2008 Geneva Motor Show: Hyundai HED-5 "i-Mode"

• Looks like: Another small diesel concept we won’t see stateside even if it hits production elsewhere
• Defining characteristics: Twin front-to-back skylights
• Ridiculous features: For a concept, nothing really
• Chance of being mass-produced: There’s nothing so extravagant we’d say “no way” for a possible production version; the engine has already been confirmed for European production

Hyundai adds one more eco-friendly concept, the HED-5 “i-Mode,” to the long list of environmentally sensitive concepts that automakers have been pumping out recently at auto shows. This Hyundai isn’t promising revolutionary hydrogen power or hybrid components; its claimed eco-awareness comes from high-tech, lightweight materials and a small turbocharged diesel engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

The i-Mode aims to create a social experience in the cabin with seating for six passengers and a power-operated front passenger seat that swivels to face rear occupants. There’s also an integrated multimedia system with access to the web, video games and movies, plus a wireless keyboard, mouse, game controllers and headphones.

LRX Concept Gets a New Paint Job for Geneva Motor Show

Land Rover's sporty SUV concept that wowed us earlier this year at the Detroit auto show has reappeared at the Geneva Motor Show wearing a new black and silver paint job. It looks just as good now as it did painted white in Detroit, where it won our Ultimate Concept Car award. For more photos of this new LRX, check out the gallery below.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

• Competes with: Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari F430, Audi R8
• Looks like: The current Gallardo liked what it saw on the Reventon concept
• Drivetrain: 560-hp, 5.2-liter V-10 with six-speed manual or six-speed sequential with paddle shifter
• Hits dealerships: Late spring 2008
  

Lamborghini is showing a new LP560-4 Gallardo at the 2008 Geneva auto show. The Gallardo is the smaller supercar of Lamborghini’s two current offerings, and the latest LP560-4 has a 5.2-liter V-10 making 560 hp — up from the current Gallardo’s 520 hp. This peak power gives the LP560-4 its name, while the “4,” refers to the LP560-4’s four-wheel drive, which splits power 30% to the front wheels and 70% to the rear. Transmission options include either a six-speed manual or six-speed sequential with paddle shifters.

The LP560-4 shows off front styling akin to the Reventon concept that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show. Similar cues from the Reventon concept include large trapezoidal front air intakes to scoop up air for the engine’s cooling demands. Between those large scoops is a front spoiler for improved aerodynamics. In the back there’s a new rear diffuser and LED taillights. On the inside, buyers can choose an Alcantara-lined interior or carbon fiber trimmings.

Lamborghini says the LP560-4 can do zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.7 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h).

2008 Geneva Motor Show: 2009 Infiniti FX

• Competes with: Acura MDX, BMW X6, Porsche Cayenne
• Looks like: The current FX with a new front end
• Drivetrain: V-6 engine (details TBA) or a 390-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 with seven-speed automatic; rear- or all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: June 2008

In many ways, Infiniti's FX is more like a high-riding sports car than an SUV — it shares its platform with the Nissan 350Z sports car. For 2009, the FX receives some mild styling updates, a revised interior and a more powerful V-8 engine.

The FX retains its swoopy profile, but the front of the SUV receives some changes. In place of the previous model's trapezoidal headlights are new housings that have a jagged lower edge. The horizontal chrome bars on the grille have been ditched in favor of an open design that's accented with chrome around the edges. The front fenders also gain chrome appliqués, which seem to be the design cue of choice these days.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: Saab 9-X BioHybrid

• Looks like: Saab tried its hand at a Volvo C30-fighter
• Defining characteristics: Hybrid drivetrain with lithium-ion battery pack, movable spoiler and diffuser to aid aerodynamics, power-operated cargo floor, roof-mounted solar panel
• Ridiculous features: 21-inch wheels
• Chance of being mass-produced: It's plausible that the general shape of the car and its hybrid drivetrain could make it to production one day — if GM gives Saab the funds

Take a good look at this concept, Saab fans, as it's what the future may hold for the brand's small cars, according to the Swedish automaker. The two-door hatchback has a number of interesting features, including a hybrid drivetrain that's capable of running on E85 ethanol.

The 9-X BioHybrid features an evolution of the GM Hybrid System that incorporates a lithium-ion battery pack. Saab says the new system is better at storing energy and providing electric assist than is today's system. Working together with a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine, the electric motor can provide supplementary power when accelerating, restart the engine from a stop and act as a generator when decelerating.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: Mercedes Vision GLK Bluetec Hybrid

• Looks like: The GLK concept that debuted at January’s Detroit auto show
• Defining characteristics: Diesel four-cylinder combined with electric motor for 40 mpg
• Ridiculous features: Not many, as the GLK is near production-ready
• Chance of being mass-produced: The GLK is confirmed, but we’ll have to wait and see about a diesel hybrid

The GLK, Mercedes’ all-new compact crossover, got its formal European debut at this week’s Geneva auto show. Though it’s technically a concept, it’s very close to the real SUV that will hit U.S. dealerships this fall. What won’t come is the European concept’s diesel-hybrid version, which delivers some 40 mpg in combined city and highway driving, Mercedes says.

The drivetrain sounds similar to the workings in Mercedes’ 40-mpg S400 Bluetec Hybrid concept at last November’s L.A. auto show. At its heart is an electric motor wedged between the engine and transmission that generates some 118 pounds-feet of torque. Though it provides a healthy boost in acceleration, it can’t power the GLK on electric power alone. Its energy source is a lithium-ion battery, which is more technologically advanced than the bulkier nickel-metal hydride batteries used in hybrids today. As you might expect, the running gear also includes regenerative brakes and an engine that shuts off at idle.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid

• Competes with: Lexus LS 600h L
• Looks like: A run-of-the-mill S-Class
• Drivetrain: 3.5-liter V-6 with electric motor and seven-speed automatic transmission
• Hits dealerships: Fall 2009

The Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid version of the automaker's flagship S-Class sedan that's expected to arrive in the U.S. in fall 2009. Average fuel economy is about 30 mpg, according to Mercedes, which is nearly double the 16 mpg combined rating of the V-8-powered S550.

Though a gasoline-electric version of the S-Class is significant in its own right, the S400 BlueHybrid's hybrid system also incorporates a lithium-ion battery pack. Mercedes says the operating temperature of the battery pack is regulated by the car's air conditioning system, thereby enhancing battery life and performance.

 

BMW to Offer Internet in Cars

Before you read that headline and say to yourself, “Accident waiting to happen,” hear us out. Drivers will not be able to actually use the wireless internet technology known as ConnectDrive while the car is in motion.

This is a relief, as the thought of workaholic businessmen or rich daddy’s girls checking stock quotes and PerezHilton.com while zipping along the freeway at 80 mph should be enough to strike fear into the hearts of drivers everywhere.

While sitting safely in a parking lot, drivers can control the browser through the iDrive controller, which will manipulate the cursor on the iDrive screen (presumably connected to the iDrive drive). There may still be limitations to the technology. For instance, BMW will reformat the pages to its own servers before sending them to the car, and the browser uses EDGE technology, which according to TechnoRide.com may mean a good long wait time for page loading.

Hopefully, we’ll get answers to these questions when BMW debuts ConnectDrive at the 2008 Geneva auto show.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: BMW Offers Unrestricted Internet Browsing (TechnoRide)

2008 Geneva Motor Show: 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco

• Competes with: Mini Cooper S, Volvo C30
• Looks like: A low-riding GTI with a chopped roof
• Drivetrain: 120-horsepower, 1.4-liter four-cylinder; 158-hp, 1.4-liter four-cylinder; or 197-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual or DSG automatic transmission
• Hits dealerships: Late summer 2008 for Europe, not planned for U.S.

Scirocco is one of Volkswagen's more recognizable nameplates, and it's been resurrected in the form of a two-door hatchback that has room for up to four people. Volkswagen says the Scirocco will be offered with an adaptive suspension and both diesel and gas engines.

The Scirocco's profile is reminiscent of Volvo's new C30 hatchback, with its sloping roofline and long side windows. Rather than a version of VW's corporate chrome grille, the Scirocco has black upper and lower sections that are separated by a molded bumper. A small rear spoiler finishes off the liftgate.

Inside, the dashboard layout closely resembles the GTI's, and occupants in both the front and back get sculpted bucket seats. Let us know in the comments what you think of its looks.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: 2009 Maserati Gran Turismo S

Competes with: Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

Looks like: A Maserati for the Mafia

Drivetrain: 440-hp, 4.7-liter V-8 with six-speed automated manual transmission; rear-wheel drive

Maserati's new Gran Turismo S is a performance-oriented version of the two-door coupe. It features a larger-displacement V-8 engine that makes 440 hp, which is 35 hp more than the regular Gran Turismo's V-8. The S also gets Maserati's duo-select six-speed automated manual transmission with paddle shifters in place of the six-speed automatic that the standard model uses.

The new drivetrain propels the car from zero to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds on the way to a top speed of 183 mph, according to the company. The task of stopping this sports car falls to a high-performance brake system that features six-piston front calipers.

Exterior differences between the two versions of the Gran Turismo are minor, like a red stripe on the grille trident of the S, but the car does take on a particularly menacing aura when painted black with dark gray rims, like the car in the photos. It also features a sport exhaust system. On the inside, the S has new sport seats finished in leather and Alcantara fabric.