Lamborghini And Bentley Opt Out Of Paris Motor Show

It has been more than a year now since Volkswagen agreed to fitting its diesel-powered cars with cheating devices to falsify emission levels. Since then, the German carmaker has been trying to save money across the whole of its portfolio to pay out fines to customers and regulatory bodies around the world.

Since showcasing one’s cars at a motor show anywhere in the world costs millions of dollars, VW has decided to desist from hoisting the Lamborghini and Bentley banners at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. To ensure that this blow is softened for loyalists, Bentley said that it was skipping the show because it wants to focus on smaller events in order to target its customers better. Lamborghini, on the other hand, said that it was revising its strategy regarding auto show attendance and will shortlist locations on the basis of where the brand wants to be.

Apart from saving money to compensate for the losses incurred during the diesel emissions fiasco, VW is also investing heavily in electric vehicle (EV) technology. The company has plans to unveil a new EV with a 600km range, overshadowing both the Tesla 3 and Chevy Bolt.

Other car manufacturers are treading the same path as the German car marque, with Ford, Volvo and Aston Martin also opting out of the Paris Motor Show. These manufacturers plan to use the money saved to expand their customer base in emerging markets or to develop technologies of the future, and design electric and autonomous vehicles.

Even Jaguar opted to skip the 2016 Detroit Auto show that took place in January and said it would rather focus on attending the New York and Geneva Motor Shows to target its customer base more effectively. BMW-owned Mini moved along similar lines, keeping itself out of the Geneva and Detroit Motor Shows.