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

25. Gumpert Apollo Speed
Elusive like Artega is elusive, Gumpert was collaborating with MTM on the Apollo at the start and then that all collapsed and Gumpert went on alone. Overall, the little effort is amounting to modest significance in Germany and beyond. The specs sound awesome, though, so we hope they survive. They adapt the 4.2-liter Audi V8 with twin turbos here in the Speed and tune can be dialed to three levels: 641 hp and 627 lb-ft, 690 hp and 645 lb-ft, or a yikes 789 hp and 664 lb-ft. That's zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds at top tune with a 225-mph v-max, brother.

26. I.DE.A. Institute ERA concept
There's no motor in this matter for the moment. That's ok because we can envision this as a BMW Z6 already, it's that attractive. This midsized two-seater remains a design exercise by the advanced students at the school in Turin. Doors are gull-wing style, the frame is classic tubular lightweight, and the trunk is a two-tier experiment, so we're talking ragtop if not barchetta.

27. Koenigsegg Quant
Just as Pagani is finally hinting at the Gen 2 Zonda with the currently named C9, so Koenigsegg is finally able to tease us with the Quant architecture that foreshadows their take on an ultra-exclusive four-door. It's a challenge to say the least, but think of the future most-aggressive Porsche Panamera possible or Lamborghini Estoque SV. Then drop about 400 pounds and add around 150 hp. And about $200,000. The new model will have Koenigsegg's first dual-clutch paddle-auto, an electronic differential, and a revolutionary (they say so) onboard diagnostics system. And hopefully a better exterior.

28. Lamborghini Murcilago LP670-4 SV
One for the worst-kept hush-hush things ever in the world, here's the no-duh Murcilago SuperVeloce with 661 SAE horsepower from the honkin' 6.5-liter 60-degree V12. Choices of two massive wings in back, the larger of which, the Aeropack Wing as often seen around the Nrburgring, will lower the promised 213-mph top speed to just 209 mph. Nonetheless, in a Superleggera way this SuperVeloce lowers weight by 220 pounds through lighter materials here and there, so acceleration with the latest E-gear auto is 3.1 seconds to 60 mph. Coming July to us and costing for starters $455,000. Just 350 total will be built.

29. Maserati Gran Turismo S Automatic
The Gran Turismo is one of the sexiest designs ever created, but the six-speed paddle semi-auto is still the same old Graziano transaxle box with Magneti Marelli software. It's at its remarkable fairy-dust best in the S with MC Shift sport program and enlarged carbon-fiber paddles, but dual-clutch is needed from the Ferrari California sooner or later. In the meantime, Maser helps slobs around the world who could care less about snappy shifts with a ZF automatic six mated for the first time up front to the 433-hp 4.7-liter V-8. No telling when it comes Stateside.

30. Maybach Zeppelin
In another chapter regarding answers to questions never asked, we have this Zeppelin number from the smarmy folks at Maybach who always insist that "everything's fine" despite sales near two hundred annually. They had to get all heritage-y and do a Zeppelin at some point, but what a bummer that it's really not worthy of such a theoretically important trump card moment. One hundred get built, either as 57s or 62s, and there's an upgraded 57S biturbo V12 in there for 640 hp. Special Zeppelin badges show in front and on trunk. About $525k or so for the 57 Zep and $610k for the 62 Zep. Oh, and do opt for the $5,000 perfume atomizer. Barf.

31. Mercedes-Benz E-Class saloon and coupe
Many confirm that the CLK is dying and merging into the new E-Class coupe. That's sort of too bad, but we understand the need for clutter control and limited nichery. E-Class is king now and it gets the most ungodly massive options list ever contrived to confound. After all, it needs to satisfy taxi drivers in Vienna and posh sluggos in Beverly Hills and Beijing. So, it'll be E-Class sedan, coupe, and convertible. They all ride on the new-gen W212 architecture. The new E-Class arrives in September 2009 in the U.S.

32. Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works convertible
Thank goodness we can yelp out "Mini JCW convertible" on this one, and that they didn't force North Americans to call it a cabriolet, which means something only to femmes. Of course this Mini is going to be great fun - just like the hardtop and Clubman JCWs. It is, after all, "the world's fastest small premium cabriolet". 211 horsepower, `course, and those 17-inch rims, plus smoother breathing exhaust and intakes. Deliveries start this summer in the colonies. Arrives end of April Stateside starting at $33,800.

33. Opel Ampera
It's a Chevy Volt and stands just as much chance of coming out on time (late 2010) as crumbling GM's American sister car. If fuel prices remain depressed, too, they stand almost no chance of even selling in the first place but to ultra-concerned Hollywood earthies and Apocalypse-fearing desert rats. No deserts or Hollywood in Germany, so we wonder about Ampera. Plug-in electric wimpy-range lithium with wimpy range-extending Ecotec motor.

34. Pagani Zonda R and Cinque
Nuts. Totally. Take a Ferrari FXX and give it one more nipple ring. Zonda R is Pagani Automobili's next-to-last version of the neverending Zonda family that started it all back at the dawn of this century. AMG supplies a newly engineered version of the 1999 dry-sump 6.0-liter V12 engine from the "flying" CLK GTR Le Mans cars. The carbon-titanium chassis is a first, among many others onboard. Can be calibrated to between 600 and 750 max horsepower depending on the client's wishes for track weekends. Cost: $1.7 million and just 15 being made. Next to the R is the very last series of Zonda, the Cinque, which uses the usual AMG 7.3-liter V12 with several R-inspired aesthetic touches.

35. Porsche 997 911 GT3
Previously Porsche has never tooted its horn much at Geneva even though there's always something worthy and new there. This year they tooted and we heard. The 997 GT3's new 3.8-liter flat-six has 20 horses beyond the 996, new multi-mode magnetic engine mount bushings that react to road surface feedback, all-LED lighting, adjustable dampers with stiffer springs, aluminum hub knuckles, and a first-ever form of stability control for a GT3 (which can be deactivated). Announced price is $112,200 and they arrive in September for Americans.

36. Protoscar Lampo
One more Swiss group making waves besides Rinspeed, Sportec, or Sbarro is little Protoscar with its twin-electric engined Lampo plug-in electric car meant as a direct European response to Tesla. Total amp-power, let us say, is 268. Range of the lithium-ion packs is said to be 125 miles max. Until electric driving can go 400 miles on a charge and be in something besides a two-seat roadster 500 people can buy, forget it.