Ferrari, while still resisting the urge to pander to an auto market obsessed with sport utility vehicles, will premiere its version of a practical-minded ride, the Ferrari GTC4Lusso. (It looks like a hatchback tourer.) The four-seat, 12-cylinder coupe is the first Ferrari to offer rear-wheel steering with four-wheel-drive. Its unique name comes from such predecessors as the 330 GTC and its 2+2 sister model, the 330 GT, both of which were rumored to be company founder Enzo Ferrari’s favorites. It also recalls the 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, another famous gran turismo car.
Expect it to bring mixed reviews. I tried quizzing some artistic types about it in Los Angeles this week, and its appearance was met with raised eyebrows.
“I wish it would be as beautiful as the original Lusso—I almost bought one of those,” one artist said at the Vanity Fair Young Hollywood party at Chateau Marmont. Another partygoer noted that it’s basically an updated FF, the four-seat, four-wheel-drive Ferrari launched in 2011—and therefore gave it a ho-hum pass while noting the “weird” steering configuration.
No matter. A Ferrari official statement claims the new model is unique enough to warrant its own moniker and says it duly combines “impeccable power” with comfort and a more elegant driving style.
“This is a car designed for clients wanting to experience the pleasure of driving a Ferrari anywhere, any time,” the statement said. Company officials said the car will appeal to a younger client base that tends to drive its cars 30 percent more miles than older owners.
Another not-quite-SUV offering comes from Volvo, which has garnered early praise for its Volvo V90 wagon. When they show it, if the wagon is anything like the XC90 Volvo unveiled last year, the car will be a fine choice.
The Real Hot Cars of Geneva
Bored with SUVs yet? Let’s move on to the rather more aggressive cars. Bugatti will garner plenty of hype with its $2.5 million Chiron, the real-life version of the virtual car it teased us with last year. This is the mid-engine successor to the Bugatti Veyron, and it has a speedometer that reached 310 miles per hour. Early estimates have it hitting 60mph in 2.2 seconds.
Mercedes will show a spate of cabriolets headlined by the C-Class Cabriolet, including the all-new SL, the SLC, and the AMG S65 Cabriolet. BMW will offer a M760Li xDrive (a faster 7-series). And Lexus will show a hybrid version of the already-seen LC luxury coupe. (Cadillac is skipping the show this year.)
Elsewhere, Porsche will show a 4-cylinder 718 Boxster, and Lamborghini will show a one-off car called the Centenario to celebrate Ferruccio Lamborghini’s 100th birthday. Jaguar will show its F-Type SVR, and Lotus will show its new fastest Elise, the Elise Cup 250, plus two as-yet unnamed, secret models. The company claims the two will make news but declines to give specifics. (Worth noting: Lotus has used that tactic before, and it later unveiled less-than-astounding debuts such as new variants on already existing models. Don’t hold your breath.)