I tend to follow auto shows, this fact will sometimes pop up in this very column. Right now, in Geneva, Switzerland, there is an auto show, which is dedicated almost exclusively to cars you can't buy, it's all spectacle and far flung ideas.
Like any show of this nature, there are going to be the concept cars, which by definition are experimental and never actually on the market. Sometimes they might come to production, but at this moment they're cobbled together out of the dreams of stylists, put on display to point the way to the future. Some of them are just regular cars with elaborate headlights - Honda's Civic Tourer is almost at a production state - but they're all cars that you can't buy.
Then, you have the cars you can't afford, mostly because they have prices in the millions of dollars. Of those, even if you can afford them you can't actually buy them, since they're making an absurdly small number and they're all probably sold already. For instance, Lamborghini will make a grand total of three copies of their new car, the Veneno. Each car will be painted a different color so that when the owners meet their cars will make an Italian flag. It's an endeavor that's striking, but ultimately not really interesting to people looking across the seas to see what's coming next to their driveway.
Even the normal vehicles revealed aren't that interesting in that respect. The aforementioned Honda Civic Tourer sounds like it's going to be a European exclusive. Honda has kept it's European and North American Civic lines separate for a while now, and while I might like a great hatchback they don't believe the rest of the market in this country is all that interested. Chevrolet unveiled a new Captiva SUV, but it's also a European exclusive. They aren't exporting it because the company is full up on SUVs, and it would be a difficult fit between the small Trax and the larger Equinox. It might make sense in Europe, but they have less space and no Equinox in their line.
So why do I keep track of this? None of the cars are going to be making a trip into my driveway, and it's very doubtful that I will see any of these things in person anyway. But honestly, that's no big deal, because I can see the pictures. I can see what the many designers stationed all around the world are doing, what the big trends in design will be in the future, and how different companies are interpreting the next big thing in automotive style.
Many auto shows are interested in reality, and that's good too. You can look to them to see what you might be driving next time you're going for a new car. The practical shows might be the best, because the future they represent is your future, your driveway. It's easier to get excited by automotive ideas you can actually buy.
But Geneva, especially this year, is exciting because it represents a certain fantasy. Sure, I'll never own a real Lamborghini, but I can still look at it and see something exciting and see a decidedly different automotive landscape than the one I'm used to. All the cars at Geneva, even the practical ones, become about getting a glimpse into a different world. It's a world where everyone has more money and even the most popular car in the country looks alien. It's nice to give that world a visit sometime.
