Geneva 2019: Lots of sports in the Palexpo halls 🎥
A visit to the Geneva Motor Show (March 7 to 17) also provides a good overview of the manufacturers' sporting activities. Formula 1 and Formula E dominate. As in previous years, TAG Heuer, the watch company associated with racing, is coming up with a special show. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tag Heuer Monaco, a part [...]
As in previous years, TAG Heuer, the watch company associated with racing, is coming up with a special show. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tag Heuer Monaco, part of the exhibition will be dedicated to this chronometer and its history.
There is not much in the way of sporting news to be seen in the Palexpo halls. None of the manufacturers present took the two media days at the Geneva Motor Show this year as an opportunity to present a new racing car.
Toyota Supra GT4 only as a concept car
Some at least showed new models. Skoda, for example, showed the renewed Fabia R5 for rally use in a specially designed niche. Toyota did unveil a Supra GR GT4. But for the time being it is only a concept car. Why the Japanese don't offer a finished GT4 car for this booming category, which is fought over by many suppliers, is a mystery. An interested customer wants to order such a car now and not later.
Many formula 1
Formula 1 and Formula E dominate, with Alfa Romeo (Sauber sends its regards), Ferrari, Honda (a Red Bull and a Toro Rosso), Renault (in pit stop ambiance) and Petronas (a Mercedes) all displaying fairly up-to-date foiled or painted chassis from the previous or previous year, some of them already with 2019 aerodynamics.
World champion show at the stand of the FIA
All the 2018 world champion cars are on display at the FIA's compact stand. For example, a Mercedes F1 W09 from Formula 1, an Audi e-tron FE04 from Formula E, a VW Polo R Supercar (rallycross), the Porsche 919 Hybrid from the WEC that won at Le Mans 2017 and stayed nice and dirty, and the KR2 Parilla of Italian FIA karting champion Lorenzo Travisanutto.
A lot of sport at Toyota
In addition to the Supra GT4 Concept, Toyota will be showing a Yaris WRC that has been successful in the World Rally Championship and - between two escalators - the Hilux driven by winner Nasser Al-Attiyah in the 2019 Dakar Rally in January. A current World Rally Car, the C3 WRC, can also be admired at Citroën.
Formula E foretaste from Mercedes
Current or last year's Formula E race cars from Audi, BMW and Nissan can be seen on the respective stands. Only one teaser car is the Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow 01, with which the Stuttgart-based company is giving a visual foretaste of its entry into the sixth season in 2019/20.
Cupra TCR and Ferrari Challenge from Switzerland
With Julien Apothéloz's Cupra TCR as an eye-catcher, visitors to the small stand of Fredy Barth Events in Hall 4 are made aware of the Young Driver Challenge 2019. Otherwise, touring cars are rare at Palexpo. The Ferrari 488 Challenge from Garage Zenith, with which Christophe Hurni took out the European and World Championship titles in 2018, will be on display at the ACS stand.
Unique Abarth special exhibition
A special exhibition on the occasion of the 70th anniversary is dedicated to the Abarth brand. So many different sports and record-breaking cars by Carlo Abarth, the majority from the collection of Engelbert Möll, which has since been sold to an Austrian - have probably never been seen on Swiss soil.
He who seeks, finds
other racing models on other stands. A visit to the Geneva Motor Show is definitely worthwhile even if you are a motorsport fan.
