Geneva Motor Show 2011 - Recap

Last week, the Car Design News team headed out to Geneva to cover the motor show, just as we've always done. But there was something different about it this year.

This 81st recurrence of the Swiss motor show not only saw Jaguar celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic E-Type and the first Italdesign vehicles created under the stewardship of Volkswagen, it also heralded a significant step forward for Car Design News' coverage of motor shows.

You've no doubt already seen our coverage in this section of the site, but in case you've missed it – or are having trouble navigating through the pages – we've decided to bring you a shortlist of our favorite posts from last week:

We caught up with Chris Bangle and Jason Castriota on the Saab stand. Check out the video to see the exchange:
Video: Chris Bangle asks Jason Castriota "Why is the Phoenix a Saab?"

BMW's technologically-laden Vision ConnectedDrive was always going to be a star of the show. Here's our take on the concept:
Comment: BMW Vision ConnectedDrive

The Volkswagen Bulli concept surprised many at the show, including us. Here's our take on the microbus:
Comment: Volkswagen Bulli concept - the good the bad, and the lie-flat bed

New Design Director Anders Warming showed us around the new Mini Rocketman concept in this video:  Video: Mini Rocketman in detail

The Captur concept showed us that Renault's design team, led by Laurens van den Acker, is really hitting its stride:
Comment: Renault Captur - organized complexity

Following last year's futuristic vision (in the form of the Pandion concept) Bertone showed the world the other side of the spectrum with the B99. Here's what we thought of it:
Comment: Bertone Jaguar B99 concept
And watch Bertone Design Director Michael Robinson take us on a visual tour of the interior here:
Video: Bertone B99 concept interior

The first two Italdesign vehicles created under the stewardship of Volkswagen – The Tex and Go! concepts – were presented in Geneva to mixed reaction. Here's our take:
Comment: Italdesign Giugiaro's VW Tex and Go! concepts

Alfa Romeo showed the 4C concept, the brand's future vision for a small two-seat sports car. Marco Tencone, Design Director for Alfa Romeo and Lancia, showed us around its interior and exterior design:
Video: Marco Tencone takes us on a tour of the 4C concept

Nissan's Esflow concept wasn't one of the stars of the show, but it had some very interesting details. And while you wait to read a full design review of the show car, we hope to temporarily satiate your appetite by reading about them here:
Details: Nissan Eslow concept

Renault's second new concept – the R-Space MPV – was another Geneva show star. We highlight some of its interior design elements here:
Comment: Renault R-Space concept

To read our complete Geneva show coverage visit: cdnlive.cardesignnews.com. And feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

This is just a taste to whet your appetite for things to come from Car Design News. We're open to hear your views on this or any other aspect of the CDN website. Send me an email to editor@cardesignnews.com I'm always interested in any feedback you may have on what you believe we can improve upon.

By Eric Gallina