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7.3.2006
The 2006 Geneva Motor Show took place from March 2 to 12 at Geneva Palexpo, right across the road from the airport. While last year’s Centenary event was oriented towards history, this year’s show was resolutely forward-looking, with more than 140 world or European premieres in all sectors. A fascinating special exhibition was the window on the past. Smart opening hours and reduced-price meals at the end of the day further increased visitor convenience and enjoyment. The show was inaugurated on Thursday, March 2 by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr. Moritz Leuenberger, the President of the State Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, Mr. Pierre-François Unger, and Mr. Luc Argand, the President of the Motor Show, in the presence of many dignitaries from the worlds of politics, business and industry. Each spring in Geneva the global automotive industry demonstrates its ongoing research and development efforts. This approach was particularly spectacular this year. In the car sector alone more than 80 world or European premieres were announced, including a number of prototypes or concept cars, along with many innovations, particularly in the area of “alternative energies". The accessories, spare parts and equipment sector alone is the industry’s largest annual exhibition in Switzerland and offers both the public at large and trade visitors a host of new products. About 900 brands from around 30 countries were presented by 260 exhibitors on a gross surface of 114,000 square meters in the following sections: private motor cars, electric and alternative-propulsion cars, special bodywork for motor cars, design and engineering, converted cars (tuners), accessories and components for motor cars, original equipment manufacturers (OEM), workshop installations and miscellaneous products and services. The legendary Swiss newspaper Revue Automobile/Automobil Revue had been asked to organize the traditional special exhibit in the Congress Centre. To mark its centenary, this internationally acknowledged Swiss publication has set up a particularly attractive presentation, at which visitors were able to discover about fifteen exceptional vehicles. The show’s organizers paid careful attention to the quality of access, reception and services provided to the ever-increasing number of visitors. Some examples: an electronic ticketing system, opening hours to suit traffic flows, a specially re-arranged entrance to the Arena, parking facilities and public transport, clearer signposting, a further expanded range of catering with attractive end-of-day prices. As the only international motor show that is held annually in Europe and on “neutral territory”, the Geneva show is known as one of the most representative. The major manufacturers always unveil their major innovations at the show, in the presence of their CEOs. The 2006 Geneva motor show provided the venue for Ferrari’s unveiling of the new 599 GTB Fiorano, the most powerful 12-cylinder Berlinetta ever developed at Maranello. This brand new model combines the most innovative and technologically advanced features ever applied by Ferrari to a front-mid engined two-seater, and sets a new benchmark of excellence in terms of handling, driving pleasure and design. According to the media information the new Ferrari boasts absolutely stunning performance: its 6-liter V12, which was developed from the engine that powered the Enzo supercar, punches out 620 hp at 7,600 rpm and combines with an all-aluminium chassis and bodywork for a weight-power ratio of less than 2.6 kg/hp. The stunning Pininfarina-designed 599 GTB Fiorano replaces the last in that great line of Berlinettas, the 575 Maranello, of which – together with the 550 Maranello introduced in 1996 – no fewer than 5,700 units have been produced, a record for this flagship model for the Prancing Horse. The new 599 GTB Fiorano also owes a debt to Alcoa for its all-aluminium space frame and to Delphi for its innovative suspension system. Fiorano, after the circuit Ferrari uses to hone the performance of its track and road cars; GTB, as in Gran Turismo Berlinetta after the most famous Ferrari Berlinettas ever built; and 599 to reflect the displacement of its V12 engine divided by 10. At Geneva there were no fewer than 3 of the new 599 GTBs on display at the Ferrari stand: a metallic red one, a black metallic one and a gunmetal grey one. The Swiss Ferrari importer exhibited a total of seven Ferraris. Besides the new 599 GTBs were also an F430 and an F430 Spider plus a black 612 Scaglietti and naturally one of the latest Formula One Ferraris, a 2005 model. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Piero Ferrari and Amedeo Felisa proudly presented the new 599 GTB Fiorano. Bodybuilder Pininfarina of Torino also displayed one of the new 599 GTB Fiorano cars at this years Geneva motor show. It was a rosso corsa one with tan interior. Giorgietto Giugiaro of Italdesign showed his prototype called GG50, a heavily converted Ferrari based on a 612 Scaglietti and first shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2005. Tire manufacturer Bridgestone used a mock-up of a 2004 Formula One Ferrari to attract the visitors. Pirelli displayed one of the new F430 Challenge cars, in yellow and with red seats. Another legendary coachbuilder, Zagato, showed the original 1956 250 GT LWB double-bubble racing Berlinetta with chassis number 0515 GT. The car was on loan from Zagato enthusiast and U.S. west coast collector David Sydorick and had been especially flown to Switzerland for the Geneva motor show. Swiss car manufacturer Franco Sbarro and his team of Espace Sbarro displayed a modified Ferrari 360 Spider which rather looked like a Porsche Boxster. Automobil Revue of Switzerland showed a Ferrari-312 Formula One-based Sigma Grand Prix car of 1969. The organizers of the historic Mille Miglia held their press conference in the adjacent car museum between the motor show and the Geneva airport and among the cars displayed there was a red 750 Monza with beautiful Scaglietti Spider body. This historic Ferrari is owned since many years by Chopard watchmanufacturer Karl-Friedrich Scheufele. The 2006 Geneva motor show was again highly successful and most interesting. Switzerland is Ferrari’s sixth largest market after the United States, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Japan. Ferrari Suisse is the regional headquarters in the country and is located at Nyon near Geneva. It has been controlled directly by Ferrari Maranello since 1993. With 284 brand new Ferraris registered last year, Switzerland now boasts the highest per capita number of Ferraris of any nation in the world. A total of 65 percent of the models in Switzerland are 8-cylinders while 35 percent are 12-cylinders.
Click here for a list of Ferraris at the Show. © Marcel Massini 07/03/06 Click here to return to the Ferrari Happenings page.
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