Part 5 of our report from the Geneva motor show. Stories and pictures by Sebastian Geisler.
Rinspeed eXasis
Performance 150bhp, top speed: 131mph, acceleration 0 to 62mph in 4.8 seconds.
It all sounds like fun driving, but is there perhaps a slight feeling of guilt about the environmental impact? No need for that, not here.
That driving enjoyment can go hand in hand with ecology is demonstrated by the eXasis, developed jointly by the Swiss car design company and Bayer MaterialScience. Thanks to its transparent lightweight plastic construction in Makrolon polycarbonate, it weighs only 750 kg.
The car is propelled by a 750cc Weber engine with only two cylinders. Its average consumption is about 37mpg of bioethanol E85, which is equivalent to over 52mpg. CO2 emissions amount to 20g/km.
Spyker C12 Zagato
The C12 Zagato is an all aluminium rear wheel drive car, based on the Spyker C12 Spyder. The C12 is powered by VW's W12 6.0 litre 500bhp engine and hits 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds. It weighs 1480 kg and top speed is 193 mph.
It's equipped with a six-speed manual or automatic gear box with F1 style shifting, Chronoswiss instruments and a Zagato designed full leather interior with brushed aluminium instrument panel. The C12 Zagato has an aluminium body with stainless steel roof rails and has many F1 derived design details such as an F1 nose, air scoop, chimneys, mirrors, rain light, fuel flap and diffuser.
It has a panoramic roof that features the Zagato style trademark double bubble.
Pagani Zonda R
Pagani's answer to Ferrari FXX et Maserati MC 12 Corsa, the track-only Zonda R is powered by the engine from the Mercedes Benz CLK GTR AMG with 750bhp.
So far they have only the one model, but they'll start production of the real thing in October 2007, but there'll only ever be seven cars made.
The price will be around €1.2 million (£817,000).
KTM X-Bow
Audi S5
BMW M5 Touring
Alfa Romeo 8C
So far the show cars have always been red - this time Alfa showed a black car. Production of the 8C has already started, and Alfa expects to make 200-230 cars in 2007, completing the rest of the limited edition of 500 cars. The cars were sold out within 10 days.