Geneva 2018: Everything you need to know

UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock these past few days, you’re sure to have noticed the sudden surge in motoring announcements and unveilings that all stem from one source, the 2018 Geneva Motor Show.

First held in 1905, the Geneva International Motor Show is one of the world's major motoring expos and offers manufacturers and aftermarket outfits the opportunity to showcase new models, concepts and upcoming products.

Here’s a quick run through of what we’ve seen come out of Switzerland so far this week, in no particular order.

Toyota Supra returns

After years of teasing via concept photos, hearsay, and a prototype unveiled in Detroit in 2014 and called the FT-1 Concept. the Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept has arrived. Toyota and BMW are working together on a joint Supra/Z5 road model, and this is our first official glimpse at where one manufacturer is taking the partnership.

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Ford Mustang Bullitt

A tribute to the 1968 Mustang from the Steve McQueen flick, Bullitt, this special edition adds more power, custom trimmings, two colour choices (Bullitt-inspired green, or black) and a single transmission (manual). And for the first time since the car's Detroit reveal, even Aussies can be Steve McQueen, with a limited number earmarked for Down Under.

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Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Black Series

Word from AMG’s chief executive Tobias Moers is that the latest addition to its run of “Black Edition” two-door performance models will arrive in 2020.

BMW M8 Gran Coupe Concept

The upcoming BMW 8-Series line-up will swell with the M8 Gran Coupe, a super-fast, super-luxurious fastback coupe to rival the Porsche Panamera and the just-revealed AMG GT Four-Door Coupe. The M8 is only a concept at this stage, but prototypes spied undergoing testing demonstrate BMW’s commitment to both this model and the new generation 8-Series.

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Mercedes-AMG Four-door GT

The Mercedes-AMG Four-door GT fills the void left by the now ditched the CLS 63, and brings with it the luxury of an E-Class sedan. A range of engines are offered including a monster 470kW/900Nm twin-turbo V8 that promises to ferry the kids to school faster than Elon Musk’s latest rocket.

The McLaren Senna and Senna GTR

The Geneva Motor Show heralded the announcement of two new editions to the McLaren hypercar line-up. The McLaren Senna, announced back in December 2017 and its racing variant the Senna GTR, announced this week. The models are named for the late Brazilian Formula 1 legend and boast the most powerful engines ever made by McLaren. Both are on display at the motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron Sport

The Sport version of the 1103kW/1600Nm quad-turbo 8.0-litre W16-engined Chiron is 18kg lighter than the one that doesn't wear the fancy badge. It's no more powerful or faster to 100km/h than the standard Chiron, but it gains much in terms of roadholding, making it much faster around a track.

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Lamborghini Huracan Performante Spyder

Shedding an extra 35kg compared with its slightly slower showroom cousin makes the Performante Spyder the fast open-aired Huracan we’ve always wanted.

Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo

The high-riding Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo concept is what Porsche says is a "Cross Utility Vehicle". To us, it looks a it like an electric Panamera with raised suspension and all-terrain tyres.

Next-gen Toyota Corolla

Revealed at Geneva, the latest generation of the Toyota Corolla swaps over to the Toyota New Generation Architecture. We've already liked what TNGA is capable of in terms of dynamics, which suggests Australia's best-selling passenger car will gain more performance and refinement when it arrives.

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A hybrid Bentley Bentayga

Bentley has unveiled its first-ever hybrid vehicle. Based on the gentlemanly looking Bentayga SUV, it uses plug-in battery pack, and an electric motor paired with a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 - a tiny displacement by Bentley standards - to help it produce fewer emissions than a Toyota Prius. Bentleys normally come with power chords (owners drive them so little that their batteries often go flat, so a 12-volt trickle charger is vital) but this is the first one you have to plug in to get those low emissions.

Honda Urban EV

The unassuming star of last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show was an all-electric city car from Honda; the Urban EV Concept. Honda rocked up to this year's Geneva show and confirmed the car will go into production in 2019. Prospective customers now have the opportunity to join what's bound to be a long waiting list.

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The Ren RS

A follow-up to last year's road-going Ren electric supercar, the Ren RS is powered by two diesel turbine range-extending generators and six electric motors. The track-only new model aims to stir the loins via wild performance figures and the unique driveline.

Audi E-tron

While most car makers performed their revels inside the walls of the Geneva Motor Show, Audi did a little but of ambush marketing outside the show. It unveiled its electric E-tron SUV by dressing up the prototypes with catchy camo and nonchalantly parading them through the city.

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Aston Martin Lagonda Vision Concept

The Aston Martin Lagonda represents the first step towards Aston Martin’s proposed range of state-of-the-art, emission-free vehicles. Intended as an entirely autonomous vehicle, the Lagonda showcases a new genre of design language that reflects the growing interest in self-driving vehicles that wear Aston badges.

Volkswagen ID Vizzion 2030 concept

Another in the ID concept series, the Vizzion sedan is the flagship of Volkswagen’s future all-electric, autonomous hatchback, van and SUV offerings. Aimed at the year 2030, it's a future that's still a long way away.

Hyundai 'Le Fil Rouge' HDC-1

Hyundai billed this as a redesign of the 1974 Pony Coupe Concept, and we can sort of see it. However, the Le Fil Rouge HDC-1 has futuristic looks and an attractive coupe layout, incorporating Hyundai’s boundary-pushing design language that will flow into future production cars.

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Subaru Viziv Tourer Concept

Subaru’s latest concept hints at what we think will one day become a natural evolution of the Levorg wagon. It is the latest in a series of Viziv concepts that all hint at the brand's future design direction.

Land Rover SV Coupe

Range Rover called on its Special Vehicle Operations unit to help it unveil a limited edition, two-door coupe that will become the fastest luxury off-roader ever made by the brand. Mash the accelerator pedal to the floor at a wide, dry salt lake somewhere in central Australia, and it will eventually wind out to a top speed of 266km/h.