Carscoop's A to Z Guide to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show

Switzerland is not a country that springs to mind when you think about cars. It doesn't even produce cars on a large scale. Yet every March since 1905, it hosts one of the world’s most important motor shows at its second-largest city.

The 2012 Geneva Motor Show will open its doors to auto journalists on February 6 and to the public, between March 8 and 18. It will host 260 exhibitors, including 30 major car manufacturers.

According to the organizers, visitors at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon will see 180 world and European premieres of all sorts. If we had to name a single characteristic, we would say that car designer seem to have gotten their "mojo" back, having penned many handsome models.

Read more »

The Full Skinny on the New Volvo V40 Including the Engine Range

You've no doubt seen the official pictures and video of the all-new Volvo V40, which is proving to be the worst kept secret of the 2012 Geneva Auto Salon.

Nevertheless, we have more news coming our way thanks to our Greek friends over at Auto2day-gr, as they sent us the skinny on all those details about the V40 we were missing. And yes, we can confirm that the data is official.

We'll start with the V40's dimensions as in one of our previous posts featuring some scans from the Swedish edition of Auto Motor und Sport magazine, we wrongly assumed that the V40 measured 450cm (177-in.) long.

As it turns out, the publication was referring to the maximum length of the series, which it said would eventually include the S40 sedan, C40 three-door hatchback and XC40 SUV, and not specifically the V40.

The V40 measures 4,369mm (172.0 -in.) long, 2,041mm (80.3-in.) wide including the mirrors and 1,445mm (56.9-in.) tall, while it rides on a 2,647mm (104.2-in.) wheelbase. That makes it roughly the same size as its BMW rival, the new generation of the 1-Series.

Read more »

Italdesign Giugiaro Video Teases New Prototype for the Geneva Motor Show

Italdesign-Giugiaro will join several other Italian design houses at the Geneva Motor Show including Bertone and Pininfarina with its own special concept model.

The famed Italian company, which last year ended up in the loving (?) arms of the almighty Volkswagen Group, hasn't really revealed much on the prototype vehicle it has in store for us.

"This is one of the most technologically advanced cars for human-machine interface and unique style," said Italdesign-Giugiaro in a short statement.

Read more »

Another Live Photo of the Range Rover Evoque Convertible Concept

Carscoop reader Richard G. just dropped this picture of Land Rover's Range Rover Evoque Convertible into our mailbox.

This is the first time we see the British firm's study with its fabric top in the up position as both Land Rover's official images as well as the single photo of the car spotted by a Twitter user on the streets of London over the weekend, depicted the Evoque Convertible with its roof open.

Read more »

New Volvo V40 Five-Door Hatch gets its Video Debut as Well

The news on Volvo's fresh entry in the premium compact hatchback segment just keeps dropping in.

After a boatload of photos were spilled onto the internet this weekend, we now have the first official promo video of the new V40, which will make its world premiere at next week's Geneva Motor Show.

You can watch the short clip in the video right after the break.

Read more »

Our Spies Capture a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster Prototype

It's no secret that the next step for Lamborghini is the presentation of a roadster version of its new Aventador LP700-4 supercar and our scoop photographers have just landed the first shots of a camouflaged prototype testing in northern Sweden.

The said test car was fitted with fake roof parts to conceal the fact that it is the roadster model, but a close look at the pictures reveals that there's something different about the top of this Aventador.

Our spies tell us that the removable top looked like it was made out of carbon fiber instead of the cloth top found on the Murcielago Roadster.

The Roadster version of the Aventador LP700-4 is expected to be slightly heavier than the coupe iteration due to the necessary strengthening of the chassis to compensate for the loss of the roof.

Read more »

Nissan to Tease Next Generation X-Trail with Hi-Cross Concept at the Geneva Motor Show

As the auto industry gears up for the rapidly approaching 82nd Geneva International Auto Show, Nissan released a single teaser photo and video footage of a new concept model called the Hi-Cross.

For now, the Japanese company is only willing to tell us that the Hi-Cross demonstrates how it is "exploring ideas to expand" its crossover lineup.

However, sources state that the Hi-Cross is a concept model for a new D-segment crossover that will replace the more rugged X-Trail SUV, following in the footsteps of the B-segment Juke and C-segment Qashqai, both of which have proved to be a success for Nissan.

Read more »

Pininfarina Cambiano Concept is a Classic GT Coupe on One Side, a Saloon on the Other

The first official photos of Pininfarina's Cambiano concept car are out in the open ahead of its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show thanks to the folks over at Italian car magazine Quattroruote.

When Pininfarina first announced the Cambiano, it made word of a sedan model but the teaser pictures that followed clearly showed a two-door coupe. As it turns out, the Cambiano study is both a coupe and a sports sedan.

To elaborate, on the driver's side, the concept has one large door while on the passenger's side Pininfarina opted for a suicide door solution and also eliminated the center pillar to afford better entry and exit to all seating positions.

Read more »

Range Rover Evoque Convertible Concept Caught on the Road

Land Rover only just released official images of its conceptual Range Rover Evoque Convertible on Friday, but we already have the first sighting of the drop-top crossover on the road, courtesy of Twitter user Simon Truscott who captured the car on the streets of London yesterday morning.

The British company said it would display the Range Rover Evoque study at the Geneva Auto Salon in March to explore the potential for a production version, which if approved, wouldn't take too long to develop and reach showrooms.

Read more »

New Photos of 2013 Volvo V40 Hit the Web, Including First Shots of the Interior

There's no end to the flow of official images of the new Volvo V40 hatchback. Following on from a pair of pictures we shared with you last Wednesday, we now have a new set with 16 high-resolution shots affording us the most comprehensive look at the V40 to date.

On the outside, as we noted before, the new five-door compact model adopts the Swedish firm's design DNA with a shape that brings to mind Volvo's crossover models like the XC60 and XC90.

The latest batch of images includes the very first pictures of the new V40's interior. While you still get the feeling that it's a Volvo from details like the shape of the center console and the air-conditioning and audio system controls, the Swedish brand's designers added a rather futuristic looking instrument panel into the mix.

Read more »

Infiniti's Sexy-Looking Emerg-E Supercar Breaks Cover, See the First Official Photos

If you weren't content with the patent images of Infiniti's new supercar concept that we showed you earlier this month, you'll be happy to know that the first official pictures of the study…emerged on the internet today, less than two weeks before its public debut at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon.

We will admit that we weren't exactly wowed by the patent renderings, but our opinion change after we laid eyes on the real photos of Infiniti Emerg-E concept.

The Japanese premium brand's study is an impressive looking supercar with what we could even dare to describe as an Italian finesse in its styling. Of course, you'll find Infiniti's latest styling cues such as the pinched rear quarter window and the bulbous front grille, but it all works out nicely.

Infiniti has said that the Emerg-E will be propelled by a mid-mounted range-extender drivetrain comprising an electric motor and an internal combustion engine.

Read more »

F1-Inspired Lotus Evora GTE Special Edition Scooped Ahead of Geneva?

This past Wednesday, Lotus sent us an invitation to take part in the world premiere of a "special edition of a special edition" Evora at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The company's invitation noted that the car would be an F1-inspired version of the limited-edition Lotus Evora GTE first shown at the Frankfurt auto show last year. This

"We're launching a special edition of a special edition, and to make things extra special our Lotus F1 Team driver Kimi Raikkonen will be there to field questions. Now, it doesn’t get more special than that…," read the British automaker's invitation.

Lotus did not release any photos of the car leaving us more or less in the dark, but today, Patrick Garcia from French auto site Caradisiac, sent us these photos of an F1-themed Evora that he discovered at a parking lot during a trip to Jerez to cover the F1 pre-season testing earlier this month.

Read more »

Bertone gets More Specific with Nuccio Concept Renderings

A couple of weeks ago, famed Italian coachbuilder and design house Bertone published two vague sketches of a new concept named after the son of the founder of the company, Giuseppe "Nuccio" Bertone, that will be officially revealed at the Geneva motor show next month.

Now, Bertone has issued three new renderings that clearly depict the shape and styling of the Nuccio Concept while also providing some initial facts on the car.

Read more »

IED Details the New Cisitalia 202 E Sports Coupe Concept

The car Henry Ford II described as the most beautiful Italian vehicle he had ever seen, has inspired the creation of a new concept model called the Cisitalia 202 E, which will be unveiled in the flesh at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon this March.

Following the release of the first renderings, IED has published more details on the modern day Cisitalia 202, which is the work of eleven students of the Master course coordinated by Pininfarina Lead Designer Luca Borgogno and Maserati designer Luigi Giampaolo.

Read more »

First Photo of Ferrari F620 GT Snagged During Presentation

The two-seater replacement for Ferrari's 599 GTB Fiorano, which will likely be called christened the F620 GT, wasn't supposed to come out in the open before February 29, as stated in the company's teaser videos.

However, we don't have to wait that long for our first look at Ferrari's new supercar model as a reader of GTSpirit was able to take a quick shot of the car during what appears to be some sort of a presentation.

The new model adopts a similar design language to the Ferrari FF with curved fenders and a large grille up front, behind which you'll find what the Italian automaker describes as the most powerful engine ever to be used in a regular production Ferrari.

Read more »

Range Rover Evoque Convertible Breaks Cover Prior to its Geneva Salon Debut

It was rumored for a long time that Land Rover was mulling the development of an open-top version of its Range Rover Evoque crossover and now, the British automaker has lifted the wraps off a concept version ahead of its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

As it seems, Land Rover wants to measure reactions at a couple of international events that will very likely include the New York Auto Show in April before it gives the green light for the production model, which could follow as early as next year.

Read more »

New Toyota Yaris Hybrid Priced Under £15,000, Returns up to 80.7mpg UK

We will get our first opportunity to see the production version of the Yaris Hybrid at the 82nd Geneva Auto Salon in March, but prior to that, Toyota today announced pricing for the UK market and also gave out details on its fuel economy and emissions levels.

The new Yaris Hybrid is available for pre-order from Toyota showrooms in Britain now with an on-the-road price of "less than £15,000" with customer deliveries to commence from July 1.

In comparison, pricing for the regular, 99hp 1.33-liter gasoline powered Yaris ranges from £13,260 to £15,385, while the 90hp 1.4-liter diesel from £14,260 to £14,760.

Read more »

Citroën Releases Official Photos of Golf R-Rivaling DS4 Racing Concept with 256-Horses

Less than 24 hours after bringing you the first pictures of the DS4R that were leaked onto the web on Thursday, Citroën released official images of the concept model that will be make its world premiere at the 82nd Geneva Motor Show in early March.

As reported, the DS4 Racing Concept is powered by a tuned version of the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine found in many of the PSA Peugeot-Citreon group models and which was developed in conjunction with the BMW Group.

In the DS4 R concept, it puts out a whopping 256 HP – that's 160 HP per liter, which Citroen says is a record for a mass-production car. At the same time, despite its high output, CO2 emissions are just 155 g/km.

Like the DS3 R that kicked off the French firm's “Racing” performance line, the DS4R study makes its presence felt with a ground effects kit that includes tweaked bumpers with large air intakes on the front, carbon fiber trim on the grille, a diffuser at the rear, wheel-arch extensions and side sills.

Read more »

BMW Breaks All the Rules with New 640d xDrive Diesel Coupe and Convertible Models

According to most purists, a BMW sports coupe or convertible are supposed to have a smooth gasoline engine –preferably an inline-six- mounted up front and sending power to the wheels at the back.

The new 640d xDrive Coupe and Convertible that will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month ticks only one of those boxes: the straight-six found under the hood. However, it's not fed by gasoline but by diesel fuel and it channels power to all four wheels.

It's not the first diesel-powered 6-Series as that taboo was broken by the previous generation model, but it's the first to combine an oil-burner with BMW's electronically controlled all-wheel drive system.

Read more »

New BMW M135i Concept gets Turbo'd Straight-Six with More than 300HP, Previews 3-Door Body Style

We told you the story and showed you the spy pictures, but today, BMW officially revealed the new M135i sports hatch, ahead of its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show.

Despite the fact that the Bavarian company is calling it a concept, it's not hard to see that the M135i is essentially ready to enter production, which it will within the next year.

Aside from previewing the next member of BMW's new M Performance range, the M135i also gives us our first look at the three-door version of the latest 1-Series range, which is currently available only in five-door form.

BMW's answer to the Audi RS3 is the first M Performance car with a gasoline and not a diesel engine. Under the hood lies a 3.0-liter Twin Power Turbo straight-six that BMW says delivers "more than 300 HP". Our sources state that it will produce 320-horsepower in production trim.

Read more »