2009 International Geneva Motor Show - Salon International de l'Auto

01. Abarth 500 SS
This is the nastiest street version of the Fiat 500--SuperSport or "esseesse" as writ on the engine cover--and it's a blast. Here the 1.4-liter Turbo T-Jet engine hits 157 hp and 170 ft-lb of torque in Sport mode. Zero to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds in this tight package feels like 5.0 flat. If either or both Chrysler and Fiat survive the long money meltdown, we could get this in the U.S. The upgrade kit presents itself in an attractive wooden crate with a stenciled scorpion and roughly 5,000 cars get tricked out thus per annum.

02. Abarth 500 Assetto Corse
Abarth just recently started delivering this lowered, stiffened, and lightened car to private racers and it's a doozie. The same 1,368cc inline four in the "esseesse" with Garrett GT 1446 turbocharger here blows forth 188 horses at 6500 revs and 221 lb-ft of crank as prepped by the Abarth Racing department in Turin in a limited run of 49 cars. Total weight is 2,072 pounds, which means that we want one now. Driver's seat is even moved right toward the center of the car making us immediately hard.

03. Abt-Sportsline AS5-R
Some of Abt's bread and butter work lately has been fairly derivative and they even bought their R8 package almost whole from the MTM supercharged package. This AS5-R gets back to serious business with the Abt Power R Opcon-Lysholm supercharger upgrade raging the long-lived Audi 4.2-liter V8 up to 503 hp. There's coilovers, aero slickness, large steel stopping Frisbees, and an exhaust system to upset the village elders. We try soon, yes.

04. Abt-Sportsline Scirocco
The new Scirocco is pure hotness to the eye and the drive is five out of five stars, too. For now, Abt is taking the 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder only to 237 hp from the base car's 197. The additional exhaust and suspension and wheel and brake and awesome 251 lb-ft of torque flat between 2400 and 4800 rpm ensure at least a 6.5-second launch to 60 mph with the six-speed DSG. Please, Volkswagen, please scatter Sciroccos all over North America.

05 & 06. Alfa Romeo 159 and Brera 1750 TBi
Alfa announces most of their annual news at Geneva and this year's big excitement for the existing lineup is the 1,742cc 197-hp/236 lb-ft TBi (for "Turbo Benzina iniezione diretta") inline four gas engine. Though the sexy 159 and Brera designs remain about 400 pounds too heavy and have uninspired suspension solutions, the "1750" designation is a heritage inspiration and the direct-injected turbo powerplant is efficient as hell and accelerates a driver to 60 mph in around 7.5 seconds. A brilliant building block for better future chassis.

07. Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA concept
We have a few doubts about using the GTA brand--"Gran Turismo alleggerito" or lightweight GT--on the MiTo's "little pig" design, but this fully flared show car looks good. The aero bits are carbon fiber, wheels 19-inch, interior pumped up accordingly, brake assemblies use a lot of aluminum, the car is lowered 0.8 of an inch, and active suspension bits rigidified. The new 1750 TBi inline four is used here tuned to 237 hp. Notice air deflector in the hood on the driver's side, pure heritage echoes from the Giulia TZ.

08. Alpina B6 GT3Seeing Alpina back into racing mode after twenty or so years is good. The B6S-based B6 GT3 is a direct plug by Alpina to get BMW assistance for a full WTCC or Le Mans effort starting in 2010, accompanying AC Schnitzer's effort, plus then a third squad TBD. This is because BMW wants out of direct GT race involvement. The B6 GT3 uses the Alpina 4.4-liter V8, supercharger-pumped to 523 hp and 535 lb-ft on a stripper weighing 2,976 pounds. The gi-normous rear wing is fly.

09. Alpina FO1 B7
It makes sense that BMW lets Alpina get first dibs on the FO1 7 Series upgrade. Look at this thing, the pure and true owner of the autobahn for any hearty executive. We've loved the previous B7 and we only hope that BMW will continue allowing this new one to come over with its fresh 4.4-liter supercharged V8, 507 hp and 516 lb-ft.

10. Aston Martin V12 Vantage
In lieu of showing us a production version of the One-77 prototype from last September's Paris show, Aston has decided to go ahead with the only slightly easier business case of the V12 Vantage. Now that the V12 Vantage suitably kicks the DBS's ass with the same 6.0-liter V12 engine, why buy a DBS? Strange business logic here, but the car itself cannot be scoffed at. The 507 hp in this V8 Vantage package speaks to us. One thousand get built in total and they come available in September of this year, just not for North America.

11. Aston Martin DBS Volante
Launched alongside the V12 Vantage was the roofless DBS. We love the big 510-hp DBS hardtop in all its glory, the ragtop less so. But the softy will of course account for the majority of sales once it launches in the latter part of 2009. As with the coupe, the Volante gets a manual standard or the paddled automatic option. The thankfully cloth roof opens and closes in a reported fourteen seconds. All the weight that the fancy DBS carbon fiber peeled off the DB9 is here added back on to preserve rigidity. Pity.

12. Audi A4 Allroad QuattroIt looks almost as big as the current European A6 Allroad, doesn't it? That's how much the A4 has grown up in this new generation. Offered as a 208-hp 2.0 TFSI four, 168-hp 2.0 TDI and 236-hp 3.0 TDI six, the only ones to get are the TDIs with a six-speed manual and therefore it is doubtful whether the U.S. stands any chance ever of being blessed with this beauty. The seven-speed S tronic gearbox, however, is also available and could give the 3.0 TDI a shot in North America. Early summer delivery in Germany at around $45,000 base price for the 2.0 TFSI or TDI manual.