cayenne

Germany is the very epicenter of the European automotive industry, playing host to several of the world's largest and most significant automakers. But with the Frankfurt expo forced to alternate with the Paris salon, Geneva is the closest to a home turf international auto show these companies have.

Ever keen to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge automotive innovations and show the world their newest developments, Germany's automakers crossed the border into Switzerland this year with a virtually unprecedented array of new vehicles. Follow the jump to read and see what they brought.

When it launched the first Cayenne sport-utility in 2002, Porsche knew it wasn't just getting into the SUV market alongside every other carmaker – it was tapping into the great market of people who wanted a Porsche but needed more practicality. It's since proven a big success for the German automaker, but with so many on the road, there are plenty of customers looking to differentiate their Cayennes from all the others. MAFF Tuning is the latest to answer that call. With the Muron package, the Romanian tuning house offers a virtually endless range of customizing possibilities, from choice leather and Alcantara suede upholstery for the interior to the fiberglass and carbon-fiber body kit to give each Cayenne a flavor all its own. With such a wide spectrum of options, the sky's the limit in terms of pricing as well, but chances are if you can afford the gas to fuel such a beast, you can afford to drop a little extra to make it yours.

With all of the attention Porsche is getting for the Cayman, new 911 and Cayenne models, it's no wonder the automaker felt the need to find something new to do with the Boxter, which seems to have been eclipsed in the various media blitzes.

We first saw the Porsche Boxter Limited Edition model earlier this year at the New York Auto Show, where the car sported bright orange paint, black painted alloy wheels and side mirrors, sport exhaust system, safety bars and a Limited Edition plaque in the glovebox. A special Sport Design package available for the LE includes fascia work on both the front and back, as well as a spoiler for the rear end.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]

Luxury need not come at environmental cost (depending upon your view of the environmental friendliness of hybrids, of course), what with Porsche reportedly borrowing technology from Volkswagen in order to develop hybrid versions of its sporty Cayenne SUV and Panamera four-door coupe.

Porsche has been licking its chops as it considers the possibilities inherent in its beefed-up partnership with Germany's largest automaker, and hybrid technology is just one of the many options on the table. Partnering with such a large force also means access to a large development team -- something Porsche couldn't afford as a small automaker with its sole focus on high-performance vehicles. Now, Porsche can offer the best of both worlds -- hybrid engines tuned for as much performance as feasibly possible.

The Panamera and Cayenne are the cars Porsche says it will offer as full hybrids, meaning that the vehicles can travel up to speeds of 20-25 miles per hour without kicking on the gasoline engine.

For the cynics, it may be of interest for us to mention that offering up hybrid vehicles would also have the benefit of lowering Porsche's emissions average, keeping it in the ballgame as governmental agencies throughout the world aren't exactly legislating in Porsche's favor.

There may not be a whole lot of room inside, but how many ambulances have you seen that can off-road with the best of them and accelerate from 0-60 in 6.4 seconds? This Porsche Cayenne S has been outfitted with all of the best lifesaving equipment, including an EKG machine and difibrillator, and has paint to match its function. It's the sixth of its kind in Germany, also joining Cayennes outfitted for firefighters, security officers and other safety professionals.

[Source: Cars.com]

May-what? Car buffs certainly recognize the ultra-luxury DaimlerChrysler brand, but the super rich didn't apparently think enough of the cars to help DCX hit its goal of selling 1,000 of them a year. It's certainly a hefty feat, we'll give them that. After a warm reception for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept vehicle powered by a hefty 550 hp V12 engine, the automaker tried to revive the barely-there brand, going up against the Rolls Royce of automobiles... Rolls Royce. Out rolled the Maybach 57 and 62 models, and later the Exelero concept vehicle and sport models of the 57 and 62, but the company hasn't managed to strike any paydirt in winning over Rolls fans.

That may all change, or so rumor has it. Finally, after selling only 152 cars in 2005 and 146 in 2006, we're starting to hear some talk of new product over in the Maybach camp.

First up is a Mercedes GL-based sport utility vehicle, which, if Bentley doesn't beat Maybach to the punch, may be the next logical step for current Porsche Cayenne owners who feel like they're slumming it. The ute would have to be pretty packed with luxury amenities in order to account for what will be a hefty price premium over the GL-class, but there's certainly a market for it judging from the fact that the Cayenne quickly became Porsche's best-selling model.

Another option Maybach is reportedly considering is a "parade car" convertible based on its long 57 and 62 models. We saw something like it in the form of the Mercedes Ocean Drive four-door convertible concept, and if the Maybach follows suit, the ultra-luxury version of the Ocean Drive would be pegged along with the Rolls Royce Drophead Coupe.

Finally, the most recent thing we've heard about (by way of sister-site Autoblog.com), though also still just a rumor at this point, is a four-door coupe, based on the Mercedes CLS-class. This particular slot in Maybach's lineup is another good call -- the mid-size vehicle will provide decent competition for the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide.

Looking to buy a car? And not just any car, but a Porsche Cayenne Limo? Well then eBay is the place for you!

...seriously?

I have heard of the occasional car shopper browsing and bidding religiously through the eBay auto section waiting for that "once in a lifetime bargain," but eBay didn't make it's way to the top of the internet charts by selling cars. So why on earth would somebody choose to it to sell their Porsche? I honestly can't even guess what a car like that is really worth, but I bet it's a good deal more than the current bid (as I write this post) of $55,000. No wonder the reserve hasn't been met.

So do you think any of these bidders bothered to actually go see the car in person? Or is somebody just willing to shell over $55,000 sight unseen? I bet they're just fooling around, knowing that without meeting the reserve the bids won't win.

How embarrassing for that poor Porsche.