Aston's Geneva Stand

[jonby]

Well I know there's the shooting brake on the Bertone stand but what a shame that unless there is a last minute, currently well hidden surprise (which I dearly hope for but time is running out), as things stand Aston's stand will effectively get no coverage on their centenary, at what has been promising for a while now to be the most exciting Geneva (or any for that matter) motor show for as long as i can remember

Apart from any currently unknown surprises, the show will include
Ferrari's new Enzo/F150 (I'm guessing the track focussed 458 which looks likely to be called Monte Carlo will be saved for later in the year)
Mclaren's P1
Lamborghini's new hypercar the Veneno, plus probably a special edition aventador/gallardo and maybe some hints at the gallardo replacement
Porsche new 991 GT3, maybe the new 991 turbo, the new cayman of course and perhaps the 918
Jaguar F type
Rolls Royce Wraith
Bentley flying spur plus maybe more on the 4x4
Alfa 4C
BMW i8
Maserati new Stradale plus new Quattroporte
New Golf GTi
New agera based Koenigsegg, the Hundra
SLS Black & Electric models
etc

Aston will have a Cygnet, DB9, Vanquish (I think the centenary edition), matt black V12V coupe & a debut for Rapide S

Sorry but I think that will be as underwhelming to the press as it is to me

[hartley]

Agreed
Have you found a quiet time to get around the show -last two years I have been there it's like a rugby scrum at the weekend

[jonby]

hartley said:

Agreed
Have you found a quiet time to get around the show -last two years I have been there it's like a rugby scrum at the weekend

going on Friday

got passes sorted for aston of course plus lambo, ferrari, porsche & rolls royce confirmed and maybe mclaren, alfa & maserati so that gives plenty of places to sit down & have a drink :-)

[Ed50]

We go toward the end of the show and it hasn't been as bad as weekends but its still a game of sardines around
the major players.

Doing Thursday 14th this year and was hoping for something special at the AM stand,big birthday and all that....
there might be a surprise yet.

Great day all the same out the house by 4am and usually home by Midnight,if not I turn into a Pumpkin.

Was hoping Porsche might be showing their Q5 clone the Macan just out of interest for future reference,anyone else
going that day?.

Wifes told me I won't be buying, which is a good thing as it will mean I can afford a cheese roll and a Swiss coffee.

[Cockernee]

Do you ever work Jonby?

You are like Nick, he only works half days though

[jonby]

Cockernee said:

Do you ever work Jonby?

You are like Nick, he only works half days though

ha ! work pretty hard as it happens - no wife so no family hols = lots of car related trips ! :-)

geneva is an annual ritual for me now - 6 or 7 of us meet up from flights from around the country, we pool resources/contacts to get loads of major stand passes for all of us, budget flight for £80ish if booked early enough (much less from london), less than a tenner for entry to the show, we don't spend another penny all day !

As ed50 says, long but great day !

[krisdelta]

Well played Jonby and thank you for the report!

[MaverickV12]

hartley said:

last two years I have been there it's like a rugby scrum at the weekend

I went a few years ago, it was a trauma to find the place first, then the marathon walk from the car park to the show, took my elderly father and it was all too far for him to walk as we couldn't drop him off closer to the show. Maybe its changed now, but it was all too much for my father and we aborted and took a drive around the mountains which he enjoyed just as much, i'm sure.

[Cockernee]

jonby said:

ha ! work pretty hard as it happens - no wife so no family hols = lots of car related trips ! :-)

geneva is an annual ritual for me now - 6 or 7 of us meet up from flights from around the country, we pool resources/contacts to get loads of major stand passes for all of us, budget flight for £80ish if booked early enough (much less from london), less than a tenner for entry to the show, we don't spend another penny all day !

As ed50 says, long but great day !

Sounds like a day I need to sort out in future.

[cardigankid]

Look, however you shuffle it, they are still the most epically good looking cars on the planet. How much more do you want. Anyone who has the cash and doesn't buy one is insane.

[Ed50]

Cockernee said:

Sounds like a day I need to sort out in future.

If you've missed this one the Frankfurt bi annual shows a cracker,again not expensive to get there and you can
do it in a long day if you don't mind sore feet.

Plus its fun to ask the attendants in a bemused fashion the way to the Spitefire Stand...

[jonby]

MaverickV12 said:

hartley said:

last two years I have been there it's like a rugby scrum at the weekend

I went a few years ago, it was a trauma to find the place first, then the marathon walk from the car park to the show, took my elderly father and it was all too far for him to walk as we couldn't drop him off closer to the show. Maybe its changed now, but it was all too much for my father and we aborted and took a drive around the mountains which he enjoyed just as much, i'm sure.

Geneva only makes sense to fly - I've toyed with driving because it sounds fun but it's just perfectly set up to fly. you do it all in one day as the show is open 10-8

It's a straight 10/15 minute walk from flight arrivals to show entrance, following one indoor corridor all the way til the last hundred feet outdoors. So you don't even need to take a jacket let alone luggage. Very liberating flying with nothing to carry at all !

But in fairness, even if it's quiet, there is a lot of walking within the show itself as it's so large - there are no long walks between stands or halls though

[Ed50]

[quote=jonby]

It's a straight 10/15 minute walk from flight arrivals to show entrance, following one indoor corridor all the way til the last hundred feet outdoors. So you don't even need to take a jacket let alone luggage. Very liberating flying with nothing to carry at all !

My mate tagged along for the first time last year and thought mmrh Switzerland,snow,cold,ice and went dressed like a bloody Eskimo......Bless him, I could
have told him if he'd asked........ but it did him good he lost a stone and a half in sweat.

[jonby]

Ed50 said:

jonby said:

It's a straight 10/15 minute walk from flight arrivals to show entrance, following one indoor corridor all the way til the last hundred feet outdoors. So you don't even need to take a jacket let alone luggage. Very liberating flying with nothing to carry at all !

My mate tagged along for the first time last year and thought mmrh Switzerland,snow,cold,ice and went dressed like a bloody Eskimo......Bless him, I could
have told him if he'd asked........ but it did him good he lost a stone and a half in sweat.

brilliant ! I told a mate 2 yrs ago not to take a jacket - his wife insisted I was bonkers.......he regretted it too !

[Ed50]

Jonby,

I read you've blagged,sorry been invited, to so many stands to view the goodies,rest your tiring legs and guzzle copious amounts of their Mountain Spring Water.

Which leads to my question, you mention Porsche, so is there a hidden sanctum to be marvelled and enjoyed. I only usually stumble around their open
stand and having just purchased another Porkie...sorry about that ,it would be nice to crunch their hopitality biscuits and fore go my cheese roll whilst
trying not to mention the war....

If as I suspect the answer is yes and they are to be found dug in there usual place is it the smoked glass bunker that was adjacent to the Boxster enclosure
last year.

Many thanks.

[jonby]

Ed50 said:

Jonby,

I read you've blagged,sorry been invited, to so many stands to view the goodies,rest your tiring legs and guzzle copious amounts of their Mountain Spring Water.

Which leads to my question, you mention Porsche, so is there a hidden sanctum to be marvelled and enjoyed. I only usually stumble around their open
stand and having just purchased another Porkie...sorry about that ,it would be nice to crunch their hopitality biscuits and fore go my cheese roll whilst
trying not to mention the war....

If as I suspect the answer is yes and they are to be found dug in there usual place is it the smoked glass bunker that was adjacent to the Boxster enclosure
last year.

Many thanks.

Yep as you are obviously aware, stands like ferrari, lambo, aston, etc have nothing 'open' so the passes are geared towards customers so they can get close and into the cars, whereas Porsche is fairly open

The stands like Porsches tend to have closed off sections more geared towards dealers. Of course apart from anythign else, the sheer number of Porsche customers compared to say Aston means they can't operate the sames system of giving out passes

Porsche is really really difficult to get but unlike the canapes on some stands, they have an a amazing waiter served lunch hence us always ensuring we get tickets - as I say, hardest to get and then you get interrogated on the stand to be sure you really are meant to be in the private section but well worth it once you are !

[jonby]

So here we are, Aston's Geneva stand

http://www.astonmartin.com/geneva-motor-show-2013

The 'highlights' being centenary Vanquish, Rapide S and yet another go at promoting Q - more nonsense about the degree of customising they will go to - honestly, they do themselves no favours - one of the cars has 'blue finish blah blah blah.......' - no doubt yet another option they would refuse to make or price if you actually asked for it on a 'real' car !

They do have a stunning DBR1 on there though !!!

I really do feel sorry for them - they won't get a look in with all the amazing reveals this yr

Ferrari's new totally stupidly named 'LaFerrari' has just been shown for the first time - it has taken over from the ONE 77 with title of worlds most powerful naturally aspirated engine and has 150 odd bhp on top of that from electric motors, 0-185 (300 kph) in a truly staggering 15 seconds !!! Less than 7 minutes ring time on standard street tyres. Making 499 at 1 mil each, sold out.................makes ONE 77 look a little silly

[outofstepuk]

jonby said:

.................makes ONE 77 look a little silly

but a lot more attractive at the same time. Really not feeling the The Ferrari.

[silverspeed]

jonby said:

So here we are, Aston's Geneva stand

http://www.astonmartin.com/geneva-motor-show-2013

The 'highlights' being centenary Vanquish, Rapide S and yet another go at promoting Q - more nonsense about the degree of customising they will go to - honestly, they do themselves no favours - one of the cars has 'blue finish blah blah blah.......' - no doubt yet another option they would refuse to make or price if you actually asked for it on a 'real' car !

They do have a stunning DBR1 on there though !!!

I really do feel sorry for them - they won't get a look in with all the amazing reveals this yr

Ferrari's new totally stupidly named 'LaFerrari' has just been shown for the first time - it has taken over from the ONE 77 with title of worlds most powerful naturally aspirated engine and has 150 odd bhp on top of that from electric motors, 0-185 (300 kph) in a truly staggering 15 seconds !!! Less than 7 minutes ring time on standard street tyres. Making 499 at 1 mil each, sold out.................makes ONE 77 look a little silly

And they say the V12 Vantage has their most powerful engine ????

[jonby]

outofstepuk said:

but a lot more attractive at the same time. Really not feeling the The Ferrari.

I don't disagree
Still makes the pricing/tech look rather daft , let alone the time it took for each respective car to sell out .......