geneva

What we could only glimpse as an overexposed silhouette yesterday begins to take solid form today. Toyota has just released two new teaser photos and a video heralding the arrival of its latest hybrid concept, the FT-Bh.

Along with the media, we also got a smattering of details about this concept. For starters, the Future Toyota B-segment Hybrid (FT-Bh) is expected to weigh less than 800 kg (or about 1,764 pounds), making it lighter than Toyota's tiny Aygo--lighter even than the first-generation Mazda Miata by about 300-400 pounds! Toyota also claims that this B-segment five-door will be … Read more

Ferrari just rolled out a short teaser video announcing the dawning of "a new era of extreme V-12 cars." Speculation around the 'Net indicates that the Italian automaker will be pulling the wraps off of the successor to its 599 grand tourer: the F620 GT.

Expect the new vehicle to carry its V-12 engine--possibly sourced from or based on the V-12 that powers the Ferrari FF shooting brake--up front and under an elongated hood. Like the 599 it aims to replace, the new model will probably also send its power exclusively to the rear-axle. And if this … Read more

Toyota appears to be doubling down on its hybrid bet. In addition to the world premiere of the Toyota Yaris hybrid, the auto manufacturer will show off a new affordable hybrid city car at the 2012 International Motor Show in Geneva next month. The company released a sketch of the concept before the reveal.

You may think that the pint-sized Yaris Hybrid and the Prius C should already count as city cars, but it appears that Toyota has something even smaller and lighter up its sleeve. Not much has been shared about the car in advance of the world premiere, … Read more

On the second stop of its world tour, the Toyota FCV-R fuel cell concept vehicle will make its European premiere at the Geneva auto show next month.

The hydrogen-powered concept debuted at the Tokyo Motor show late last year. Few details about the FCV-R were shared, but the compact car seats four and has a cruising range of about 434 miles on a full tank.

Toyota is currently holding field trials of the Highlander Fuel Cell Hydrogen Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV) in the U.S. Although it's not clear what will become of the hydrogen-powered SUV, the FCV-R concept is … Read more

According to its specs, the new BMW M6 will hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, yet get an average of 24 mpg.

That fuel economy number comes from the European Combined Test Cycle, and will probably be somewhat less under the U.S. EPA test. But those numbers illustrate what technology can do for a sport car, especially considering the M6 weighs in at over 4,000 pounds.

The secret to the M6's success is a 4.4-liter V-8 with two twin scroll turbochargers. BMW designed an exhaust manifold that ducts the exhaust gases from two cylinders on … Read more

At the 2012 International Motor Show in Geneva, Nissan will show off a small car concept with striking new design language.

For the last couple of years it seemed like Nissan's design department was playing exquisite corpse with its vehicles, one designer taking over where another left off, not looking at the previous section of the car. Both the Juke and the Quest seem a mishmash of styles, while earlier design cues, such as the boomerang headlight casings from the 370Z and GT-R, haven't made it past the sports cars.

Then there's the coherent but conservative design of the Versa, leading to a nondescript little car that will have people wandering around parking lots for hours trying to find it.

But the photos just released for the Invitation concept show a car with a solid and attractive design. The wide grille stretches across the front of the car, fitting into cutouts in the headlight casings. The lower air intake and parking lights mirror the upper half of the front.

The side shows a powerful contour line that runs down the back, then forward, hooking back again in the front doors. Nissan calls it the Squash Line. To paraphrase The Dude, it really ties the car together.

Nissan has not released many details of the concept, which will be the basis for a new European B segment car alongside the Juke.… Read more

The L means large, said the press release in reference to the Fiat 500L the company will show at the International Motor Show in Geneva.

Taking a page from the Mini playbook, Fiat is beginning to design variants of its very popular 500 model. The Cabrio version of the 500 came out at launch, and Fiat is launching the Abarth version in the U.S. soon, but both of those variants are based on the standard 500 body style.

Although no limousine, the 13.5-foot 500L is 2 feet longer than the standard 500. The increase in length allows for rear doors, making for easier access to the rear seats. Cargo area will be greater as well, especially since the rear seats can be folded down. … Read more

Led by products like the Jawbone Jambox and Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker, compact Bluetooth speakers are hot little items these days, and Geneva Lab has placed itself in the middle of the fray with its Sound System Model XS, which retails for $250 and comes in black, red, or white.

In case you've never heard of Geneva Lab, as its name implies, it's based in Switzerland, and has been making high-end iPod and iPhone audio systems since 2006. Most of its speakers--such as the Model L we reviewed back in 2007--are actually quite beefy, so it surprised me to see the company go extra-small with an XS model. However, I'm glad it did because, despite the somewhat inflated price tag, it's a very solid product. … Read more

When the X6 launched, it was an odd-enough shape and so lacking in utility that even BMW did not count on it being a big seller.

But ahead of the 2013 model update, BMW points to the more than 20,000 of the cars sold in the U.S. as a measure of its success. Essentially an X5 with reduced utility, the first-generation X6 played up to a bad-boy image.

Now BMW has released some photos ahead of the launch of the 2013 X6, and the styling changes make it look more conservative, with a front end similar to that of the 5 Series. Does this mean the X6 will start getting beaten up in the parking lot by Porsche Cayennes?… Read more