Geneva 2003 - Preview

Kicking off on March 6, the Geneva International Auto Show is shaping up to be one of the motoring industry's biggest ever.

While the show hasn't officially kicked off at the time of writing (24/2/03), a number of 'strategic' leaks have occured. Sp, without further ado, here are some of the more intriguing tidbits...

Opel GTC

From the General's German operations comes the GTC concept, which is a stylised version of how the 2004 Astra will look.

Likely to arrive in Australian Holden dealerships in 2005, Opel's has shown the direction in which its Astra, and indeed other new models, will take.

Aimed squarely at taking market share from enemy No. 1, the VW Golf, the new look is perhaps one of the most radical seen from the German automaker.

Forget conservatism, forget 'tried-and-tested', the gloves are off and Opel means business.

The GTC is short for Gran Turismo Compact, and the overall look is one of purpose and perrformance. While deeply flared wheel arches and a heavily raked windscreen convery a sense of power, the body-lines from boot to bonnet form a sharp and aerodynic wedge.

The first production model Astra is expected to be a five-door model, while the coupe (shown), estate and cabriolet models will follow.

Insiders suggest that manual, auto and CVT transmissions will be on offer, but it's the engine range which is likely to surprise most.

Half-a-dozen powerplants will be on offer initially, with a 1.7-litre diesel mill set for European territories. There will be 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 and 2.2-litre petrol mills, while a Saab-derived turbo mill, outputting an alleged 190kW will form the range-topping GSI model.

If even one iota of the GTC concept's appearance makes it into a production Astra, it'll be a winner, no doubt about that.

With a beautifully-styled front and rear end - and check out that roof spoiler-mounted stop lamps - and what Opel is calling "adaptive, integrated suspension" the new Astra could well herald a new era for small/medium cars.

Rinspeed Bedouin

Tuning company Rinspeed - another German-based motoring outfit - will be turning out a rather interesting concept in the form of the Bedouin at this years Geneva salon.

Based on the 911 (type-996) Porsche, the Bedouin is unique not only in form, but also function, making use of a prototype engine running on natural gas.

The rear-mounted engine dictated much of the Bedouin's bodywork, such as the uber-wide rear wheel arches, punctuated by massive air-intakes to provide oxygen to the engine.

Half Cayenne, half 911, the Rinspeed prototype sits higher than a standard 911, thanks to a custom Eibach suspension rig, which also happens to be fully adjustable.

Sitting on massive 18-inch rims, the heavy-duty 255/55 (front) and 285/50 (rear) profile tyres allude to its all-terrain pretensions, as does the six-speed 4WD manual transmission.

Stlying cues aside, the new multi-purpose vehicle transforms from a two-seater ute into spacious four-seater wagon.

Powering the Germanic jack-of-all-trades is a Porsche-built 3.6-litre horizontally opposed six-cylinder mill, running on natural gas.

Together with twin-turbochargers, the Bedouin's engine makes 309kW @ 6000rpm and a hefty 560Nm of torque @ 2700rpm.

Rinspeed reckons the new concept can reach 100km/h from rest in just 5.9-seconds, while a top speed of 250km/h is electronically governed.

The vehicle weighs in at 1640kg and is equipped with 330mm disc brakes front and rear, plus a twin Remus exhaust system.

More than just a mini Cayenne, the Rinspeed Bedouin concept could spawn a new performance AWD niche, and while initially a little peculiar in appearance, the Dakar Rally look is kind of cool.

Alfa Romeo GTV, Spider & GT Coupe

Not so much brand-new vehicles, or even concepts, Alfa's facelifted sports range still deserves a mention.

Likely to surprise quite a few show-goers, the new-look from Alfa is still steeped in tradition, but is a marketed improvement over the ageing models.

Moreover, Alfa is expected to unveil its new Sprint, codenamed the GT Coupe, in Geneva.

Based on the floor-pan of the current 156, the Bertone-styled GT Coupe borrows elements from past Alfa's, such as Giulia and Alfa 190.

Engine-wise, the new 'Sprint' is expected to make use of Alfa's current line of powerplants, so pencil in the 105kW 1.8-litre, 122kW direct injected 2.0-litre and 188kW 3.2-litre mills.

The two-door sportster range, including the Spider and GTV models, have come in for a once-over, with most major work done to their front-ends.

The ageing Alfa's now sport the more modern 'nose' of the 147 and 156, and look much more pleasing as a result.

The bonnet's on both models now feature more prominent power bulges, and the end result is rather eye-catching.

Two new engines are also being trialled in the Spider/GTV range - a 123kW 2.0-litre job, complete with Alfa's JTS direct injection technology, and a 180kW version of the 3.2-litre V6.

And the Brera? Our fingers are crossed that a near-production model will make it to Geneva, but the new 2-door GT Coupe is likely to take the lime-light at the Alfa exhibit.

Zonda Roadster

You may remember a couple of articles we ran on Zonda's impressive C12 models (C12-S 7.3 & C12) - perhaps one of the most desired supercar brands after Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Well, just after Lambo released its stunning Murcielago Barchetta, Zonda decides to unveil its own take on the roadster.

Just 40 Zonda Roadsters will be built, making use of carbon fibre/textile removable roof panels and that manic 7.3-litre AMG-tuned V12.

The SuperConvertible, as many are already calling it, produces some 750Nm @ 4050rpm, which should see it reach 100km/h in a similar time to its hard-topped sibling: 3.6 seconds.

Horacio Pagani, founder and head honcho of Pagani Automobili had this to say about the new car: "The new Zonda Roadster we will unveil in Geneva is a true expression of the Pagani sprit: we do not just build supercars, we build 'Una Macchina con Anima", a car with a soul."

Each of the 40 Zonda Roadsters will be hand-made to customer specifications, so no two will be the same.

It's got subtle styling changes to the front end, and also the engine cover located at the rear.

It incorporates new air-intakes, while the flashy 19-inch rims look absolutely amazing and there's a good chance that the new Zonda will be one of the stars of the Geneva show.

The 73rd Geneva International Auto Show begins on March 6 in Geneva. Stay tuned to our News section for all the latest updates from the show.