May is a key point in the car year. The motoring world has visited Detroit, Chicago, New York and the key European Motor Show in Geneva. Geneva is still the show that manufacturers use to dazzle with their visions of present and future.

Revel in the sound from the new titanium exhaust system
In the February 2016 edition I reviewed the Jaguar F-Type and at Geneva, Jaguar revealed the SVR. It’s a serious version of the F-Type, developed by their Special Vehicle Operations department with 567bhp and a 5.0-litre supercharged V8. Jaguar's Special Operations MD John Edwards (no relation) said: “The result is a 200mph, all-weather supercar that you can drive every day. We even made a Convertible version so that enthusiasts can revel in the sound from the new titanium exhaust system”.

Bugatti showed their successor to the Veyron called the Chiron. It is named after the 1920s and 1930s grand prix racer Louis Chiron, whose results included victory in the 1931 French Grand Prix at the wheel of a Bugatti Type 51. The Chiron is bidding to be the fastest production car ever, with 1479bhp, 62mph in less than 2.5sec and a top speed of 261mph. Its engine is a quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16. Only 500 will be made, each costing around £1.9 million.

The Maserati Levante SUV had a great reception at Geneva. It is a clear competitor to the Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne and forthcoming Jaguar F-Pace. Maserati’s European manager Giulio Pastore said: “Style is still the first reason to buy a Maserati. The second is the sound quality, and this sounds as good as our saloons with diesel or petrol. Then it’s vehicle dynamics and the pleasure to drive.”

The SUV market is an interesting move for the Italian maker and there is a diesel Levante that does 39.2mpg, which will please many in the UK. Maserati expects one in four Levante’s in Europe to be sold in the UK and 95% of those to have diesel engines.

MG’s forthcoming first SUV model, the GS, was also a discussion point amongst Journalists at Geneva. Their cars have been a great success with a keen price and the GS could be a winner for MG.

Peugeot had three reveals at Geneva
Peugeot, high from their Dakar rally win, had three reveals at Geneva – the 2008 compact SUV, the Traveller MPV (with up to 9 seats in various configurations) and a concept car, the Traveller i-LAB. The i-LAB hints business and travel with a giant 32” touch tablet, its own WiFi hotspot, charging docks and virtual reality headsets.

Malvern based Morgan showed their fun side with EV3 – the manufacturers first ever all-electric production car. Based on their 3-wheeler sports car, the EV3 has a 62bhp electric motor, fed by a lithium battery and promises a zero-emissions range of 150 miles.

Other cars of note included the Aston Martin DB11, McLaren 570GT, Ferrari GTC4Lusso (the new name for the FF), Alfa Romeo Giulia, Citroën C4 Cactus Rip Curl (with Grip Control), new Honda Civic, Porsche 911 R and the Ford Vignale.