We took a wander around the halls of Palexpo as the European motor industry displayed its wares to an expectant crowd

Words and pic: Phil Weeden

It’s hard to top BMW’s fabulously strong display at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September, but its stand at Geneva in March was still one of the busiest. The brand continues to be one of the car industry’s global success stories. In 2011, BMW Group – comprising BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce – sold over 1.6 million cars in over 140 countries.

There have been a rash of new models over the past few months and they were on show at Geneva: the revised X6, the M5 and ActiveHybrid 5-Series, new 3-Series, 6-Series Gran Coupé and, making their world debuts, the M135i concept and M550d XDrive. So all in all it was another top show for BMW, which mapped out not only an exciting present, but also a brave future.

Picture: Alongside the debut of the new M6 Coupé was this Gran Coupé; presumably so named because its four-doors allow your Nan to get into the back more easily. The luggage space can be extended to 1265 litres and the suspension’s been tuned to provide a blend of ‘sporty flair and luxurious travel comfort’. There’s a choice of six-cylinder petrol and diesel models, plus the 650 eight-cylinder petrol model, which can be specified with all-wheel drive