Obscure as it may have been (and remains still) to most motorheads on the western shores of the Atlantic, the original Cisitalia 202 was (and endures as) an icon in automotive design. It was fluid, harmonious, and looked as though it were carved by wind from a single bar of soap. The modern interpretation you see here, however, is a far cry.
Designed by the students in transportation design at the IED in Turin, Italy, the was unveiled here on the floor of the to a largely indifferent audience. You can’t fault the students or their school for that, because there’s just so much going on here. But then it doesn’t do much to stand out, either.
Suffice it to say that some of the projects – namely the – undertaken by previous graduating classes caught our attention in a better way. See what we mean in the gallery of live images above.
Following in the footsteps of the U.S.-bound , Audi has unveiled its bigger, stouter brother here at the .
The takes the same proven formula of past rough-and-tumble models and applies it to the Avant version of the latest , raising the ride height by around 2.5 inches, slapping some plastic cladding around the wheel arches and fascias, flaring the fenders, tucking a few stainless steel trays to the underbody and topping it all off with a pair off roof rails.
Three diesel powerplants will be available ranging from 204 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque to 313 hp and 479 lb-ft of twist. The lone gasoline engine – the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 from the – puts out 310 hp and some 324 lb-ft though a seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box to all four wheels.
However, unlike the A4 Allroad, we likely won’t be seeing the A6 in the U.S., so only one beefed up Audi wagon will have to suffice.
Even though , officially took the wraps off of the 2012 at the . The M-tuned five-passenger sedan continues to put a smile on our face even as it causes yet another salty tear to drip down our cheek.
We grin because BMW has dropped a tri-turbo (yes, three turbochargers) 3.0-liter inline-six diesel engine under hood. With a lot of boost, the N57S engine is rated at 376 horsepower and an astounding 546 pound-feet of torque. Mated to an eight-speed automatic, the 5 Series will crack the 60-mile-per-hour benchmark in 4.7 seconds and run to an unrestricted 185 mph top speed (BMW electronically caps it at 155 mph). Permanent all-wheel drive, in the form of BMW’s xDrive, ensures the torque shreds all four tires equally. The surefooted driveline also makes the 37-mile-per-gallon oil-burning sedan the perfect all-weather friend.
Why are we sobbing? As of today, BMW has no plans to offer this magnificent machine to the North American marketplace. To read more, check out our press release and don’t miss our live gallery from the floor in Geneva.
Looking rather production-ready on the floor of the is the , which eschews the rear seat of the in favor of a flat load floor and a partition to cordon off your goods from your two front seats.
According to , the “Clubvan Concept would fit excellently into the fleet of a fashion designer, art gallery owner or catering service.” Interesting. Anyone else? Why yes: “A photographer with a stack of camera, tripod and lighting equipment to ferry around during the week – and bulky sports and leisure gear to pile on board at the weekend.” There you have it
Is there room in the “small-car-based van segment” for what Mini says is the first “premium” entry? Probably not in the States, but perhaps in Europe. Check it out in our image gallery above and in the press release .
Diesel engines are synonymous with torque, and torque equals acceleration. Considering these facts, it’s great to see some tuned-for-performance diesel vehicles hitting the ground in Europe from the likes of , including this , which is part of the automaker’s new M Performance line. Now if we could just get them sent to the States…
So, what are BMW fans in the U.S. missing out on? A 3.0-liter inline-six common-rail diesel engine augmented by a trio of turbochargers. That mill is good for 376 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 545 pound-feet of torque from 2,000 to 3,000 rpm, which is enough grunt for a 5.3-second sprint to 60 and a limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.
Of course, diesel engines are also synonymous with efficiency, and the 2012 X6 M50d scores on that front with EU-cycle ratings of 36.7 mpg Imperial (44 mpg U.S.), though such ratings aren’t equivalent to U.S. EPA figures. In any case, check out the high-res gallery of live photos from the and then for the official press release.
It is hard to believe, but the gorgeous is pushing seven years on the market. In that time, the British automaker has worked hard to keep its sporty coupe relevant and current. Along those lines, and in a move expected to be embraced by enthusiasts worldwide, the 2012 model is on the receiving end of yet (its last was in 2008).
While the naturally-aspirated 4.8-liter V8 (pumping out 420 horsepower) and six-speed manual gearbox remain unchanged, the optional automatic transmission has been upgraded from last year’s six-speed Sportshift to a seven-speed Sportshift II sequential transmission. While it still remains a single-clutch unit (while the rest of the industry is migrating towards dual-clutch), it will deliver smoother and quicker performance when compared to its predecessor.
Other tweaks include a quickened steering rack and beefier brakes (now configured with Hill Start Assist). Lastly, the front fascia has been resculpted to improve and optimize airflow to the brakes and radiator – and to make it easier to differentiate from its siblings. Check out the press release . The first gallery is live from the floor, and we have also posted a few official images from Aston Martin.
is keen to get as much impact from its as possible, and to that end, has decided to showcase its German touring car in full factory racing livery for at the .
Underneath its high-tech composite skin lurks a 480-horsepower 4.0-liter V8 engine that sends power to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox. It’ll hit 60 in about three seconds on its way to a top speed of somewhere around 186 miles per hour.
Judging from all the splitters, intakes and wings, we’d say the Bavarian team is more concerned with making the M3 DTM racer stick to the road like glue than hit ludicrous speed on the straights, and if nothing else, make the machine look awfully menacing to its rivals. Check out the full gallery of live images above.
The is a lengthy name for a sedan with a lengthy menu of delicate and expensive details: “Flying B” fender vents, titanium fasteners for the two-piece, 21-inch wheels, drilled alloy pedals, a new Sport setting that provides additional handling chops to a three-ton, 505-horsepower sedan that gets from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds.
Inside, along with diamond quilting and non-perforated tramlines, the hides have perforations shaped like diamonds. Because, you know, who really wants to sit on circles? When the world is not enough you buy a . When the 100 billion stars in the Milky Way aren’t enough you add the Mulliner Driving Specification to it. Check it out in the gallery of high-res photos from the above, and see below for the complete press release.
The world needs more relatively compact people movers. While those of us living in the United States are blessed with an almost limitless supply of square footage, our friends in Europe, Asia, South America and the rest of the world need machines that can haul people and their stuff while still fitting into the tight confines of urban life.
Enter the . This eight-passenger van previews the Blue Oval’s next front-wheel-drive passenger van for overseas markets (not the U.S.). A trio of 2.2-liter diesel engines put out as much as 153 horsepower along with more torque than a hundred obstinate mules.
Inside its Kinetic-inspired sheetmetal sits an opulent leather-lined cabin and a full brace of technologies that include Sync, Lane Departure Warning and a Driver Alert system that lets you know when to take a break. Read all about it in the press release and see it for yourself in our high-res image gallery of live photos from the .
Behold, the stars and stripes of the . As you may recall, this patriotic little hatchback isn’t headed to our shores anytime soon. has decided to offer up the America F-Yeah edition to European customers only, which seems like an odd move to us. Fiat seems to agree. The company is only producing a total of 1,000 units draped in the U.S. theme, with 500 of those leaving the factory in hard-top guise and the rest as convertibles. Changes are pretty scarce beyond the special decal treatment and unique wheel accents.
Fiat says the 500 America will go on sale this March, followed shortly by the new Fiat 500 Color Therapy edition in June. No matter how badly we wish it were, that’s not a joke. for the press release.
It was only a matter of time before spiced up its crossover with the application of its go-fast John Cooper Works kit, and it’s now made an official debut at the .
Boasting 211 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque (up to 221 on overboost), the is the most powerful production machine ever to wear the Mini badge. Those ponies are routed to all four wheels through a six-speed gearbox (either manual or automatic) and can propel the upright box to 60 in as little as seven seconds.
We’ll have to wait until the car’s official launch this fall to if this latest JCW lives up to its storied name, but in the meantime, check out our live photos above and the press release .
The Spanish automaker GTA has returned to the Geneva Motor Show, this time with a production version of the company’s Spano supercar. The coupe boasts a laundry list of exotic materials on hand, including a unibody shell constructed of titanium, kevlar and carbon fiber. All told, the package tips the scales at a scant 2,970 pounds.
A total of 840 horsepower comes courtesy of an 8.3-liter V10, all of which is dumped on the rear tires through a seven-speed transmission. According to GTA, the Spano can hit 62 mph from a dead standstill in just 2.9 seconds. If you’re keeping track, that’s faster than the just-unveiled .
As impressive as the go specs are, the vehicle has some stout stop-ware to match. AP supplied a set of front discs that are nearly 15 inches in diameter squeezed by mighty six-piston calipers. Too cool.
Of course, you’ll pay for the privilege of being faster than the new Prancing Horse. No list price has been announced just yet, but with the stack of wild materials and heady horsepower on hand, you can bet your last penny this thing won’t come cheap. GTA expects to deliver the first models by late 2012.
Here’s an age-old recipe for awesome pie: Take one small chassis, add one massive engine, sprinkle with forced induction and serve smoking hot. Brabus has followed that recipe to the letter with the new unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
The brawny C-Class features a bored-out version of the 5.5-liter V12 that typically powers the . With 6.3 liters of displacement and two turbos shoving air down the engine’s throat, the car is good for a limited 800 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque. If Brabus could have found a transmission capable of standing up to the ludicrous amount of power on tap, the car would be spitting out 1,047 lb-ft. With its wings clipped, the meanest C-Class of them all still manages to hit 62 mph in around 3.7 seconds.
Just when you thought matte black paint had grown stale, Brabus builds a car worthy of the hue. for the full press release.
We haven’t found any official info on it yet, but this is the take on the . As with the German tuner’s , the Aventador is rather toned down for a Mansory. It gets new bodywork up front that includes wider fenders squeezing a narrower hood, and a larger lower intake with carbon fiber protruding everywhere.
More CF is laid over the top, from the bases of the A-pillars all the way to the end of the engine cover, and there’s a CF wing and a rear diffuser. It reportedly puts out , and will sprint from a stoplight to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds. Since the sole has been sold, this may be the next wildest bull out there.
Sure, you could likely with any number of mind-blowing and reality-bending supercars… but if you really want to break away from the pack with something that’s as fast as it is different, we direct your attention to the matte blue machine above.
For 2013, has updated the with more power – a staggering 1,140 when the tank is filled with E85 – one-piece hollow carbon fiber wheels, nano-surfaced cylinder sleeves, a so-called Triplex suspension setup co-developed with Öhlins Racing, standard stability control (which certainly sounds like a good idea considering the number of horses at its disposal…), a new exhaust system and downforce-adding front winglets.
We’d say that counts for a pretty thorough refresh of the Agera R for 2013. Have a look at our high-res image gallery of live photographs from the floor at the to take in the 273-mile-per-hour goodness, and then for the full rundown from Koenigsegg.
The all-new 991 variant of the has only been on sale for a few months, but renowned Porsche tuner Ruf is already hard at work applying its patented blend of power, handling and braking to the latest 911.
On hand at the are two new 991-based Rufs, the Rt 35 Anniversary (green, above) and the RGT 8 (yellow). The Rt35 is a rolling celebration of Ruf’s 35 years in business and beats Porsche to the punch by offering a twin turbo kit for the Carrera S, outputting 621 horsepower and an equally astounding 608 pound feet of torque through a standard seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Ruf isn’t citing a 0-60 time, but claims the Rt35 tops out at a little over 205 mph.
The original RGT 8 and shocked Porsche purists by packing a race-derived V8 where the flat-six would traditionally reside. This updated version based on the 991 uses a similar 4.5-liter V8 good for 543 hp and 368 lb-ft of twist, all routed through a proper six-speed manual gearbox.
Finally, Ruf has updated its flagship CTR 3 in a new Clubsport variant, with copious quantities of carbon fiber both inside and out and powered provided by a twin-turbo flat-six outputting 740 hp and 708 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed sequential gearbox puts the power down, further ensuring its status as a track machine that’s barely suitable for a run to the corner store. Bonus Ruf porn in the video .
Take a Nissan Micra, give it the face of a , let designers from Renault work on the rear and add a sweet white and orange interior and you have yourself a B-segment concept that calls the Invitation.
On the ground in Switzerland at the , Chris Paukert agrees that the Invitation is “Fit-esque,” and that it looks good in person. Not bad in photos, either. The official Nissan press release describes the design as, “The clean fluidity of the silhouette hints at its dynamic potential and showcases class-leading aerodynamics for enhanced efficiency. “
Expect a production version of the Invitation sometime in 2013 in Europe. No indication from Nissan about U.S. availability, though.
Check out the full press release for more details.
We’ll admit when we saw drawings of the McLaren MP4-12C as we thought it just another Mansory moment. Perhaps it was the dull grapefruit color, muddy black contrasting bits and burnt yellow wheels. However, seeing it in person at the , we’ll admit it has our attention. Yes, it’s overdone. But that crimson starfire metallic paint, properly glossy carbon fiber and muted gold ten-spokers are something we’d rock for at least one night.
Mansory’s take on Woking’s baby is wider and more powerful, goes faster, stops quicker and gets better gas mileage. And it looks like a solar flare. On wheels. And that’s all right with us. See what you think of it in the gallery of high-res photos or take a peek at the official press release .
With the gone and the on its way out the door, has a few holes in its line that and are happy to fill with the all-new and , respectively.
Enter the V40, a five-door hatch that’s one of the most attractive designs from Sweden since the Ikea Skürg. It’s a svelte bit of kit, with an organic fascia bleeding into a subtly sculpted hood and capped off with a sloping roofline that can be had in full panoramic glass.
Like the exterior, the interior is a mild evolution of Volvo’s current design ethos, with a minimalist, floating center stack situated beneath a large touchscreen display.
Power is provided by Volvo’s ubiquitous 254-horsepower turbocharged five-cylinder mated to either a six-speed automatic or manual gearbox, good for a 6.7-second run to 60 mph. Start-stop tech and regenerative braking are standard, along with Volvo’s usual suite of safety features.
But alas, the V40 is not for U.S. consumption. Which is a shame, because the States could benefit from an alternative that slots in with the entry-level Germans. Check out the complete press release .
Those are the names of the four new Up! models that has to the , the latest expansion of the supermini that by now has than the United States of Tara.
You might think the Swiss Up! is named for the its Geneva debut location, but instead it’s all about versatility, like a Swiss Army knife. We couldn’t get a view inside the car, but the name association is taken to the extreme with knife holders on the backs of the front seats. How’s that for practical?
The Cargo version is a bit more self-explanatory, turning the small car into a reasonable delivery vehicle that will carry 49 cubic-feet of goods. The X Up!, on the other hand, is designed for adventure, with searchlights and a roof box. The Winter Up! comes ready for the mountain slopes with snowboards on the roof and a higher ride height to clear icy hurdles.
None of these clever new concepts will be available when the first Up! model goes on sale in Europe this week, but they do show that VW is serious about thinking outside the standard econobox. The Swiss Up! is the snazzy red one pictured above, and you can see all four models in the galleries we’ve included from the show floor.
introduces four new Up! concepts, because we didn’t have enough already
