The Swiss may be neutral, but the French have gone on the offensive with the official unveil of Citroen's new DS3 Racing in Geneva.
Citroen's effort at premium hatchbackery went down rather well in the shape of the standard DS3, and we'd put good money on the hot hatch follow-up doing the same.
The DS3 R is set to have 197bhp and 203lb ft of torque, so performance should be among the best in the class (bearing in mind the 154bhp version manages to hit 62mph in 7.1secs). We'd say a 0-60mpg sprint in the mid-sixes ought to be on the money.
The DS3 R is also designed to provide a sportier ride than its standard siblings, as well as sharper steering. Inside, the DS3 R has been given a make-over too, with bucket seats and big dials giving it the requisite hot hatch feel.
The main rivals for the DS3 R will be the Clio Renaultsport 200 and the Mini Cooper Works. "We want to combine the charm of the Mini with the performance of the Clio, but at a good price," says Olivier Quesnel, Citroen's motorsport boss.
There may be a bit of a queue for one, too - the DS3 R is a proper homologation special designed to satisfy 'R3' rally regs (how long has it been since we've had one of those?), which limits the annual production run to 1000 units.
The DS3 R will find its way to UK showrooms later this year, priced at roughly £17,500.