The Geneva auto show is unique for featuring displays by design houses and custom coach builders. Although the cars they show aren't likely to be adopted by any particular automaker, they serve as a fashion show for the auto world.
Russo Baltique is a Russian carmaker that's been out of business for decades, but it's announcing its return with the Impression coupe. This car incorporates unique Art Deco styling, with room for four passengers inside.
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The Impression is powered by a twin-turbo V12 making 555 horsepower, mated to a six-speed automatic. This combination pushes the Impression to 62 mph in only four seconds. A pneumatic suspension adjusts handling characteristics and ride comfort.
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Design house Giugiaro takes a cue from 1960s race cars for its VAD.HO concept. The car is designed to be hydrogen-powered, although the company doesn't specify whether it would use combustion or fuel cells.
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The VAD.HO seats its occupants fore and aft on the left side of the car. Instead of a steering wheel, the driver gets two joysticks to control the direction of the car.
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To celebrate 95 years in the car design business, Bertone shows off this little roadster. The concept is based on the style of the 1947 Fiat 500, a company Bertone has worked with for years.
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The doors swing up on a unique hinge system integrated with the rear fenders. The concept is built on the Fiat Panda platform, a popular European car noted for its fun handling characteristics.
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This concept, based on a Citroen small truck model, is on display without much explanation. Camping gear stowed in the bed and its dual rear axles suggest that it's designed for crosscountry trekking.
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Design house A.C.A. Sbarro showed off a number of concepts to highlight the career of designer Franco Sbarro. The Espera is powered by a 5-liter turbocharged V8.
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Designer EDAG's Luxury Utility Vehicle, or LUV, is built on a Honda Ridgeline platform. It has wood accents and a hood intended to evoke yachting. It has a powerful Brabus-sourced 6.1 liter V8 under the hood and small PCs running off Intel chips set into the headrests.
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Rinspeed shows off its use of plastics with the eXasis' transparent body. The car's open wheel design gives it a dune buggy look. Driver and passenger sit fore and aft.
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Custom coach builder Stola comes up with this long coupe, which will be limited to a production run of 25 cars. A 6.3-liter Brabus twin turbo V12 gives 750 horsepower of push to this coupe. Stola claims the car will go over 200 mph.
