It's Not Always What You See.(72nd Salon International de L'Automobile, Mercedes-Benz Maybach, Porsche's Cayenne)(Brief Article)

While international automobile shows are usually noted for the cars put on display for the public to see, the 72nd Salon International de L'Automobile may be remembered for two cars we didn't see. Or rather, that we only had a glimpse at.

The long-awaited debut of the Mercedes-Benz Maybach revival, and Porsche's entry into the SUV world with its Cayenne, had been the big expectations for this year's Geneva show. But instead of a candy store where all your indulgences are realized, it turned out to be more like going into a china shop: Look but don't touch.

Porsche showed journalists photos of the Cayenne, but there wasn't any hardware in sight. How is it, one wonders, that a vehicle can be ready to be photographed but not for a display? Cayenne will allegedly go on sale in the second half of this year, so what's all the mystery about? Reactions to the photographs were mixed at best, so we can only hope the real-life vehicle looks better than its picture.

Mercedes was even more coy with the Maybach introduction, going through an elaborate buildup complete with cello players and champagne to show what was essentially a full-scale model of the car displayed behind a large panel of blue glass. Even though you could see something that looked like sheetmetal ...