If politicians are searching for signs of European economic recovery, they need look no further than the show floor at the Geneva motor show.
Petrolheads are having their day in the sun again with a veritable feast of high-end, high-power supercars and concepts on display.
From Ferrari's new 488 GTB through to the phenomenal new Porsche Cayman GT4 and the frankly mental Koenigsegg Regera hybrid – boasting a whopping 1,782bhp – the power race is back on and jaded executives, weather-beaten by nearly a decade of recession, are regressing to open-mouthed teenagers again at the sight of sleek sports cars on nearly every stand and reams of statistics that make the mind boggle.
On a macro level, the falling oil price is certainly taking the pressure off the need for plugs and frugal engines, although EU requirements on emissions still have to be met regardless of the cost of a barrel of crude.
The severe downturn in the Russian economy is also hitting car firms hard, for the eastern giant was long expected to be a cash cow for car brands for at least another decade.
None of these issues, however, can take from the excitement at some new tempting new models.
Bentley was first out of the traps, with the EXP10 Speed 6 Concept. A light, lithe and low two-seater, it is the antithesis of the firm's forthcoming big and bulky Bentayga 4x4, but it is a preview of where Bentley will go next. Engines will apparently range from the current 4.0-litre turbo V8 down to possibly a turbo V6.
It is also likely to share its structure with a new Porsche coupe which is already in absentia being referred to as a new 928.
Non-turbo
There’s more proof over at Porsche that you don’t need turbos for more power.
The 911 GT3 RS features a 4.0-litre flat-six engine developing 500hp, making it the most powerful non-turbo 911 of all time. It could also be the last non-turbo 911 – next year, Porsche’s iconic sports car moves to all-turbo engines in the interests of efficiency, so this track-focused road-rocket could well be the last hurrah for a 911 that breathes only through its air filter.
Also flying the natural aspiration flag is dear old Morgan, which has totally reworked its Aero 8 sports car to feature new styling (and a removable hard-top which it refers to as a "fighter cockpit" roof), plus a revised interior which features such un-Morgan things as an infotainment system. Power still comes from a grumbling, crackling BMW 4.8-litre V8.
Elsewhere, and in possibly more sensible frames of mind, the plug-in hybrid once again was king. Audi showed us a big Q7 e-Tron which combines diesel and electric power for an impressive claimed 50g/km of CO2, while Mitsubishi claimed 40g/km for its plug-in hybrid XR PHEV II concept (for which read; the new ASX) and its 160hp drivetrain.
Nissan showed off a striking-looking small car concept, called the Sway, on its stand which apparently is the new Micra, due in 2016, while Renault's Kadjar crossover aims to out-Qashqai the Qashqai by using the chassis and engines from, erm, the Qashqai.
Still, it is a handsome looking thing and will almost certainly become Renault’s best-selling car when it goes on sale later this year.
Renault also announced a more powerful RenaultSport Clio hot hatch and more range for its Zoe electric car – up from about 200km to a more useful 250km.
Speaking of compact crossovers, Mazda also brought along its new CX-3 to the show, which will take on the likes of the Nissan Juke and Peugeot 2008.
Seat also at last showed that the likes of the Qashqai will not have things all its own way – it showed a striking new crossover concept called the 20V20 which will go on sale next year. It is expected to be just the first of a range of Seat crossovers as the Spanish brand works its way back to profitability.
Hyundai’s new Tuscon brings much of the pleasantly brash American style of the larger Santa Fe to a smaller segment and was also used to preview a new diesel plug-in hybrid set-up and a beefier 48-volt electrical system. It replaces the current ix35.
Hyundai also had facelifts of the i40, i30 and ix20 on display, while Kia had a revised Cee'd with a new 1.0-litre turbo engine.
Apple/Google cars
Just as car firms have been accused of encroaching on the tech shows lsuch as CES and this week’s Mobile World Congress, so the tech sector is making its influence felt on the motor show.
Much of the talk revolved around the potential entry of Apple and/or Google into the car market, a move that was generally welcomed by executives.
"It's exactly what this industry needs – a disruptive interloper," said Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of Fiat Chrysler. "It's a good thing but when you are one of the guys whose life is being disrupted, then you are not necessarily looking forward to the event."
Volkswagen Group chief executive Martin Winterkorn said that Apple getting into the car business would only be a good thing, as it would interest car-shunning youngsters.
Meanwhile, Opel, alongside the launch of its new Karl city car and a hot Corsa OPC, rolled out its European version assistance and entertainment in one package, OnStar. It goes on sale in August.
As for talk of self-driving cars, most engineers predicted that limited versions for motorway driving may be on the market in the next decade, but the idea of cars driving around on their own in cities is still a long way off, limited by uncertainty over legislation and questions about responsibility in situations when things go wrong.
Then it was back to the supercars. Aston Martin’s staggering 800hp Vulcan track-day special, McLaren’s 675 LongTail version of the 650S and a track-only 1,000hp P1 GTR (decked out in 1995 Harrods McLaren Le Mans colours).
Ford dropped yet more hints that the GT supercar (hilariously referred to in Ferrari-swiping style as the LaFord on a big poster outside the main show hall) would go back to Le Mans in 2016 to celebrate the Blue Ovals' first win there in 1966.
Audi's new R8 showed up with 610hp but not its ground- breaking all-electric e-Tron version, which might have helped it gain some more column inches. Maserati, meanwhile, confirmed that it would introduce plug-in-hybrid versions of the Ghibli and Quattroporte saloons and the upcoming Levante SUV.
It seems the global car industry is at last truly shaking off the shackles of recession and the supercar is back. Even at Bugatti, which bid farewell to the record-breaking Veyron this week as the last of its 450 production run was sold, the firm said it was now working on a 1,600bhp successor.
Petrolheads, the poster cars are coming back.
