Geneva Motor Show 2017: Cars You Didn't Know About - Part III

HKG H600 concept by Pininfarina

The H600 has been developed for the HKG (Hybrid Kinetic Group) automotive division by famous Italian design and engineering firm Pininfarina.

The H600 looks like a high-end sedan with its clean and smooth flowing lines, except for the front where it gets a garish grille and headlamp combo. The rear-hinged rear doors and the absence of the B-pillars add a 'wow-factor' to the H600. Inside, the car gets floating seats, touchscreen controls for everything, a glazed roof which can be transparent or opaque in the daytime and doubles up as the cabin light at night etc.

Powering the HKG H600 are electrical motors on all four wheels, drawing power from a battery. The battery can be recharged using range-extending micro-turbine generator. HK claims this allows for a better range (of over 1000km) as the micro-turbine is very efficient and inexpensive to maintain thanks to lesser moving parts and eco-friendliness as the turbine can be powered by a variety of fuels.

The 5.2-metre long sedan is underpinned by an aluminium chassis and weighs 1870kg, claims Pininfarina. Claimed performance figures include maximum power delivery of over 680PS, 0-100kmph time of less than 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 250kmph. However, there is no word on if/when the H600 will be put into series production.

2019 RUF CTR 30th Anniversary

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It's been 30 years since RUF came to prominence when it launched the CTR, based on the Porsche 911. Unlike typical tuners, RUF made enough changes to the 911 to make it a completely new car. The 1987 CTR was good enough to give supercars like the Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Countach, Porche 959, Ferrari F40, Lamborghini Diablo etc. a run for their money in terms of performance.

The 2017 RUF CTR pays homage to the brilliance of the original CTR. It is a retro-modern sportscar featuring the best of modern tech and a retro body design. The whole body, including the monocoque, is made of carbon-fibre. high-strength steel pipes are used around the car to save weight without compromising on structural integrity; thanks to which the CTR’s kerb weight is just 1200kg. The CTR is powered by a 3.6-litre, flat-six motor, developing 710PS of maximum power at 6,200rpm and 880Nm of peak torque between 2,750 and 4,000rpm.

The engine is paired to a 6-speed manual transmission with power sent to the rear wheels. 0-100kmph is achieved in a claimed 3.5 seconds and top speed is rated at more than 360kmph! RUF has announced that only 30 units of this anniversary model will be made. Expect the price to be as phenomenal as the performance figures.

Sbarro Espera ArCad concept

The L’école ESPERA Sbarro design school based in France has had a presence at the Geneva Motor show in the past. Showgoers are familiar with Sbarro’s knack of showcasing some of the craziest concept cars ever, especially since the school encourages students to explore the possibilities of car design and other concepts.

The Sbarro ArCad concept is a dune buggy powered by a very un-buggy like powertrain. Featuring an edgy design, the ArCad is underpinned by a basic chassis made of steel tubes. Knobbly tyres from BF Goodrich seem to be the only real-world part on this wild-looking concept car. Weighing in at 1,100kg, the buggy is powered by a 4.6-litre, V8 petrol motor! The motor is estimated to be developing 273PS of maximum power.

Segula Hagora Pulse concept

Segula Technologies, an engineering group with a worldwide presence has unveiled a concept to showcase its future-ready technologies. The Hagora Pulse concept incorporates the company's advances in connected driving, connected health, gesture command, augmented reality, weight reduction and engine efficiency technologies. 

While the design is certainly ultra-futuristic, the Hagora Pulse also showcases technologies which could be incorporated in cars in the very near future. In the future where everything will be connected, the Pulse showcases car-2-car communication technology which uses Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) systems to transmit data – the technology could make driving safer, a commute less boring and every day more productive. The car-2-car communication, in conjunction with augmented reality could warn the driver of impending accidents, or prompt the car to take control.

A connected health system with sensors incorporated in the steering wheel and seats could predict potential driver/passengers health issues, alerting the occupants of the car or alerting health services. The Hagora Pulse also previews lighter body panels for the car of the future; the bonnet of the car is made up of a mix of composite fabric and plastic – this makes it lighter, stronger and safer.

Segula's Urban Starc technology stores the heat generated by the engine during normal operation to be used later. This can reduce the load taken by an engine while heating up the interior, thus reducing emissions and increasing fuel-efficiency. 

Techrules Ren

Chinese automotive R&D company Techrules has unveiled its first 'production-ready' vehicle, the Ren supercar. There are many things that make the Ren unique, the design, for instance, is futuristic from the outside and luxurious on the inside. The passenger space can be configured for a single person, or two, or three. The electric drivetrain can consist of two motors or four or six! 

The car features an innovative (certainly a first for what is touted as a production car) canopy mechanism to access the cabin. It also features a unique battery recharge system which consists of a diesel-powered turbine – or two if the owner chooses to. 

Techrules has employed Italian design firm Giugiaro to design and assemble the Ren; production could begin as soon as 2018 claims the company. With the two electric motor setup, the Ren has an output of 435PS/720Nm while the all-out 6-motor configuration gives it 1,305PS/2,340Nm! This version will use 80 litres of fuel to travel 1,170km – that is a claimed fuel-efficiency of 14.62kmpl – from a car that is capable of going from 0-100kmph in 2.5-seconds and attain a maximum speed of 320kmph!

If the supercar does become popular with the uber rich of the world, Techrules claims the same technology could filter down to more mundane cars of the future too.

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Geneva Motor Show 2017: Cars You Didn't Know About - Part I

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