Everyone loves the Geneva Motor Show. Car manufacturers love it because the neutral Swiss ground allows them to launch a new car without fear of being upstaged by huge imposing stands; visitors love it because there are always lots of new products; and, finally, journalists love it because the entire motor industry is compacted into three manageable halls. Michael McAleer reports.
Other shows, such as Frankfurt, require a pre-visit fitness regime. Many motor journalists have been lost in action at the German show.
Finally, there's the magnificent setting, looking out on the shores of Lake Geneva. Residents of the city like the show too, as its opening is marked by the turning on of the Jet d'Eau in the centre of the lake after its winter hibernation - a giant geyser that fires water into the air at 132 gallons a second (about the same rate as the champagne is going down at the car stands).
While this year's show, which opens to the public tomorrow, may lack a real show-stopping new launch, and clouds of war hang over the industry, there are a number of innovations and strong hints towards future designs that may cause more of a stir in the market than initial impressions suggest.
First off, attention is focussed on the Italian stands, where Fiat is introducing its new supermini and new compact MPV. Codenamed Project 169 and Project 350, they are due to receive more catchy monikers at the show, though at the time of going to press we had yet to hear them.
The supermini is aimed at counteracting the growth across the continent and in Britain (if not in Ireland yet) of the microcars such as the Smart and others such as the Ligier and Bellier. Meanwhile Fiat's sister marque, Alfa Romeo is revealing its new Spyder, GT Coupe, and GTV.
Opel's stand also features a crowd puller, with its concept car dubbed the GTC Genève. While concepts are more of a niche attraction, every dog on the street expects the GTC to be the new Astra coupé.
Also at the stand is the new Speedster Turbo roadster, and the Signum, previously seen only in concept form and due for European launch in May.
From Japan comes the new version of the Lexus RX300, the Toyota-owned marque's SUV entrant. It's due on our streets later this year - and we are to have a competitively priced hybrid engined version available as well.
According to Mark Teevan of Lexus Ireland, the hybrid is the second phase of the development that began at Toyota with the Prius. However, unlike the Prius, this is not an R&D exercise or a promotional stunt. The new vehicle will most definitely be aimed at taking a slice of the SUV action.
From the VW stable of marques comes the new Audi A3. Built on the same platform as the VW Touran and the forthcoming Golf V, it will be available as a front-wheel drive, with four petrol and turbodiesel engines ranging from 1.6 to 2 litres and producing 102 to 150 bhp, and also as a Quattro version with a V6 3.2-litre engine producing 241 bhp.
Meanwhile BMW-owned MINI is showcasing two new versions of its trendy motor - a modified Cooper and a diesel variant.
The Mini Cooper "Works" is the product of two new aftermarket tuning kits that will be available from MINI dealers. The end result is an increase of 11 bhp over the standard car, bringing top speed up to 128mph and a 0-62mph sprint of 8.9 seconds.
A diesel version is also on show, The MINI One D will be powered by a 1.4 litre unit supplied by Toyota, producing 75 bhp through a six-speed manual gearbox and with a claimed fuel consumption of 58.9 mpg. However, given the profile of the average MINI owner, and the premium price for diesels in Ireland, it's unlikely to be a big seller on the Irish market.
As for the French, they're playing up the Peugeot's 307 Coupé Cabriolet, making its first appearance in full production guise. Due to arrive on Irish shores in the autumn, it converts from coupe to cabriolet and claims to be the first four-seater convertible car with an electronically operated hard top.
Other cars making their debut at Geneva include the Saab 9-3 Convertible, the Daewoo Nubira, and the Mazda MX Sportif, a five-door hatchback concept car.
Yet, for all these mass market models, a motor show is never complete without the sports cars that car fans flock to stand beside - or, if lucky enough, even sit in. The stuff of dreams, they make up more of the memories of a show than all the cheap and cheerful launches of small family saloons combined.
Most, like the new Ferrari 360 on show, may require a quick visit to the Swiss deposit account before you put in your order, but they're worth eyeing nonetheless. A combination of the 360 Modena and the 360 Spider, it's powered by the 40-valve V8 3.6-litre engine producing 400 bhp.
Over at Porsche, its main attraction is the €500,000 Carrera GT , a ferocious supercar offering 603bhp from its 5.7-litre V10 engine. One of only 1,000 to be produced, it's sits alongside the new 3.-litre 911 GT3.
While drums of war may be beating further south, the motor industry and its guests sip champagne in Geneva and hopes for brighter days.