This week AMG introduced the company's latest high performance engine with the Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG Showcar, which surprisingly did not appear in Geneva. Liveried like the legendary AMG racing car that won its class during the 1971 Spa 24 Hours race, it provides a preview of the upcoming production model. Under the bonnet it sports a smaller but turbocharged version of the much acclaimed quad-cam AMG V8 engine. Displacing just under 5.5 litre, it produces a hefty 571 bhp when fitted with the AMG Performance package. Another car that could just as well been shown at Geneva is this Citroen GQ Concept. It was developed exclusively for the Gentleman Quarterly Magazine.
Corvette will mark the company's 50th anniversary at Le Mans with the limited edition Z06 Carbon. This lightweight version combines the standard Z06 drivetrain with the suspension and brakes of the ZR1, which must give it superb handling characteristics. Only 500 will be built.
Although tucked away in a corner, the RUF RGT-8 was one of our favourite cars in Geneva. While it still uses a Porsche sourced body, it is powered by a bespoke V8 engine. The racing inspired unit features dry-sump lubrication and produces 550 bhp. RUF intends to start RGT-8 production in 2011. Another absolute highlight was the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid. The car's advanced hybrid drivetrain looks like one of the most efficient options yet developed despite producing in excess of 400 bhp.
The German tuner companies were also well represented at the Swiss show. Brabus launched the E V12 Coupe and Techart had a first go at the Panamera with the Concept One.
In our Geneva article we were a little dismissive of the latest Hispano Suiza. A closer look revealed that the makers are very serious about producing the new Gallardo based coupe. In Hispano Suiza trim, the V10 engine produces 750 bhp. At the moment the car has not received a name. We were told that will be revealed within a few weeks.

Traditionally the Italian manufacturers and design houses reserve their finest releases for the Geneva International Motorshow and as you could see in our exclusive report last week, this year's edition was no exception. Today we take a closer look at the individual cars that starred at the Swiss show.
Both Bertone and Pininfarina celebrated Alfa Romeo's centenary with exceptional concept cars. Our favourite was the very extreme Pandion, designed and built by Stile Bertone. Based on 8C Competizione underpinnings, the fully functional coupe sports many organic shapes, large glass areas and enormous doors. Compared to the wild Bertone, Pininfarina's 2uettottanta is a rather more understated show car. A clear tribute to the great Pininfarina styled Alfa Romeo Spiders, it also marks the 80th anniversary of the two companies' first joint effort.
After an absence of many decades, Touring returned to Geneva with the Bentley derived Flying Star. There are plans for a limited run of this stylish 'shooting brake', which is built with approval of Bentley and can be serviced at the marque's dealers.
Green was the main theme in Geneva and that is certainly the correct description for the Ferrari HY-KERS Concept and not only because of its striking paint-job. Based on the 599 GTB production car, the experimental machine features a KERS system similar to the one used on the Ferrari Formula 1 car in 2009. Italdesign / Giugiaro presented the Proton Emas; the first of a family of small, environmentally friendly cars. It uses the Lotus Engineering developed hybrid drivetrain that was also fitted to the Lotus 414E.
Fortunately Geneva also had its share of old fashioned supercars; a very Italian speciality. Lamborghini took the wraps of the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera. As the name suggests, it is considerably lighter but also features a more powerful version of the direct-injection V10 engine. Pagani continued the farewell tour of the Zonda with the introduction of yet another limited edition model. Dubbed the Tricolore, it is a tribute to the Italian Frecce Tricolori aerobatics team.

Tomorrow morning the 80th annual Geneva Motor Show will open its doors to the public for the first time. The eager crowd will definitely not be disappointed with the displays provided by the mainstream and speciality manufacturers. After a rather sedate edition in 2009, the exhibitors have once again pulled out all stops to impress the gathered world media and potential consumers. Looking at this year's Geneva show it is hard to imagine that the industry is still far from healthy. Lavish concept cars and cutting-edge eco-friendly vehicles vie for the most attention. If there is only one thing to take away from the 2010 show it is that supercar manufacturers like Porsche and Ferrari are no longer immune for the hybrid trend. Particularly Porsche's 918 Spyder Concept showed that green can also very, very cool. There were many more reasons why this year's edition stands as one of the most exciting of recent years. Bertone, for example, made a grand return after a two-year absence with a spectacular show car that combines classic Alfa Romeo shapes with organic elements. In addition to the exotic one-off machinery, many interesting production cars also saw the first light of day in Geneva. Alfa Romeo's Giulietta and Volvo's S60 were among the most prominent. Green was once again the main theme and we feel Lotus showed the way forward with the Evora 414E Concept, which uses electric motors and a purpose built petrol engine as a generator.
Our photographers were on the floor for the better of two days to capture everything of interest in great detail. All the material gathered has been compiled in a 1700-word report and a mouth-watering 340-shot gallery.

On the eve of the 80th annual Geneva Motorshow, Koenigsegg have released the full details of the new Agera. Intended as an extension of the range, the Agera's introduction coincides with the 15th anniversary of Koenigsegg. Much of the mechanical package of the CCX and CCXR has been retained but the engine has been further improved to produce a staggering 910 bhp and 1100 Nm of torque. The styling is still very familiar but the many detail changes have given the original Koenigsegg design a new lease of life. The car at Geneva is a pre-production prototype and will be tested extensively in the coming months. The final production version of the Agera is expected to be launched before the end of the year.
Lamborghini will extend the current Gallardo range with a Superleggera version. As the name suggests, it is a lighter (70 kg or 154 lb to be exact) and more poised version of the V10-engined model. Compared to the 'standard' model, it also sports a slightly more powerful version of the direct-injection ten cylinder. It is capable of a 325 km/h (202 mph) top speed and the sprint to 100 km/h (96 mph) takes just 3.4 seconds. In this case faster also means greener; the Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera's CO2 emissions have been reduced by 20% compared to its predecessor.
One of the big surprises of this year's Geneva show must surely be the Porsche 918 Spyder. We believe the name is a reference to the hugely successful 718 RS Spyder racing cars of the 1950s and '60s but the new concept car's technology is cutting edge. The aggressively styled roadster features a mid-mounted V8 engine and three electric motors. The potent yet green drivetrain emits just 70 gram CO2 per kilometre and it uses just 3 litre per 100 kilometre (94 mpg).
We will be on the show-floor from tomorrow morning and will take a very close look at all the exciting new machines for you.

Three years after making a grand return, Fiat Abarth will reveal its second generation Punto at the upcoming Geneva International Motorshow. Based on the new Punto Evo, the hot hatch features a sophisticated 1.4 litre four cylinder engine, which produces 165 bhp and 250 Nm of torque. Despite a 10 bhp and 20 Nm hike in power, the turbo-charged unit is more efficient and cleaner than its predecessor. All this power is transferred to the front wheels through a six speed gearbox. The Fiat Abarth Punto Evo will share the 'Scorpion's' stand with a modified version of the 500C with its roll-back convertible roof. It shares the engine with Punto Evo but equipped with a different turbocharger, it produces 'only' 140 in the smaller Fiat-based machine.
After releasing a teaser picture a few weeks ago, Lexus have now revealed all details of the CT 200h. The all-new Lexus is the first hybrid car in the premium compact market segment. In addition to the petrol-electric engine, the small CT 200h also features a CVT transmission. Its styling is directly derived from the LF-Ch Concept shown last year in Frankfurt.
At last month's NAIAS in Detroit Mercedes-Benz had an unusual sculpture on their stand. It turns out it was a full-size teaser of the F 800 Style Concept that will star in Geneva. It serves to showcase future technology and also as a preview for the new generation CLS. The F 800 is built to accommodate both a hybrid drivetrain and a fuel-cell.
One of the most interesting cars in Geneva will most definitely be the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid. Based on the Evora road car, this concept is powered by two electric motors. A specifically developed petrol engine can be used to generate additional electricity. The copper-coloured Lotus is packed with sophisticated technology, which is all ready for production. A single picture of the drivetrain is all we can show but we will surely capture every angle of the car this week.
A detailed and well illustrated report will be published here from the show-floor later in the week.

Ever since the first rules were made to sanction racing, manufacturers have tried to explore them to the fullest. One of the most spectacular examples of creative rule interpretation is the Porsche 935/78. Based on a 911 Turbo, it was developed by some very clever engineers at Weissach, with Norbert Singer at the helm. It was still homologated as a 'Group 5' GT-racer despite sharing only the passenger compartment with the road car. The front and rear of the car was formed by space-frames and the car was powered by a trick turbocharged engine that produced well in excess of 800 bhp. The dramatic shape of the heavily flared body earned the 935/78 the nick-name 'Moby Dick' after the white whale in Herman Melville's famous novel. Porsche had high hopes for the car and even believed it could win at Le Mans outright. Unfortunately the 935/78 only managed to score a debut win in the Silverstone 6 Hours, suffering from mechanical problems in all of the subsequent races. After a single season, Porsche abandoned the project. The engine first used in the flawed machine did score many more major wins in the 956 and 962 prototypes.
It is believed that Porsche built three examples, which were all retired from service and stored at the end of the year. Joest, one of the German manufacturer's best customers did manage to pry the drawings for the chassis from Porsche a few years later. They were used to construct the 935/81 'Moby Dick'. The two cars built were used with some success by various privateers, with a class victory at Le Mans as the highlight. Joest's incarnation of the inspired design struggled against the competition as it lacked the four-valve engine used for the original cars. Sadly one car was completely destroyed in a fatal accident that took the life of Rolf Stommelen. Ironically, he had piloted the original 'Moby Dick' at Le Mans a few years earlier. The sole surviving Joest car, and the only 'Moby Dick' in private hands, was recently acquired by a French enthusiast. He had it restored to full running order and raced it during several rounds of the CER championship in 2009. This provided us with ample opportunity to get a closer look at this phenomenal machine. The result is a 18-shot gallery with action and detail shots of the car. Hopefully it will be back out this year for the Le Mans Classic in July.

At next week's Geneva Motor Show Audi will showcase the all new RS5. It is the latest addition to the much praised A5 model line and features a potent direct injection V8. The high-revving eight cylinder engine produces a hefty 450 bhp, which is enough to propel the big coupe to 100 km/h in well under 5 seconds. It can be distinguished from the other versions by a deep chin spoiler and a small spoiler on the tail that automatically rises at speeds in excess of 120 km/h. Whether the RS5 will also become available as a drop-top is not known at this point.
High performance at a slightly more modest level is offered in Geneva by Citroen's new DS3 Racing. This hot hatch features a 200 bhp version of the 1.6 litre turbocharged engine that is shared between Peugeot/Citroen and MINI. The chassis has also been updated to cope with the additional power. The DS3 Racing will be joined at the Swiss show by another new hot hatch; the Volkswagen Polo GTI. Its small four cylinder engine uses a turbocharger and a supercharger to produce 180 bhp. This is transferred to the front wheels through a seven-speed, twin-clutch gearbox.
One of the stars on the Opel stand will be the Flextreme GT/E Concept. This striking coupe uses the same sophisticated hybrid drivetrain, which debuted on the Chevrolet Volt. The Flextreme is capable of speeds in excess of 200 km/h and it can run on batteries for 60 km. After that a small petrol engine is used to generate fresh electricity for the motor.
Geneva also attracts many of the non-mainstream manufacturers and designers. One of these is Malaysian Bufori, who will reveal the MKVI sedan. Although we have only received a sketch, it looks set to be one of the most unusual cars of the show.

Late last year we had the rare privilege to visit the Williams Collection. Located inside the Williams Conference Centre, the beautiful museum features one example of each car built since Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head created Williams Grand Prix Engineering in 1977. The partnership that has lasted to this scored its first victory at the 1979 British Grand Prix and has since been one of the frontline teams in Formula. Using engines from Ford (Cosworth), Honda, Renault and BMW, Williams scored well over 100 Grand Prix wins and propelled 7 different drivers to the World Championship. In 2009 Frank Williams celebrated his 40th year as a Grand Prix entrant and the team marked the 30th anniversary of that famous first win. Our visit to the museum has resulted in an exclusive 50-shot gallery, which serves to illustrate a concise history of Williams' four decades in Formula 1. Like the museum, our article is divided by engine supplier.
A few weeks ago we already reported that three of Italy's leading design houses would celebrate Alfa Romeo's 100 anniversary with show cars at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Bertone have now released the name and the first pictures of the Pandion, which represents the company's return to Geneva after a two-year absence. Named after a particular species of Osprey, the striking machine combines organic elements with a lot of glass. The grille areas in the nose and many of the interior structures are reminiscent of a bird's nest while the rear-end was clearly inspired by the feather's on a bird's tail. The compact coupe is powered by a 440 bhp version of the V8 engine found in various Alfa Romeo and Maserati models. We will certainly have a much closer look at this intriguing machine at Geneva.

Launched to universal praise back in 2006, the current Jaguar XKR will be superseded this year by an improved version. Dubbed the XKR 5.0, Jaguar's revised top-of-the-line sports car is set to be revealed to the public at Geneva in a few weeks. Cosmetically relatively little has changed but under the long bonnet a much more potent engine can be found. Now displacing five litre, the supercharged V8 is good for a hefty 510 bhp; up 90 bhp compared to the outgoing model. With the optional 'Speed Pack' fitted, the new XKR is good for a 280 km/h top speed while the 'Black Pack' gives the Jag a more aggressive appearance. For now we only have details on the Coupe but we expect the Convertible to follow soon after. Also in Geneva, French manufacturer Peugeot will showcase the 5 Concept, which serves as a preview of the 508, which is set to replace the 407 and 607 models.
BMW have revised the M3 line-up with the Competition version. This optional package provides a lower and more poised suspension to further improve the BMW's handling. Also new for this year on all M3s is the Auto Start-Stop system, which gives a better fuel mileage.
A year after unveiling the V8-engined Panamera versions in Beijing, Porsche will return to the Chinese capital for the launch of the base version of the four-door sedan. The Panamera and four-wheel-drive Panamera 4 will be powered by an all-new V6 engine, good for 300 bhp. The two new Porsches will hit German showrooms in May and around the world soon after.
Depending on the market, Honda offers a wide variety of Civic Type Rs. The best of the bunch is probably the British-built version, which is even exported to Japan as the 'Euro Type R'. With the help of Japanese Honda-tuner Mugen, the Brits have now created the Civic Type R Mugen 200. As the name suggests, it will be built in a limited run of only 200 examples.

At a ceremony in London on Friday evening, the new Malaysian backed Lotus F1 team revealed the T127. Powered by the Cosworth CA V8 engine, it is the first Lotus labelled Formula 1 car built since 1994. Apart from the name there are no direct links with the legendary Team Lotus, ran with great verve by Colin Chapman for the better part of three decades. The british racing green and yellow livery is a nice tribute to the cars used by Team Lotus in the 1960s like the 25 and the original 49, which coincidentally brought Cosworth into Formula 1. The new car has come from the pen of of former Toyota designer Mike Gascoyne. Seasoned drivers Jarno Trulli and Heiki Kovailanen will pilot the T127. With the wealth of experience available, Lotus F1 has a good chance of becoming the most competitive of the four new teams set to join the sport this season.
Judging from the sheer number of releases already previewed, the upcoming Geneva Motor Show will be another classic. Citroën will display the DS High Rider Concept, which could indicate an expansion of the 'DS' range launched to great acclaim recently. Also expanding its range in Geneva is Japanese luxury manufacturer Lexus. The compact CT 200h is aimed squarely cars like the BMW 1-Series and the Audi A3. Unfortunately Lexus have only provided a shot of the tail light. Hyundai will preview its new 'D-segment' sedan by virtue of the i-flow Concept. The show car has been designed at the company's European styling centre in Germany.
Like Lexus, Subaru also released a tail-light-only picture of an upcoming Impreza version. More important is the word found underneath it; Cosworth. It actually reads STi Cosworth, which sounds very promising. More information is expected ahead of its market introduction in March.

With the introduction of the all new GT1 World Championship this season, we felt it was time to take a look at one of the prime examples of the first generation GT1 cars; Porsche's 993 GT1. The result of an astute interpretation of the regulations, it was basically a combination of a 993 (911) road car front end with the drivetrain of the Le Mans winning 962s. By building at least 25 examples, including road going versions, Porsche managed to homologate the car as a GT. Ultimately the Porsche GT1 racer built around the steel road car monocoque was not a success. The program did finally yield results in 1998 when an all-carbon version of the car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At last year's Modena Trackdays we caught up with the first customer 993 GT1, which was raced with considerable success in the British GT Championship, scoring several victories. Our 12-shot gallery includes on-track footage as well as all engine details.
Porsche's current racing program is focused mainly on production based machinery. At Geneva early next month, the German manufacturer will unveil the 997 GT3 R Hybrid, which will be raced at the upcoming Nürburgring 24 Hours. It features a hybrid drivetrain that is capable of producing an additional 120 kW for 6-8 seconds after each charge cycle. The 24-hour race mainly serves to test the system for future (racing) applications.
Although Red Bull Racing did not make its testing debut until yesterday, its influence could be felt all along the pit-lane at last week's session at Valencia. To some extent, all new cars incorporated some elements of Adrian Newey's highly successful RB5, which was driven to six wins last years. Red Bull opted to spend more time in the wind-tunnel before launching the successor of the innovative 2009 machine. Early yesterday morning they finally unveiled the RB6, which at first sight looks like a subtle evolution of the Grand Prix winning design. There are many interesting changes to the aerodynamics and the unique pull-rod suspension has been carried over. With a largely unchanged package and two very talented drivers, Red Bull Racing should be among the front-runners again this year.

Following the updated base and GT Mustangs, Ford have now reworked the top-of-the-range Shelby GT500. The very potent 'pony car' features a new version of the supercharged V8 engine, which for the first time is completely constructed from aluminium. The result is weight reduction of a startling 102 pounds or 46 kg. Despite the lighter construction, the 5.4 litre V8 produces 550 bhp; 10 bhp more than the outgoing model. This has been achieved by the use of a new, two-row intercooler. In addition to the performance improvements, the creature comforts have also been addressed. Compared to the outgoing model, the road noise has been lowered by 20%. One of the most interesting option is a sizable glass roof on the fixed-head model. As always, the GT500 Mustang is available as a Convertible and a Coupe.
The next major auto show is the all important Geneva Motor Show, which will open its doors to the media on March 2nd. One of the most unusual cars to be displayed on the Swiss show floor is the LAMPO2 Concept, built by the local Protoscar company. It is powered by two electric motors that produce a combined 402 bhp and 640 Nm of torque. The fully functional show car is part of an initiative to get the number of electric vehicles in Switzerland up to 15% by 2020.
Joining the bright yellow LAMPO2 in Geneva is the all new Volvo S60. The luxury sedan features bold, styling inspired by the most recent Volvo concept cars. Particularly the nose treatment is a stark departure from the current range of Volvos. The most powerful version uses a 304 bhp version of the turbocharged six cylinder engine. Four and five cylinder engines (diesel and petrol) will also be available.
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