Search the Community

Latest "casualty" of the COVID-19 outbreak... THE GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW IS CANCELLED! #GIMSSWISS 5-15 March 2020 The 90th edition of the GIMS, which was supposed to welcome the media from next Monday and the general public from 5 to 15 March 2020, will now finally not take place. This is an injonction decision of the Federal Council of 28 February 2020 that no events with more than 1,000 people are allowed to take place until 15 March 2020. The decision falls 3 days before the opening of the exhibition to the media. The organizers accept this decision: "We regret this situation, but the health of all participants is our and our exhibitors' top priority. This is a case of force majeure and a tremendous loss for the manufacturers who have invested massively in their presence in Geneva. However, we are convinced that they will understand this decision," said Maurice Turrettini, Chairman of the Foundation Board. We would like to warmly thank all those involved in the organisation of the 2020 edition of GIMS. A few days before the opening of the event, the construction of the stands was very nearly complete. A week ago, during the press conferences announcing the 2020 edition, there was nothing to suggest that such a measure was necessary. The situation changed with the appearance of the first confirmed coronavirus diseases in Switzerland and the injonction of the Federal Council on 28.02.2020. The event is cancelled due to this decision. In the meantime, the dismantling of the event will now have to be organised. The financial consequences for all those involved in the event are significant and will need to be assessed over the coming weeks. One thing is certain: tickets already purchased for the event will be refunded. The organisers will communicate about this as soon as possible, via their website. Palexpo, 28 February 2020

The Alfa Romeo Tonale is a surprise addition at Geneva, with the compact SUV based on the same platform as the Jeep Renegade. There's a new arrival in the compact premium SUV market in the form of the Alfa Romeo Tonale. The Italian auto manufacturer revealed a concept version of the new model at the Geneva Motor Show, and it slots into the range below the Stelvio. Under the skin, the Tonale is based on the same platform as the Jeep Renegade, but it gets a completely different look to its US sister model. The Tonale looks very much like a shrunken Stelvio. Styling features include a distinctive nose with an extended front overhang, the traditional Alfa shield grille and slender three-bulb headlights. A long bonnet leads back to the rakish windscreen, a low roof and curved rear end. Some of the concept's design touches, such as the slender wing mirrors and small tail-lights, are likely to be tweaked for the final production model. There’s no information on engines or specs, but we expect power units to be pulled from elsewhere within the FCA Group, with likely options including the latest Firefly petrol engines seen in the mechanically similar Fiat 500X, but with the added attraction of hybrid drive. Also, the new Alfa is likely to be one of the better handling models in the class, as the Italian firm focuses of offering a range of sharp-handling models. When it does go on sale, the Alfa Tonale will enter an exceedingly crowded SUV market at the very closely-fought small SUV end. The exact size of the newcomer is unknown but it's likely that the brand will be pitching its effort at the likes of the BMW X2, Volkswagen T-Roc and Audi Q3, as well as more mainstream models such as the SEAT Ateca and Nissan Qashqai. The Tonale follows on from the Stelvio in taking its name from a mountain pass. At 1,883 metres the Tonale pass in Northern Italy is lower than the famous Stelvio, which sounds about right for Alfa’s more diminutive SUV model.

These are the first sketches of the Skoda Kamiqhttps://www.topgear.com/car-news/suvs/these-are-first-sketches-skoda-kamiq Right, let’s sort this out early on. The new Skoda Kamiq will be the smallest of the Czech brand’s three SUV offerings, putting it below the medium-sized Karoq and larger Kodiaq. Its rivals will be the likes of the Hyundai Kona, Nissan Juke and fellow Volkswagen Group little’uns the Seat Arona and VW T-Cross. For the sake of even more confusion though, Skoda is hoping to make the Kamiq slightly bigger than its competitors in order to score a point on interior space. So, it’s a big little SUV. Got it? Anyway – model minefield aside – based on the initial sketches that Skoda has released it’ll be a great looking thing. The front end is tall and imposing for a small (big) car and the split headlights have been flipped from the Karoq and Kodiaq – with sharp daytime runners above the main lights. The angular theme continues towards the back, where all lines converge to create a sporty-looking rear-end with Skoda spelt out along the boot. Whatever happened to logos? We don’t know anything more about what’s under the skin yet, but based on its sister cars from Seat and VW we can probably expect to get 1.0-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel versions here in the UK. The Kamiq will be officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. Like it, or will it fade into SUV obscurity? Let us know below… https://youtu.be/vMHehOIjzkc

All-New 2011 Mazda5 Revealed - Public Debut in Geneva

Jaguar has just handed out details of its XFR-S Sportbrake - a fire breathing, 543bhp 5.0-litre supercharged wagon capable of dishing out a 4.8 seconds century sprint. Everytime a carmaker spices things up, people (like us) get excited. Moreover we are talking about a Jag here - who could resist a sexy feline that has just gotten hotter? Based on the XF, the XFR-S Sportbrake is Jaguar's first high performance, R-S badged estate. With that in mind, you can't help but to bring in more 'established' players - such as Audi's RS6 Avant and Mercedes-Benz's E63 AMG S-Model Estate into the picture. A quick comparison with the two Germans shows that the Jag loses out both in the horsepower contest and the race to 100km/h. The RS6's 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 develops 560bhp and 700Nm of torque for a 3.9 seconds century sprint timing. The E63 AMG, too, has a bi-turbo V8 - but bored to 5.5-litre. With 585bhp on tap, it will despatch the 0-100km/h sprint in 4.1 seconds. But we reckon you won't encounter either of these two on a daily basis. More importantly, the Jag has the looks to kill. Like any super sports car, the XFR-S gets larger-than-life 20-inch rims to help boast a solid, purposeful stance. Those side blades do look a tad too familiar though (like those on the RS6). And of course, part of the Sportbrake's appeal lies in its ability to swallow cargo while keeping up with supercars - up to 1,675 litres with the rear seats folded.

Everytime when a super sports carmaker, especially one of Koenigsegg's calibre, releases a new model, the world stands still. And not just any hypercar - the Koenigsegg One:1 is the most powerful car by the Swedish carmaker and also, most probably the fastest car on Earth. With a power-to-weight ratio of 1:1, the 1,340kg hypercar will have an equivalent amount of horses on tap. And DRIVE gives us a short, less-than-a-minute teaser of the hypercar just before its debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

Citroen's new city car - the C1 - has made buzz online when it was revealed (in pictures) before its official debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The funky looks and character are hard not to fall for, especially for the younger audiences. Now, the French automaker has chosen to use this chic supermini to pay tribute to the motor show - by wearing the national colours of Switzerland. The city of Geneva has always been considered one of the world's most liveable. That means it should be the perfect place to launch a car of such playful character. Dubbed 'Swiss & Me', the C1 Concept car has a two-tone effect - red roof and white body, with the Swiss flag proudly worn on the roof. Works are not limited to aesthetics - the C1 Swiss & Me has a central tailpipe, wing extensions and large wheels to hint at its performance. Now imagine if our streets are filled with cars of a similar concept - but wearing the national flag of Singapore instead. How cool is that?

Back in the Geneva Motor Show last year, British automaker, Lotus, introduced the world to its potentially fastest handmade convertible ever, the Exige S Roadster. Based on the company's new Exige S coupe, this roadster looks mostly identical to its coupe counterpart. However, the rear spoiler has been disposed of and there's now soft top roof available. Weighing no more than 1,166kg, this roadster will let you feel the wind blowing your hair at a speed of 233km/h, thanks to its supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine. Mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or the automaker's Serial Precision Shift (SPS) transmission system, the engine can provide the power of 345 horses in addition to 400Nm of torque. The Lotus Exige S Roadster will get you going to 100km/h in no longer than 3.8 seconds, from a complete standstill. And, to complete your comfort, you can choose a sporty or a comfortable enhanced plush interior. As Lotus is readying the 2013 Lotus Exige S Roadster for order, the automaker has also announced the prices of its latest roadster for 3 regions - UK, European Union, and Japan. With Japan being closer to us here in Singapore than the other two, I think we can assume that the price tag of the roadster there won

[extract] With only 499 units to be built, the Enzo 2.0 or LaFerrari as it is officially christened made its highly anticipated world debut in Geneva. Following a lineage of halo cars from the original GTO to the Enzo Ferrari, the LaFerrari (which we think is an astonishing name for a Ferrari

The new MC Stradale will be the star on the Maserati stand, alongside the all new Quattroporte as they make their European debut. Maserati has unveiled a new, potent MC Stradale that will debut in Geneva. The new four seater GranTurismo MC Stradale, combines sportiness with remarkable Italian styling and luxury. While the new Quattroporte will be built in the newer Giovanni Agnelli plant in Grugliasco (Turin), the aggressive racing inspired GranTurismo MC Stradale will be built in viale Ciro Menotti in Modena. The changes include the new carbon fibre bonnet with a striking central air intake, which reminds me of the Ferrari California, and new forged 20-inch alloy rims. Maserati claims the new GranTurismo MC Stradale boasts four comfortable seats and the cabin houses featuring new materials and style. Sadly there aren't any pictures that shows the interior. The GranTurismo MC Stradale is powered by a capable 4.7-litre, 460bhp V8 engine mated to a robust 6-speed robotised manual gearbox. The Brembo carbon ceramic discs take care of braking performance, for a vehicle with a 302km/h top speed.

[extract] The Bufori Motor Car Company is an automaker that hand builds cars inspired by American 1930s coupes. The company was founded by three Australian brothers in the mid 1980s. The Khouri brothers first started building cars in a garage and later on the company was formed. Originally, all company operations were conducted in Australia but since 1998, all production and operations moved to a suburb in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2010, Bufori showcased a four-door luxury saloon at the Geneva Motor Show and was aptly named the Bufori Geneva. In the two years since the Geneva

At the recent 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari launched its most powerful model ever, the F12 Berlinetta. The F12 heralds a new generation of V12 engines from Maranello. However, impending stricter CO2 emission standard has cast doubts over the future of these engines. But fear not, Ferrari has confirmed that the future of its V12 engine is safe, thanks to the usage of F1-derived kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) to help them in achieving the CO2 targets. KERS is a form of regenerative breaking system used in Formula 1. The KERS system converts a moving vehicle's kinetic energy when braking into either a mechanical or kinetic enerygy. This energy is stored in a reservoir like a flywheel or batteries for later use to aid acceleration. Besides being useful, it its heavy. The KERS system used in Formula 1 cars can weigh up to 25kg. Ferrari CEO, Amedeo Felisa commented:

[extract] An all-new Audi A3 is scheduled to be launched at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and since no one can keep a secret these days we have the official photos of the new hatchback Audi. My first impression of the new Audi A3

this guy is the hier to the fiat empire John Philip Jacob Elkann (born April 1, 1976) is an Italian industrialist. He was the chosen heir of Gianni Agnelli, his grandfather, and controls the family's automaker Fiat (which also owns the Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Lancia, Maserati, and Ferrari brands, and in July 2011 acquired control of Chrysler[1], which also owns the Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Mopar brands[2]). He is the Chairman of Fiat and the Chairman and CEO of Exor, an investment company controlled by the Agnelli Family, which owns Juventus F.C, Cushman & Wakefield and Alpitour. and he is only 35

Motor shows have always interested me, ever since I was a young kid. I mean, where else do you get such a huge collection of new cars in one place, all displayed on the floor for you to poke around and get up close and personal with? In the automotive media industry, motor shows too are huge affairs. This is normally where car manufacturers announce their latest offerings, or showcase concept cars that point the way to the future, or simply go crazy with their wacky design ideas. There's lots to take in really. Geneva's Motor Show, held annually in March, is probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, motor show on the motoring calendar. 2011's Geneva Motor Show, the 81st edition to be held, will be open to the public from 3-13 March, with two press days on 1-2 March for the automotive media to get a sneak peek of what's on display. Looking through at what have been already announced, it seems that this year's show will feature a good number of supercars. With a number of them reaching replacement time, it seems like the supercar makers all chose Geneva to unleash their weapons. Starting with Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg, who thundered into Switzerland with their Agera R supercar, boasting of a whopping 1115bhp and a crazy roof box on top of it. Look at it! Not to be outdone, Lamborghini is launching the Aventador, the Murcielago's replacement. After days of having pictures of the supercar leak out through the press in the run-up to the show, Lamborghini decided to reveal it officially once and for all at a pre-show event on the eve of the show's opening. It certainly looks like a Lamborghini. Aggressive, low-slung and ready to eat you up if you provoke it. Another Italian supercar that is being replaced is the Pagani Zonda, and its place will be taken by the all new Huayra (pronounced "Wirer", apparently). It looks more like an evolution of the Zonda's design, and it may not be to everyone's tastes, but that's what supercars do. They polarise opinion. You either love them, or you hate them. Of course, the biggest name in Italian sports cars, Ferrari, would not want to miss the party. The Prancing Horse has, however, decided to take on a slightly different path, with its FF (Ferrari Four) Concept, which is likely to be the replacement for the 612 Scaglietti grand tourer. Its unique breadvan/shooting brake design is certainly distinctive, and the FF also features Ferrari's first ever four-wheel-drive system. Whatever it is, it will most definitely be a landmark car for Ferrari. Days before the event, Aston Martin pulled off a minor surprise when they announced an all-new model, the Virage. The British sportscar maker says that the Virage will slot in between the DB9 and the DBS in its range, but for the life of me I just can't see the point or tell the difference, as I've already talked about before. Of course, motor shows are not just about fast and expensive supercars. There are new product launches that are well within the reach of ordinary folk like us as well. I guess if there's any one brand that everyone is looking at now, it has to be Kia. The Korean carmaker is rapidly rising through the ranks in the automotive ladder with its bold designs and much improved quality, and Geneva sees Kia launching yet more cars to help continue its meteoric ascent. The biggest news from them has to be the new Rio family car, which looks like a massive leap from the current version, and seems to be more aligned with European tastes. The goalposts have certainly been shifted now for fellow Asian carmakers, if they want to catch up. There is also a replacement for its popular Picanto city car, which is now slightly more grown-up, losing its previous cutesy look for a slightly more mature design. Another family car, albeit a slightly larger one, that might interest local buyers is the Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback. Granted, most Singaporeans prefer a sedan with a proper boot, but this provides an interesting alternative to the family car scene. With fuel prices on the rise, and numerous environmental concerns in this 21st century world that we live in, carmakers are starting to offer new ways of providing propulsion for their products, to replace the gas-guzzling internal combustion engine. And so at Geneva, more than a few are showcasing electric or hybrid cars in their bid to 'save the world'. Leaving aside the usual suspects like Toyota, there are some electric or hybrid vehicles at Geneva coming from carmakers not usually known for their focus on efficiency or fuel economy. Porsche, which already has a Cayenne Hybrid on sale, is adding the Panamera S Hybrid to its range. Porsche claims that the Panamera S Hybrid is the most economical Porsche it has ever built, although that doesn't really say very much. Land Rover, more well-known for its tough, no nonsense off-roaders, is bringing along its Range_e diesel plug-in hybrid concept to Switzerland. While the Range_e has not been confirmed for production, the exercise should at least silence its detractors who complain about off-roaders being polluting and un-environmentally-friendly. Finally, from the most unlikeliest of sources, Rolls-Royce is unveiling the 102EX EV concept, or what is essentially an electric-powered Phantom. While the car is just a study for now, Rolls-Royce will use the 102EX EV to gauge customer reaction by bringing it on a world tour for tests. Which means that, more likely than not, the technology found in the 102EX EV will soon make its way onto production Rolls-Royce cars sooner rather than later. Those are just some of the highlights from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, and certainly there would be many, many more cars to whet your appetite that I have not mentioned. For any car nut, a visit to one of these motor shows would be something of a pilgrimage. I certainly hope that one day, I would be lucky enough to make a trip there on my own, to savour these cars in the flesh.

Unique feature: Heated steering, heated rear seat, auto defogging system, panaromic sunroof Safety feature: 9 airbags, Lane Assist, Park Assist, Adaptive headlamp Powertrain: Petrol: 1.6GDi 138hp, 2.0GDi 175hp Diesel: 1.7 113/134hp 2012 New addition: 1.7 Twin Turbo diesel 160hp i40 sedan will be launched in Autumn

Okay, this will be the last Mercedes based posting from me for this month at least. I promise. We end this trilogy of Mercedes tuner related postings with another Geneva Motor Show preview. Brabus has officially launched the coupe version of the EV12. Last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show they previewed the E V12 in the newly launched W212 E Class chassis and they absolutely went bonkers by shoehorning in that 788bhp twin turbocharged V12 engine as well as putting full rear wheel covers on it. Making the car look like a throwback to some 1930s art deco car but only a million times uglier. Now they've done the same with the newly launched E Class coupe with the exception of the rear wheel covers. Which I think is a sensible deletion. Now how do you get 788bhp and 1420Nm of torque from an engine? Well you take the original twin turbo Mercedes engine, bore it out from 5.5 liters to 6.3liters and change almost everything internally from the crankshaft, camshafts as well as cylinder head honing. It includes two custom high-performance headers with integrated turbochargers and four water-to-air intercoolers. The stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system with free-flow metal catalysts was also custom-tailored for the confined space under the E-Class Coupe. Brabus has their own bespoke ECU to control the engine and even with enough power to take it into orbit it still complies with Euro IV emissions regulations. And that fact makes it Green enough for me. Now while the engine does make 1420Nm of torque, 320nm of them will be made redundant because if all of them gets unleashed at one go that reinforced 5-speed automatic gearbox will not even last one single full acceleration run. So with a bit of an anti-climax, it gets electronically limited to around 1100Nm. The same as any AMG S65 engine. The chassis has been thoroughly reworked with the front designed to reduce lift on the front axle and to provide all the radiators/water to air intercoolers of the V12 with an optimal supply of cooling air. The air outlets on the sides route air away from the heat exchangers. Another design feature is air ducts that provide the front 12 pot brakes (rears are 6 pots by the way) with cooling air that would be essential to slow down this spaceship when it wants to come out from hyperspace. A wider track means better directional stability at high speeds. Because of that Brabus developed special carbon-fiber sport fenders with integrated air vents for the front axle. Special carbon-fiber rear fenders add 60 millimeters to the width of the coupe on the rear axle. The E V12 Coupe runs on 19-inch combination which are 9.5 inches and 10 inches wide and customers can choose from BRABUS Monoblock designs VI, E, Q and S. Tires in size 265/30 ZR 19 are mounted on the front and 285/30 ZR 19 tires on the rear provide optimal traction. Or try to do so as well as they could with that much torque. Like the four door version the Brabus E V12 Coupe sprints from 0

One tuning division has basically emerged right after the announcement that one is in the midst of winding down its business. We already know that Mitsubishi's Ralliart division is basically winding down its business due to Mitsubishi pulling out from most motorsport activities due to the ailing economy but when it comes to the powerhouse Volkswagen, things are different. It has somehow seen the need to set up its own performance tuning company simply called R GmbH. Sales of the R versions of their cars must be very encouraging for this to happen. Now Volkswagen has officially passed the Scirocco R and the Golf R as R GmbH's first models and other products that would emerge from this new company are something called R line design packages. This probably is something like Audi's S line packages, bodykits, spoilers, rims exhaust tips and interior trim. This was also announced at the Geneva Motor Show recently. Volkswagen states as follows:

[extract] -Subaru Impreza XV Turbo diesel. Subaru have been pretty quiet since they launched the new Forester, Impreza and Legacy recently. Maybe this is a good thing since there was a slight uproar when the Impreza was launched awhile back. From a slightly demented looking sedan it had become a slightly dull looking hatchback. Of course people have gotten used to it and now Subaru thinks that the world needs a crossover version of the Impreza so they launched it at Geneva recently. Subaru have decided to call it the Impreza XV instead of using the 'Outback' name as their Legacy models. Why Subaru have done so is a small mystery to me. Anyway,

Geneva seems to be the motorshow for every manufacturer and tuner to showcase their latest, greatest or in some cases weirdest models. Porsche tuner Techart has decided to preview their Panamera Concept One which according to them is the second stage in their 'individualization' level for the Porker. The exterior is 'individualized' with a new front bumper with intakes, hood, fenders, side skirts, a stainless-steel sport exhaust with dual black tailpipes, a height-adjustable rear spoiler and a rear bumper with diffuser. The track is widened by 0.8 inch in the front and 1.65 inches in the rear, making room for huge 22-inch TechArt Formula III forged alloy wheel. A multifunctional daytime driving light system with automatic dimming and brightness adjustment is also incorporated. Everyone is jumping on the LED driving light bandwagon, even tuners. Techart, being a performance tuner has also upgraded the engine. It seems that there will be a 150bhp increase over the stock Panamera turbo which I suspect is down to an intake and the above mentioned exhaust system coupled to a retuned ECU that most probably increases the turbo boost pressure. So the main question is whether the body upgrades have made the Panamera better looking or not. Actually I still don't think that Techart had succeeded in making the hunchbacked hatchback Panamera into a looker. It still looks like the Hunchback of Notre Dame but now it has the more slits, slats, gills all over its wings and bonnet as well as having a fixed boomerang like rear spoiler thrown in for good measure replacing the active aero spoiler in the original. It does look aggressive and looks the most successful if you look at it from the rear three-quarter view, but I like the subtlety of the standard model as it has that slightly retro sportiness like its an overgrown Porsche 356, especially when its in that grey silver paintwork when it is viewed from the side. The original looks very Teutonic, tool like, clean and Bauhaus-art-like compared to the Techart version. It's a love-hate thingy with the stock Panamera, especially when you've seen it in real life. Maybe Panamera owners don't like the subtlety of a stock Panamera. Maybe its just ugly but not 'in your face' enough for most. The fact is, I may be right. People who buy 4 door Porsche SUVs or Porsche sedans like their cars to be ugly. There is grace and beauty in being ugly according to them. Ugly is the new beautiful. This fact makes me wanna rush out and hug a Cayenne. Not. - I believe this is the prettiest viewing angle of the Techart Panamera - compare this 'individualized' version .... - to the original

Lotus has just formally introduced a new 400-plus horsepower sportscar concept. That news in and of itself would be enough to pique our interest, but the rest of the car's spec sheet makes the Evora 414E Hybrid an astonishingly intriguing concept vehicle. As you surely surmised by now, this two-seat sportster is a hybrid, specifically an extended-range electric vehicle that features a pair of rear-mounted electric motors and a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gas-powered engine. Why not fully electric? According to Lotus: With regard to the total lifetime CO2 emissions of the vehicle, including the energy required to manufacture and run it, the range extender solution has a lower overall CO2 footprint than a fully electric car of comparable performance and operating range running with a larger battery. That 47-horsepower gasoline engine never actually sends power directly to the Evora 414E Hybrid's wheels. Instead

Over the weekend, we got our first look at official images of the new Audi RS5 when a brochure leaked out onto the interwebs, but it didn't contain any technical details of the latest product from Quattro GmbH. Thankfully, our friends in Ingolstadt have seen fit to drop that information on us this morning, and as we suspected, they have opted to go with an upgraded version of the engine that served so well in the late RS4. The 4.2-liter V8 remains naturally aspirated, but its breathing has been improved to bring the maximum output up to 450 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. The power peak comes up at 8,250 rpm, just shy of the 8,300 rpm redline, and maximum torque is delivered throughout the range between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm. The RS5 comes out the factory with the ability to accelerate to 62 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds on the way to a governed top speed of 155 mph. Owners that wish to exceed that speed can have the governor unlocked, enabling a terminal velocity of 174 mph. As usual with higher performance Audi models, Quattro all-wheel-drive is the order of the day for power distribution. However, unlike other recent applications that have used a Torsen center differential, the RS5 features the first use of a new crown gear differential with electronically controlled clutch pack. The torque split can be varied from the nominal 40:60 front-to-rear to as much as 70 percent front or 85 percent rear. An optional active torque vectoring rear differential is also available to further improve the RS5's handling. The only available gearbox in the RS5 is a new seven-speed S-Tronic dual clutch transmission (DCT). Hopefully now that Audi has a high-output DCT, we'll also see it replace the dreadful R-Tronic unit in the R8 soon. The RS5 will get its public debut in Geneva next week and goes on sale in Europe this spring for a base price of

The Mercedes-Benz F800 Style concept car that'll debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month is highly-touted by Mercedes-benz's press release scribes for its green-car tech, but what's probably of greater interest to most of you is its styling, which is everyone's first peek at what the next-generation CLS-Class sedan is going to look like. To that end, get ready for a nose section whose grille apes that of the SLS AMG, plus enough flame-surfaced bodywork to make one envision Chris Bangle, sporting a set of Groucho glasses to mask his true identity, clandestinely moonlighting at Benz. The rear doors are sliders, because it's a concept, and you need to give the people a clear view into the swoopy, sci-fi passenger cabin. Props to Mercedes PR for gamely making it sound as if there's an actual practical application for those doors, though (see the attached press release). Mercedes-Benz also touts the concept's flexible powertrain platform. The realistic option is a plug-in hybrid system that's basically an offshoot of the V6 light-hybrid setup found in the S400 sedan. Mercedes says this new plug-in gas-electric system, which is good for over 400 combined horsepower, gives the car an EV-only driving range of 18 miles. The automaker has announced that a new plug-in system is headed to the next-gen S-Class, so don't dismiss the F800's hybrid setup as trendy green pandering. Save that cynicism for the concept's other powertrain option: a compact fuel cell/electric setup evolved from the one used in the current F-Cell cars. We have no doubt that the technology itself is genuinely impressive, and we're sure news of its development will be a hit with all the jet-setters at the next snowbound climate change conference. From a mass-production, real-person's-car standpoint, expect to see the fuel cell system in Benz showrooms right after Mercedes intros a 700-horsepower inline 3-cylinder that runs on unicorn milk. Alas, we digress. The F800 concept also introduces two new technologies that will doubtless appear in upcoming models. Distronic Plus Traffic Jam Assistant is an enhanced version of Mercedes' active cruise control system, which can now steer the car through curves as long as it's traveling under 25 mph. Neat. Also new is the Pre-Safe 360-degree system, which expands the existing Pre-Safe collision detection/mitigation system to the rear of the car. Now, if Pre-Safe senses that a rear-end impact is imminent, it'll apply the brakes in a bid to keep the car from getting into an additional chain-reaction accident involving other cars or pedestrians. We'll be in Geneva to see the sheet come off the Mercedes-Benz F800 Style in person, and will have plenty of firsthand observations and live photos then. For now, feast your eyes on the gallery below, and check out the Mercedes PR included after the jump.