2010 Geneva Motor Show: The Best of the Rest

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed)
Mar 12th 2010 at 8:01AM

The annual Geneva Motor Show features a veritable cornucopia of new automobiles of every shape and size, coming from countries near and far. After having brought you the best from England, France and Germany, the latest top-of-the-line supercars and a handful of new Alfa Romeos, we've collected the best of the rest

These vehicles defy classification but are intriguing just the same. Among them we've brought you hybrids from Japan, grand tourers and hot hatches from Italy, oddities from Australia, sportscars from Spain and luxury sedans from Sweden. Follow the jump to read all about 'em and see them in our high-resolution image galleries from the Geneva show floor.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Lexus CT 200h

Arguably better than any other, Toyota and its premium label Lexus have embraced the hybrid revolution with diverse results including luxury sedans, crossovers and this, the company's first premium compact. Targeting the likes of the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series, the Lexus CT 200h was previewed by the LF-Ch concept in Frankfurt half a year ago. It packages a 1.8-liter inline-four with the company's Hybrid Synergy Drive and a continuously-variable gearbox for seamless gasoline-electric transition. Sources expect the CT 200h to launch globally early next year.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Maserati Quattroporte GT S Awards Edition

Taking a decidedly different approach, Maserati brought out the Awards Edition of its award-winning Quattroporte. Based on the top-level GT S trim level, the Awards Edition receives special paint and trim inside and out for the discerning customer. While in Geneva, we also took the opportunity to see the GranTurismo MC Sport for the first time in person, decked out in carbon fiber, available either as add-ons to the GranTurismo S for existing owners or as a special edition in the Middle East.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Maserati GranTurismo MC Sport

Maserati's kid brother Abarth, meanwhile, came to Geneva with fresh versions of both of its core models. The Abarth 500C is based on the convertible, only upgraded with a 140-horsepower turbocharged four, sports suspension, wheels, brakes, aerodynamic package, leather interior and special two-tone paint scheme. The Abarth Punto Evo, meanwhile, starts with the recently revised Fiat hatchback and offers the Italian automaker's latest MultiAir turbo engine in either 165- or 178-horsepower trims, with all the bells and whistles.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Abarth 500C

One of the strangest and most puzzling premieres at the show was undoubtedly the Bufori Geneva. Based on the Chrysler 300, the Bufori features a entirely unique, retro body crafted from carbon-kevlar with Rolls-Royce-style "suicide" rear doors, granting access to a luxurious interior with mini bar, champagne cooler, a lock box and even a tea set with on-board hot water kettle. Power comes from Chrysler's 6.1-liter Hemi V8 with either 430 horsepower or nearly 600 courtesy of a supercharger. The Australian firm will build no more than 60 examples per year, and comical though it may look, will almost certainly find moneyed buyers in developing markets like the Persian Gulf and Russia, to name just a couple, where tastes have often proven questionable.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Bufori Geneva

Bufori wasn't the only one in Geneva presenting a rebodied oddity. Long-dormant Spanish/Swiss marque Hispano Suiza is back with a rebodied and retuned Audi R8 sportscar. Underneath the bespoke aluminum, magnesium and carbon-fiber body work lies a twin-supercharged V10 engine good for 750 horsepower, a 0-60 sprint in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 211 miles per hour. Interested? They'll be building less than 25 examples each year for a whopping €700,000, or nearly $1 million.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Hispano Suiza

Finally Volvo, the troubled Swedish automaker currently trading hands from American to Chinese ownership, presented a vital new product. The new S60 sedan is slightly larger than the model it replaces, but packs in all the latest safety systems including Pedestrian Detection and a variety of turbocharged engines. With that, we conclude our coverage of the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, and begin looking forward to the breadth and scope of new debuts we can expect next year.

Gallery: Geneva 2010: Volvo S60