car battery.

Something so cool about an old Saab in the snow though...

[CK_N4S]

Electric heater, either remotely operated or on a timer - makes sure the car is preheated when you need it to go.

You can also have it as a fuel driven burner which circulates the water while heating the cabin - I have one such in my Diesel Skoda for the long cold Scandinavian winters nights.

Very nice in the morning and great for preventing cold starts and the extra wear they cause.

CK

[Chapppers]

Fack off you dirty journos! Get a real job! Haven't you got canapés to eat somewhere?

etc. etc.

[neilpurves]

One BIG downside of going testing up in Sweden is the sheer boredom of being up there. It is nice for a few days each year to go up and drive on snow and ice but as an engineer, to go up for weeks at a time the "fun" value of the surroundings soon fades. Excitment comes in the form of avoiding men with cameras and large woodland creatures who have wandered into the road.
The local restaurants and hotels are okay but there is not much opportunity to change where you go to eat, unless you fancy driving an hour or 2. The weather is also not always going to play ball. Heavy snow or too high temperatures can mean long spells in the garage kicking your shoes waiting for the weather to change.
For the journalista it is a great place as they come for 2-3 days, hoon it up on the lakes and then get fed gourmet snacks all day.
Gripe over.

[Wammer]

Hang on a minute ever had the feeling of deja vu.

Oh thats right the exactly the same story was on Top Gear 2 weeks ago where they tested the Bentley V8 against the Ferrari FF

Come on pistonheads show some actual news instead of quoting from the show.

"In summer the population of Arjeplog is around 1,200. In winter it more than doubles as engineers from the likes of Mercedes, BMW, Opel, Fiat, Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley, Bosch and GKN descend."

This is almost exactly what clarkson said.

[devnull]

'Long awaited' Astra Saloon?

Highly doubt that one!

[Skater12]

Ooooh, what's that?

Is it the new Astra Saloon that we've all been waiting for?

I cant quite tell, it's so heavily disguised, it could be anything !

[DLovett]

devnull said:

'Long awaited' Astra Saloon?

Highly doubt that one!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

[Skater12]

An additional sign should read..

Wear seatbelts and helemts at all times, but please leave your fat friend on the shore.

[rm89]

That Astra saloon has already been unveiled and is on sale in the States, albeit in Buick guise:

[garypotter]

devnull said:

'Long awaited' Astra Saloon?

Highly doubt that one!

HA HA Ha good one

[Skater12]

rm89 said:

That Astra saloon has already been unveiled and is on sale in the States, albeit in Buick guise:

A little bit of sick in my mouth just then !

[Mark-C]

Wammer said:

Hang on a minute ever had the feeling of deja vu.

Oh thats right the exactly the same story was on Top Gear 2 weeks ago where they tested the Bentley V8 against the Ferrari FF

Come on pistonheads show some actual news instead of quoting from the show.

"In summer the population of Arjeplog is around 1,200. In winter it more than doubles as engineers from the likes of Mercedes, BMW, Opel, Fiat, Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley, Bosch and GKN descend."

This is almost exactly what clarkson said.

Nope ... no Deja Vu here ... but then we don't all watch TG. HTH

[Kawasicki]

neilpurves said:

One BIG downside of going testing up in Sweden is the sheer boredom of being up there. It is nice for a few days each year to go up and drive on snow and ice but as an engineer, to go up for weeks at a time the "fun" value of the surroundings soon fades. Excitment comes in the form of avoiding men with cameras and large woodland creatures who have wandered into the road.
The local restaurants and hotels are okay but there is not much opportunity to change where you go to eat, unless you fancy driving an hour or 2. The weather is also not always going to play ball. Heavy snow or too high temperatures can mean long spells in the garage kicking your shoes waiting for the weather to change.
For the journalista it is a great place as they come for 2-3 days, hoon it up on the lakes and then get fed gourmet snacks all day.
Gripe over.

I was never bored. Bored? There were 1000's of miles of snow covered roads snaking through forests. Pretty and funny Scandinavian waitresses to chat up. Snowmobiles to crash. Police to avoid. Ah, the good times.

[ArosaMike]

Kawasicki said:

I was never bored. Bored? There were 1000's of miles of snow covered roads snaking through forests. Pretty and funny Scandinavian waitresses to chat up. Snowmobiles to crash. Police to avoid. Ah, the good times.

+1

Admittedly I'm only 2 seasons in, but from a driving perspective it's one of the best places we use and it's a lot more homely than weeks spent in hotels in Spain. At least I know plenty of the locals and have a house to live in/eat in rather than the endless circle of restaurants in Europe.

On that note....it's always weird to see places like Harry's mentioned in the media! It's like having your local village boozer appear on prime time tv! Plenty of amusing nights spent in there (and no doubt more to come!)

[Dan XJR]

Its great fun!... for a week.

Only so many times you can eat at Harry's.

[Chapppers]

Dan XJR said:

Its great fun!... for a week.

Only so many times you can eat at Harry's.

I've been here 3 1/2 weeks now and not eaten at Harry's once. If you rent an apartment or a house you get a kitchen, a lounge, a telly and normality. Granted the supermarket's a bit expensive but cooking for yourself is so much more normal. I'm really enjoying living out here at the moment.

[ArosaMike]

Chapppers said:

I've been here 3 1/2 weeks now and not eaten at Harry's once. If you rent an apartment or a house you get a kitchen, a lounge, a telly and normality. Granted the supermarket's a bit expensive but cooking for yourself is so much more normal. I'm really enjoying living out here at the moment.

I can vouch that his cooking is very good :P Hot laps on Forza bide the time too eh? :P

[Repent]

iPhone fail, posted in wrong thread!