Get Excited For Geneva 2018: A Preview Guide For The Big Reveals

Time to bring out the big guns in neutral Switzerland.

We’re less than a month away from the 2018 Geneva Motor Show and we now have a clear preview for some of the big reveals. New information came to light in the past two weeks that allowed us to put together this Geneva pre-show preview guide. One of the best things about Geneva are the sheer number of ultra-exclusive reveals from the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche. Having both Pagani and Koenigsegg on hand ain’t too shabby either. But there’ll also be plenty of more mainstream reveals as well as interesting concepts. Let’s dig in.

McLaren has already announced it’ll show its fastest-lapping production car to date, the Senna. The 660 hp street-legal track car will be shown to the public for the first time, and we also would not be in the least bit surprised to see the spider variant of the 720S, which was revealed last year at this time. McLaren already promised us a “surprise,” so the open top could very well be it. Perhaps something more?

Audi is expected to unveil its fifth-generation A6 sedan and Avant wagon. More than likely, and this isn’t really anything new, the Avant will be an overseas model only with no plans to bring it stateside. We’ll hopefully be able to confirm this on the spot. Expect the new A6 to bear the brand’s latest exterior styling language, courtesy of current design chief Marc Lichte. His previous work includes the also new A8 and several concepts. The A6’s interior will also resemble that of its larger sibling. Sources claim the high-powered S6 and RS6 variants will arrive at a later date.

Bentley may have just revealed its all-new Continental GT at Frankfurt last September, but it know it can’t show up to Geneva empty handed. That’s why the Bentayga plug-in hybrid is scheduled for an unveiling. Exterior and interior styling is not expected to change much, if at all, save for possibly some unique badging. The Bentley SUV will share its hybrid hardware with its VW Group corporate cousin, the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid.

BMW’s big Geneva reveals are no-brainers at this point. The M8 concept and all-new X4 crossover will be seen for the first time in the flesh. While the X4 was just revealed in full on line, the M8 has only been seen in BMW-released spy shots. Like the 8 Series concept, the M8 concept won’t differ all that much from the upcoming production version. We do expect, however, this new concept’s design to be closer to the real deal given the project is entering its final development stages. It’s also possible, though still unconfirmed, the production-spec Z4 will also make its first appearance.

Ferrari always brings something big to Geneva and this year will be no different. The hardcore, track-focused Ferrari 488, which may or may not be badged as a new GTO, will be this year’s offering and we’re in for a treat. As just previewed with Ferrari’s teaser video, the 488 GTO (or maybe Speciale?) will be a 700-hp mid-engined monster that could very well dethrone the LaFerrari as the fastest street-legal Ferrari of all time. It’s amazing what can be done with a twin-turbo V8 these days. Along with the power increase and plenty of racing tech, expect a new set of Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires, 20-inch carbon fiber wheels, and an overall 20 percent increase in aero efficiency over the “standard” 488 GTB.

Geneva is big for Jaguar for this reason: the all-new I-Pace. This is not just any crossover, but the UK automaker’s first-ever all-electric vehicle. Although we’ve already seen it in concept form, the production-spec I-Pace isn’t expected to look all that different, and that’s a good thing because we liked what we saw. Along with a reported 395 hp on tap, the I-Pace will very much carry on Jaguar’s legacy of exhilarating performance. We can hardly wait.

Although Hyundai just revealed its new Nissan Juke rival, the Kona, at Los Angeles late last year, the automaker is bringing an all-electric version to Geneva. According to the automaker, it’ll offer nearly twice the driving range of the Nissan Leaf. And no, this is not a concept but an actual production model. The all-new 2019 Santa Fe crossover will also be making its debut appearance.

Italdesign, part of the Volkswagen Group, will bring the roadster variant of last year’s Audi R8 V10 Plus-based Zerouno coupe. Powered by the familiar 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10, last year’s Zerouno was an absolute stunner and we expect the roofless version to be equally thrilling. The new roadster is also expected to be built in very limited numbers, given just five coupes were built at a price of $1.6 million a pop.

Lexus continues its lineup expansion featuring that love it or hate it styling language with its first subcompact SUV, the UX. Revealed in concept form at Paris almost two years ago, the UX will directly face off against the new Jaguar E-Pace and other luxury small crossovers. It’s amazing how fast this particular segment has exploded and Lexus has no intention of missing out.

Last year at Geneva, Mercedes showed its Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid fighter, the AMG-GT four-door concept. It was absolutely stunning, though we personally could have done without all of that chrome covering its massive wheels. Exactly a year later, the production version will be unveiled and Mercedes-AMG has already begun teasing it with spy shots. The super sedan, or four-door coupe if you prefer, is expected to have an output of around 800 hp thanks to its hybridized powertrain. Porsche should be concerned. Mercedes will also be bringing its all-new A-Class hatchback, C-Class refresh, Maybach S-Class, and AMG G63 SUV, all of which have been revealed online.

Porsche will take full advantage of Geneva with the reveals of two extreme models, the new 718 Cayman GT4 and refreshed 911 GT3 RS. Both are powered by a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six, though with different outputs. We've heard the GT4 will produce around 450 hp while the GT3 RS will increase output from the current 500 hp to 520 hp. We've already seen a leaked image of it while the 718 Cayman GT4 was just caught camo-free in some recent spy shots, indicating both debuts are imminent online.

Will Rimac have Richard Hammond on hand to introduce its new all-electric hypercar?. Probably not, but in any case, the Croatian automaker will pull the sheets of what we expect to be called the Concept Two, the successor to the limited-run Concept One. Rimac has been mum on details so far other than it'll be an EV and fully autonomous, but if the Concept One produced 1,073 hp, the Concept Two will offer even more power in an effort to outscore the likes of the Bugatti Chiron. That’s a drag race we can’t wait to see happen.

Only a few days ago Toyota kicked off its promo campaign for its reborn Supra with a single teaser image showing the car’s rear glass and a massive spoiler. Is this the production-spec Supra we’ve been longing after for nearly five years, or a more advanced stage concept? A Gazoo Racing track version? All we can confirm is this: like the last Supra, the new one will have a turbocharged straight-six engine and rear-wheel-drive.

Audi Unveils Upgraded RS3 Sportback Armed With 400 HP Ahead Of Geneva

Will Audi finally bring its hot wagon to America like Mercedes did with the AMG E63 Estate?

The 2016 Paris Motor Show saw plenty of fans flock to the Audi booth where the RS3 sedan was unveiled with a promise that, unlike the RS3 Sportback, the four-door would come to America where sales numbers of the BMW M2 and Mercedes-AMG CLA45 justify the import. Making things better was the fact that the new RS3 Sedan was far better than the RS3 Sportback thanks to upgraded dynamics and what Audi touts as the most powerful five-cylinder engine to date. Well, it now seems that the RS3 Sedan holds the crown no longer.

That’s because, just weeks before the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, Audi has previewed the RS3 Sportback with upgrades pulled straight off the RS3 Sedan and pasted to its wagon body. Most importantly is the fact that the Sportback now gets the same engine as the sedan, meaning it’ll make 400 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque out of 2.5-liters spread through five inline and transversally mounted cylinder bores with help from a turbocharger. That’s 33 more horsepower than the previous RS3 Sportback, and with an aluminum crankcase and other weight-saving features the engine pulls this off without adding weight. In fact, it's 57 pounds lighter.

This enables the Sportback to get off the line and up to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds on its way to a 155 mph top speed. Autobahn frequent flyers can ask Audi to delimit the engine to extract a juicy 174 mph out of the five-cylinder. Those speeds will drain the fuel tank in no time. Tamely piloted the RS3 Sportback can attain 28 mpg, if driven the way the European Driving Cycle tests its cars. Helping both mileage and lap times is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission mated to Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel-drive system, which can turn corners with even more ferocity when optioned with the RS sport suspension with active damper control. Individual modes include Comfort, Auto, and Dynamic for different handing characteristics.

Outside observers are treated to the metallic five-cylinder roar that can be varied with flaps in the exhaust, although onlookers may be too distracted by the Sportback’s new dimensions to take note. Its aggressive new look is no illusion. Audi designers widened the Sportback’s track, gave it a lower stance, and flared the wheel arches more to make it handle better and look the part. Optional carbon ceramic discs are available up front to provide additional stopping power. We’d prefer four-wheel carbon ceramics for the bragging rights, but then again we can’t have our cake or eat it in this situation. That's because, like the outgoing RS3 Sportback, this wagon will remain a Europe-only indulgence.

Curse the Europeans as they enjoy the new lap timer, boost pressure indicator, and a special RS screen to distract drivers with a G-Force meter, tire pressure gauge, and other track day gadgets. Inside it’s classic Audi, with diamond-stitched seats, ergonomic controls, Nappa leather, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and the RS emblem stitched into the seat backs. When it goes on sale this August, it will start at €54,600 ($58,206) making it cheaper than the €55,900 ($59,592) RS3 Sedan. If you want Audi to send the RS3 Sportback here, then pray Mercedes sells enough AMG E63 Estate models for the Germans to get the point.

Audi S3 Goes Topless in Geneva

An all-wheel-drive and powerful cabrio that looks even better in person.

It goes without saying that the new Audi S3 is likely going to be a huge seller. And now- it’s going topless, a fact that’ll more than likely push future sales even further. The convertible variant is has just had its official debut here in Geneva, and like its hardtop counterpart- the Cabrio comes powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four banger rated at 296 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Power is directed to all four wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Audi is claiming a 0-62 mph time of 5.4 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. Riding on a set of 18-inch alloys, the S3 Cabrio features a folding a soft-top roof available in three colors. The interior is decked out with Nappa leather, a sports steering wheel and stainless-steel pedals. Bits such as Alcantara and more leather trim are optional. Overall, the S3 Cabrio’s lines are crisp, yet elegant. It doesn’t scream hairdresser’s car in the slightest, and it’ll be a fine addition to the expanding A3 lineup. Now all we’re waiting for is that RS3.

6 Concepts From Geneva 2018 We Hope Reach Production

We hope to see all of these concepts on the street soon.

The Geneva Motor Show is the most important auto show of the year, where manufacturers wow us with their most impressive ideas. Some of the cars on display are being revealed to the public for the first time, while others are simply being shown for a second or even third time. We've taken a look at our favorite concept cars from the 2018 show. None are production ready yet, but all of them deserve to be green lit and we hope to see them on the road soon.

BMW M8 Gran Coupe

BMW was already in our good graces after it announced the return of the 8 Series Coupe. While we wish the company would have announced a production version of the new 8 Series, we'll settle for a concept version of the new M8 Gran Coupe. True to BMW's naming conventions, the M8 Gran Coupe is a four-door-coupe M variant of the already stunning 8 Series. This will likely be BMW's new flagship car and we can't wait to see what it looks like when it reaches production.

Toyota Gazoo Racing Supra

The Gazoo Racing Supra Concept was another spectacular, if not slightly disappointing, reveal. We were excited to finally see a production version of the new Supra, but all we got was yet another concept car. Just like with the Acura NSX, the wait for the new Supra is starting to become tiresome. Even if all we got was a concept, it would have been more effective to show off the road-going Supra rather than the race version. We still don't know what the real Supra will be like or how much it will cost. Enthusiasts can only wait so long for a car before it starts to become boring.

Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo

When it comes to getting us excited for a production car, the Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo may have been the best concept at the show. Instead of just showing some futuristic metal, Porsche brought out a nearly production ready car accompanied with actual performance figures. The Mission E Cross Turimso will have over 600 horsepower from its EV drivetrain. 0-60 mph will take less than 3.5 seconds and the 120 mph top speed will take just 12 seconds to hit. We didn't think a high riding version of the Mission E could impress us this much, but Porsche did it right.

Aston Martin Lagonda Vision

Aston Martin gained a lot of attention by revealing a track-only version of the Valkyrie at Geneva, but that wasn't the brand's only surprise. The company also showed off the Lagonda Vision Concept: a preview of the brand's luxurious EV models. Lagonda has two vehicles planned by 2023, one of which will be a four-door Rolls-Royce Phantom rival inspired by this concept car. We believe an EV drivetrain may be the only path to matching the smoothness of a Rolls-Royce V12. We can't wait to see the first production Lagonda in 2023.

Hyundai Le Fil Rouge Concept

So far, all of the concept cars on this list are slated to reach production in some form. It is doubtful that our next two concepts will ever be seen on the streets, but this doesn't mean they aren't awesome. The Hyundai Le Fil Rouge Concept was built to show off the company's future design language known internally as ‘Sensuous Sportiness.' If this is how future Hyundai models will be styled, count us impressed. We doubt any future Hyundai models will end up looking this interesting, but it does give us plenty of hope for the company's future.

Pininfarina HK GT

The final concept car on our list wasn't actually built by a car manufacturer. Instead, it was built by Italian design house Pininfarina. The HK GT Concept was built for the Hong Kong-based Hybrid Kinetic Group. This 2+2 electric grand-tourer has 1,072 hp and can hit 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds. No production version was announced, but Pininfarina did show off a production version of the hydrogen-powered H2 Speed. It may be a long shot, but the HK GT Concept could eventually reach production.