Geneva Motor Show 2018: the 12 best cars on display

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The Geneva Motor Show is officially underway. Over the last few days, the world’s biggest car makers have been busy unveiling their new models for the year ahead.

The show is the first major event of the year in the motoring industry and companies are out in force with new cars and concepts designed to span the entire market. Aston Martin has just revealed its track-only Valkyrie AMR Pro, while Jaguar has lifted the lid on its first electric SUV.

A host of new cars are expected to launch over the coming week, so be sure to check here for the latest news.

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Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro

Aston Martin has just taken the wraps off its extreme Valkyrie AMR Pro hypercar, which it says is as fast as a Formula 1 car or Le Mans Prototype.

The naturally aspirated V12-engined hypercar is based on the yet-to-be-released Valkyrie, but the British car maker has added a host of new winglets that helps generate 1,000kg of downforce.

Only 25 examples of the Valkyrie AMR Pro will be built when production starts in 2020, but the firm says they’ve already sold out.

BMW M8 Gran Coupe Concept

BMW has launched a sportier version of its 8 Series Concept, giving fans a hint of what the forthcoming grand tourer may look like when it launches in 2020.

Called the M8 Grand Coupe, the new car sports a “sharklike” design with sculpted door panels and a “substantial spoiler” moulded into the boot, says Bloomberg. There’s no word yet on performance figures, but there is speculation that the vehicle may feature same twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 engine that appears in the BMW M5.

The M8 Gran Coupe is expected to enter production next year, the website says, with a release date of early 2020.

Bugatti Chiron Sport

The world of fast cars just got even faster as Bugatti launches a track-focused Sport version of the 261mph Chiron.

The French supercar-maker has stripped 18kg from the Chiron’s weight, by using lightweight wheels and thinner glass, reports Top Gear. The new racer even has carbon fibre windscreen wipers that are 1.4kg lighter than the standard version.

The Chiron Sport also features a quad-exhaust system and a modified steering set-up to improve handling on the track, the website says.

Prices start at around £2.36m before tax, about £260,000 more expensive than the base Chiron, says Autocar.

Jaguar I-Pace

Jaguar’s forthcoming I-Pace SUV – the company’s debut entry into the electric car market – has appeared in production form for the first time at the motor show.

A pair of electric motors – one on each axle – powers the EV and these are connected to a 90kWh lithium-ion battery, reports CarBuyer. The car can do around 298 miles on a single charge. A 0-62mph sprint is dealt with in 4.5secs.

Prices start at £58,995, says Auto Express. The price takes into account the £4,500 Government grant for electric car buyers.

Ferrari 488 Pista

The Italian carmaker only announced its new 488 Pista supercar at the end of February, but fans will get to see it in the metal in Geneva.

The Pista is a track-focused version of the standard 488 GTB and features the most powerful V8 engine Ferrari has ever made, says Auto Express. Power has been upped to 711bhp from the base car’s 661bhp output, allowing for a 0-62mph time of around 2.8secs.

Orders will open shortly after the motor show closes its doors, says Autocar. Prices start at £215,000.

Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder

Lamborghini has lifted the lid on the new drop-top version of the Huracan Performante supercar.

Based on the hardcore Huracan Performante coupe that snatched the production car lap record at the Nurburgring last March, the Spyder comes with the same 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine and aggressive styling as the hard-top version, reports Auto Express.

The new supercar is 125kg heavier than the coupe, as additional chassis strengthening is needed to “compensate for the lack of a fixed roof”, the magazine says. But that doesn’t have a significant impact on performance, with the Spyder doing 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds - just 0.2 seconds slower than its sibling.

The new car costs £238,000 and will launch towards the end of the year.

McLaren Senna GTR Concept

The covers came off the McLaren Senna last October, but this hasn’t stopped the British supercar maker from launching a hardcore GTR version in Geneva.

The Senna GTR Concept boasts a radical carbon fibre front splitter and a large rear diffuser inspired by GTE racers that compete in the World Endurance Championship. McLaren says the new GTR will have “at least 814bhp” and will be able to lap a circuit faster than all the company’s current models except its F1 cars.

Auto Express says the Senna GTR is limited to just 75 units and comes with a £1m price tag. It’s due to enter production next year.

Mercedes-AMG GT four-door Coupe

Following months of speculation and spy shots, Mercedes has finally taken the wraps off its four-door AMG GT Coupe.

The vehicle takes much of its design from the AMG GT sports car, says Motor1, and is powered by a 630bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine in range-topping 63 S form. Below that sits the 577bhp 63 variant, and the 53 trim with 429bhp. All the models come with a four-wheel drive system and rear-wheel steering.

According to Autocar, the new coupe is “likely” to cost around £85,000.

Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo

Porsche debuted a new concept version of its forthcoming Mission E electric car in Geneva.

The Cross Turismo is a sleek SUV that boasts “a number of rugged style elements” including “protected wheel arches” and LED lamps that are tucked away in the bonnet, The Verge reports. The new car is powered by two electric motors on either axle and has a range of around 250 miles on a single charge.

There’s no word on a release date, but it is unlikely to be anytime soon - the website says the regular Mission E isn’t expected to arrive until the end of 2019.

Range Rover SV Coupe

Land Rover is looking to dislodge Bentley and Rolls-Royce from the top spot in the luxury SUV market with its new, limited-edition Range Rover SV Coupe, revealed at the motor show.

The two-door SUV is hand-built by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team and is powered by a 557bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine. It also features a two-tone interior, with the front seats sporting a lighter colour than the rear bench.

Only 999 examples of the SV Coupe will be made, with prices starting at £240,000. It is set to reach production at the end of the year.

Rimac C_Two

Fans of Amazon Prime motoring show The Grand Tour may be familiar with the name Rimac. The Croatian electric car company made headlines last year when presenter Richard Hammond was hospitalised after crashing the firm’s Concept One supercar while filming for the show.

The incident was widely publicised, but that hasn’t stopped the company from building an all-new electric concept car.

The Rimac C_Two is both faster and more efficient than its predecessor, says The Verge. The new car can do 0-60mph in just 1.8 seconds, thanks to its 1,888bhp electric motors, and has a 400-mile range on a single charge.

Only 150 examples of the C_Two will be produced, with prices yet to be revealed, the website says.

Toyota Supra GR Concept

Toyota was expected to launch its highly anticipated Supra sports car in Geneva after images of the car were reportedly leaked in a Japanese car magazine last month.

Instead the company has unveiled a racing variant of the sports car, giving fans a preview of what the road version might look like.

The new car will be based on the upcoming BMW Z4, says Car magazine, and will be powered by a straight-six engine similar to the last Supra from the late 1990s. The car is expected to produce around 330bhp, which is “fed through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.”

Pricing has yet to be announced, but the magazine says the car is on course to be released in Europe “in late 2019.”