The weird and wonderful concept cars of the Geneva auto show (pictures)

At the 2014 Geneva auto show, automakers' design teams strut their stuff, bringing out concept cars that may herald a new production model, or just serve to get the public's attention.

Josh Miller, Antuan Goodwin, Wayne Cunningham

March 7, 2014 6:09 p.m. PT

1 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Maserati Alfieri

Maserati's Alfieri concept celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Italian automaker, and also shows the design direction for the company's next 100 years.

Find out more about the stunning Maserati Alfieri.

2 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Maserati Alfieri

Maserati designed the Alfieri as a grand tourer, with 2+2 seating and a small hatch for cargo.

3 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Mini Clubman Concept

Mini updated its platform last year, launching a new version of the standard Mini Cooper. The Clubman concept shows what the new Clubman model will look like on the new platform.

4 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Mini Clubman Concept

Unlike the current Clubman, which has asymmetrical doors, this one evens things up with two doors on either side. Counting the rear hospital doors, the Clubman concept boasts six doors in all.

5 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Mitsubishi Concept AR

The AR, which standard for Active Runabout, is one of three Mitsubishi concepts at the Geneva auto show. With it, Mitsubishi shows what a blend of an SUV and a people-mover would look like. This concept uses a mild hybrid drivetrain for fuel efficiency.

6 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Mitsubishi Concept GC

The Concept GC, or Grand Cruiser, is Mitsubishi's idea for a next generation version of its Outlander SUV. This concept employs a plug-in hybrid drivetrain to maximize fuel economy, and benefits from Mitsubishi's Super All Wheel Control all-wheel-drive system.

7 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Mitsubishi Concept XR

Mitsubishi's take on a future crossover vehicle makes use of a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

8 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Skoda VisionC

Skoda, part of the Volkswagen Group, brought out this coupe concept to show how a near-future production model would look.

9 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Hyundai Intrado

Hyundai's concept uses a hydrogen fuel cell, generating electricity to drive a motor. According to Hyundai, intrado is a term for the underside of an aircraft wing, something reflected in the concept's design.

10 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Subaru Viziv 2

The Viziv 2 explores ideas for a new full-size SUV. The first Viziv showed a year ago, at the 2013 Geneva auto show, suggesting that Subaru is taking its time developing this model.

11 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Volkswagon T-Roc

With the T-Roc, Volkswagen is looking at expanding its crossover range with a new vehicle that would slot in below the Tiguan.

12 of 22

Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Volvo Concept Estate

Volvo's Concept Estate strongly echoes the design of its 1800 ES from the 1970s. Looking forward to future Volvo station wagon models, the two-door configuration of this concept would not be practical for a production car of this size.

13 of 22

Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Honda Civic Type R

The Civic Type R concept previews a production model Honda will make available in the European market next year. Alas, for US Honda aficionados, this Type R is based on the European Civic, a different model than the Civic sold in the states.

14 of 22

Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Honda Civic Type R

An extreme, two-tier wing sits on the back of this concept Type R.

15 of 22

Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Mazda Hazumi concept

Mazda gave us a thinly-veiled, conceptual peek at what we expect will eventually become the 2015 Mazda2 subcompact.

16 of 22

Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Mazda Hazumi concept

The Hazumi concept features the automaker's Kodo design language and a healthy helping of connected dashboard tech. Under the hood, Mazda downsizes its Skyactiv-D diesel engine to a thrifty 1.5-liters.

17 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Toyota FV-2

The FV-2 concept was first shown last year. It is an exploration of a personal mobility vehicle that can shift its stance between the large wheels to aid in cornering.

18 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Rinspeed XchangE

Swiss custom car builder Rinspeed based its latest concept, a car designed for autonomous driving, on the Tesla Model S.

19 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Rinspeed XchangE

Emphasizing how people might enjoy being driven in a future autonomous car, Rinspeed designed the cabin as a lounge, with front seats that can turn to face the rear.

20 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Quant e-Sportlimousine

NanoFlowcell AG, maker of the Quant e-Sportlimousine, insists that this car is more prototype than concept. The company is using the vehicle to demonstrate its new battery technology, based on a flow battery. This technology, according to NanoFlowcell, would cost 75 percent less than current electric vehicle batteries, while giving a vehicle like the e-Sportlimousine a range of 240 miles.

21 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Audi TT Quattro Concept

Along with the updated version of its TT production model, Audi unveiled a TT Quattro concept at the Geneva auto show. This concept is what a TT might look like if designed for the race track. Although only using a 2-liter turbocharged engine, Audi got the output up to 420 horsepower.

22 of 22

Josh Miller/CNET

Audi TT Quattro Concept

Audi even reprogrammed the Virtual Cockpit of the production TT to show this racing style interface, with a tachometer up front and a track graphic on the right.