While Italian manufacturers and design houses as usual took centre stage at the Geneva Motor Show, their German rivals were particularly well represented this year. One of the most striking debuts was this Wiesmann Spyder, which, for now, is still a design concept. With no windshield or doors, it is certainly the most extreme car ever constructed by the small sports car manufacturer. Power comes from the BMW M3 sourced V8 engine. Both Artega and Irmscher launched fully electric versions of their sports cars. The Artega SE sports two electric motors, good for a combined output of 380 bhp. The Irmscher iSelectra's single motor, on the other hand, is good for 235 bhp and a staggering peak torque of 800 Nm.
Leading tuners ABT Sportsline and Brabus were also on hand in Geneva. The former revealed the R8 GT S, which features a host of visual and performance tweaks. The 700 Biturbo launched by Brabus is a further development of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. As the name suggests, it sports a twin-turbo engine that is good for 700 hp (690 bhp).
Swedish manufacturer Saab celebrated the first anniversary of its new-found independence with the aptly named PhoeniX Concept. Styled by Jason Castriota of Pininfarina fame, the exterior of the two-door sports car is very aerodynamically efficient. Underneath the futuristic body an equally efficient drivetrain is fitted consisting of a petrol engine to drive the front wheels and a hybrid-electric system to power the rear axle, using energy generated under breaking.
Also rising from its ashes in Geneva was the Italian DeTomaso company. Under new ownership and with a well thought out plan, DeTomaso plans to roll out 3 new models and aims at a production run of 8,000 examples in total. At Geneva the first model, the Deauville was unveiled. The Pininfarina penned body panels cloth a sophisticated spaceframe chassis that is constructed by laser-soldering together extruded aluminium profiles.
Enjoy the links:
2011 ABT R8 GT S - Images, Specifications and Information
2011 Artega SE - Images, Specifications and Information
2011 Brabus 700 Biturbo - Images, Specifications and Information
2011 DeTomaso Deauville - Images, Specifications and Information
2011 Irmscher iSelectra Concept - Images, Specifications and Information
2011 MINI Countryman JCW S2000 - Images, Specifications and Information
2011 Renault R-Space Concept - Images, Specifications and Information
2011 RUF RT 12 R - Images, Specifications and Information
2011 Saab PhoeniX Concept - Images, Specifications and Information
2011 Wiesmann Spyder Concept - Images, Specifications and Information