2020 Geneva Motor Show will feature an indoor race track

Peugeot, Opel and Lamborghini are among the carmakers skipping the 2020 Geneva Motor Show. To fill some of the empty space, the event’s organizers are building a 1,500-foot-long race track inside the convention center.

The circuit will be located in hall 7, which is usually where suppliers and aftermarket companies exhibit their products. We haven’t seen photos of it yet, so we don’t know what it will be paved by, but the organizers said it will include sweeping turns, bends and long straights. It will also be wide enough for cars to drive flat-out on.

Forty-eight different models from 15 manufacturers will take turns demonstrating what they’re capable of on the track. Audi, BMW, Honda, Kia, Porsche, Renault and Volkswagen are among the participating companies. None have revealed what they’ll place on the starting line, but we know every car will feature what Geneva officials call an alternative propulsion method, meaning they’ll be electric, hybrid, hydrogen- or natural gas-powered. This distinction mostly addresses the concerns that racing behind closed doors will create intolerable noise and suffocating pollution, though members of the hybrid delegation will presumably still be able to burn gasoline.

Curious motorists — and, hopefully, intrigued journalists — will have the opportunity to drive select cars on the track accompanied by a supervisor. If you’d rather sit back and relax, there will be a 3,200-square-foot VIP lounge embedded right in the middle of the track with enough space for 300 spectators. Keep in mind you’ll need to book it (and pay for it) ahead of time; you can’t show up, order a drink, and watch an E-Tron race a Taycan.

Autoblog will bring you live coverage of the 2020 Geneva Motor Show starting on March 3, and checking out the indoor race track is near the top of our to-do list. Will a Smart ForTwo drift? We’ll hopefully get to find out.