
2004 Ford auto show logo
2004 Geneva Motor
Show Index by TCC Team (2/22/2004)
The mists are beginning to clear over plans for the Geneva Auto Show. Once
again, it looks like there will be a good crop of concepts and new production
cars to make sure the only major auto show held in a country with no indigenous
manufacturers will be as interesting as ever.

2004 Renault Wind concept
Among the concepts promised,
the most interesting is likely to be
Renault’s Wind, a three-seater
roadster that looks as though it could be turned into production reality with
the minimum of effort. Renault denies any production plans, but we know how
public reaction to show concepts can sway company policies, particularly in
these days of niche vehicles. The Wind is a compact open-topped model that
eschews the common failing of two vestigial rear seats and replaces them with a
central perch that would not be as comfortable as the two front seats but would
offer a degree of comfort to an occasional second passenger. Power comes from a
2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 136 hp, so performance would be adequate, and
the curvaceous looks should attract plenty of “When can I buy one” interest.
Technically, the car is interesting because of new modular radiator technology
from French firm Valeo. The Wind has two small units, set low at the front, and
Valeo says the technology is ready for production use now.
Fiat will be showing a
concept that looks back to the cute small cars that were part of every Italian
street scene from the Fifties to the Eighties. The Fiat Trepiuno (“three plus one”)
follows the Fiat tradition of the original 500 —
or “Topolino” (Mickey Mouse), as the Italians called it —
the New 500 and the 600. The style
is decidedly derivative of the earlier cars, but Fiat says it’s purely a concept
and there are no thoughts of production. In view of the fact that Fiat’s current
small car, the Seicento, is a bit long in the tooth and that the Italian market,
with its crowded city streets, has taken the Smart car to its bosom, the
reaction to the official line is “You’ve got to be
kidding.”

2004 Toyota TMSC concept
There will be plenty of
two-seaters in Geneva, but none as way out as the
Motor Triathlon Race Car
(MTRC) concept on the Toyota stand. A tandem-seat racer powered by four
electric motors in the wheels, the MTRC isn’t exactly serious as a car. It is,
however, serious in the context of one of Japan’s other major export enterprises
—
video games. The car is featured in ‘Gran Turismo 4’ the next generation of
Sony Computer Entertainment’s massively popular game. The MTRC is the work of
Toyota’s European design studio, ED
2.

2004 Mazda MX-Flexa concept
Mazda has issued a sketch of
a concept it will unveil on press day that foreshadows how it sees the Space
Wagon developing. The
MX-Flexa , a six-seat MPV, “showcases key elements
that could further improve Mazda’s position in the growing space-wagon segment.”
According to the company, the design team “put particular focus on adding new
levels of emotional appeal.”

2004 GM Trixx concept
GM Europe showed a city-car
concept, the Maxx, at Geneva some years ago. This year there’s another double-x,
the
Trixx, which approaches the same needs. It’s designed,
like the Renault Wind, for three adults, but the Trixx adds space for a single
child as well. Utilizing GM Europe’s industry-leading expertise in making MPV
seats that disappear, the Trixx can also be used by the driver alone as a
load-carrier. The unusual thing about the disappearing seat format of the Trixx
is that the rear seat doesn’t fold, it inflates, thanks to an onboard
air-compressor. There are three electrically operated sliding doors, one on the
driver’s side and two for passengers, and long-legged passengers can fold the
front passenger seat and stretch out in the back. 119 inches long, 65 inches
wide and 61 inches high, the Trixx is powered by a 1.3-liter diesel engine.

2004 Subaru Legacy 3.0R
There are plenty of new
production cars too, from the MINI Convertible to an updated version of the
Mercedes C-Class and a new BMW 5-Series wagon. Subaru has a surprise addition to
the Legacy range, the ‘Spec B’ version of the
Legacy 3.0R. Subaru say the
car to be shown in Geneva is a prototype, but it’s a good bet that it will go
into production to take Subaru’s performance reputation, gained with the hot
versions of the Impreza, up the range. Performance additions to the standard
Legacy 3.0R specification include a torque-sensing limited-slip rear
differential, bigger 18-inch wheels and tires, Bilstein rally suspension, and a
six-speed manual box in place of the standard automatic. The 245 hp of the
standard car’s flat-six engine is considered sufficient.

2004 SEAT Altea
Spain’s Seat, a part of the
VW group, showed the
Altea concept for
what it calls a “Multi-Sports Vehicle” at the Frankfurt show last September. In early
March it will feature on the company’s Geneva stand as a production model that will
go on sale later in the year. Seat points out that the Altea is the
first vehicle to be completely developed within the Audi Brand Group since it
was established in 2002. Power will come from 1.6- and 2.0-liter petrol engines and
1.9- and 2.0-liter diesels. Top-of-the-range models will have six-speed automatic or DSG gearboxes. Seat is tasked to bring some
Mediterranean flair to VW’s Audi Group; the Altea is Design Director Walter
de’Silva’s first step along the way.

2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK
The second generation of the
Mercedes SLK will be eagerly inspected in Geneva, a town
with more than its fair share of wealthy sports car enthusiasts. Shaped to reflect
Formula 1 styling, the SLK has already been trailed in Europe by the release
of photographs and specifications. According to Mercedes, this has brought
in 7000 orders already, before the car has been seen in the metal. Technical
improvements include improved suspension and six-speed manual and seven-speed
automatic gearboxes, and there are three engine options, from a supercharged
four-cylinder to an AMG-tuned V-8 that produces 360 hp. The folding hard
top that started a trend in Europe has been improved for the new version,
but for those who like to drive with the top down, Mercedes has come up with the
ultimate cold-weather friend. It’s called the Airscarf, and it takes the form of
a ducting system that feeds warm air to the driver and passenger’s necks to keep
them warm and cozy.
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