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

37. Renaultsport Mgane Coupe RS
We saw the absolutely lustful Mgane Trophy car at last year's Paris show and now we have a street-able version toned down a bit by the Renaultsport division. Using the direct-injected 2.0-liter four engine mods from the loved Mgane R26, there's now 250 hp and a 60-mph dash of 5.7 seconds. There's an optional LSD, special front suspension tweaks to minimize torque steer, big Brembos, and myriad exterior enhancements.

38. Rinspeed iChange concept
Oh, Frank M. Rinderknecht, you scoundrel, you. Another pure museum car is born in the iChange, which can change from aero master for one center passenger into a raised-roof three-passenger cabin. It is naturally lithium-ion electric and goes like a shot to 60 mph in under four seconds. The six-speed manual Subaru WRX tranny is an odd thing since electrics generally don't at all benefit from such things. The sat-nav brains of the operation can calculate the route that will use the least battery energy for maximum range.

39. Rinspeed E2
Take an Abarth 500 and give it two operating modes, one Commuting and the other Highway. In the former you are limited to just 60 of the 160 total horses but get up to 59 mpg, in the latter it's all 160 power forward and back to the usual 34 mpg. All from a little button on the dash. Thanks, Frank, a nice idea.

40. Rolls-Royce 200EX
It's the Baby Rolls at last! Think something along the lines of Seraph for the final name. We sat in this and touched it all over about three months back outside of Munich. This is the one owners drive themselves full time, so a very different attitude from the Phantom. Note red RR badge on new inlayed grille. Rolls guys tell us that there will be some seriously hotter versions happening down the line beyond this initial 500-hp twin-turbo 6.0-liter. Wheels are 20-inch and underneath is the latest 7 Series platform with modifications to suit. This'll take Goodwood production up to 4,000 per year (in a good year in the far future, let's say).

41. Saab 9-3X
Well, you're bankrupt, your own country doesn't want to get involved, and not even your still current owner-loser wants to buy you a drink. Let's go off-road and shoot at beer cans! The 9-3 SportCombi wagon is really nice design work and lovable to own actually, and this Xer is just taller and uses Saab's new Cross-wheel Drive (XWD) system to give it legit light off-roading capabilities to rival a Volvo XC70 or Subaru Outback. Should come over to North America with the 2.0T engine mid-year if customs lets it in.

42. Sportec SPR1 M
This is the modified version of the scorching SPR1 802-hp car we drove a couple of years ago in Spain. Now we are up to 858 hp at 8050 rpm and the same 649 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm. Same biturbo 3.6-liter with modified Sportec/KKK-BorgWarner air forcers. Wisely, this upgraded lightweight bomber from Switzerland has the Clubsport package screwed on and can protect occupants from themselves. About $600,000 can secure you one so long as you keep it in Europe.

43. Spyker C8 Aileron
Sheesh, certainly beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Spyker has not done the Dutch design tradition any favors with any of its creations apart from the raw-bodied C8 Double 12 S shown a while back. The C8 Aileron maintains that touch of tackiness tradition that we guess sets it apart. The rear-mid engine is the usual adapted Audi 4.2-liter V8 worth 400 hp and 354 lb-ft as prepped by Maher. Should be deliverable whenever Spyker gets around to building them in their Middle Eastern-funded expanded workshop.

44. Volkswagen Polo
This hot little new Polo picks up in early 2011 in the U.S. where the original Golf/Rabbit started way back when. That this 2010 Polo is making it to North America is a stunning shift in philosophy. Smaller-smarter will always win out eventually over fatter-idiot no matter the market. VW shows the Polo GTI prototype here as well among the more pedestrian Polos. ESP is standard on all trim levels and it is the crash-safetiest compact in the world. Adorable Mexican-built terror and cannot wait to thrash around in them mid-2009 on the old continent.

45. Wiesmann GT MF4 Roadster
Down in sunny Malaga, Spain, recently we were lucky to see this very color GT MF4-S in the hands of its key importer there. The BMW M3 S65B40 V8 engine works naturally really well here and the exhaust treatment is gorgeous. Build quality on all Wiesmanns is top-notch as well. Deliveries start soon and only 20 get built. Always love the Wiesmann rear visibility, too.

46. Zagato Perana Z-One
South Africans are different folks. Just when the world seems sour over anything remotely like this car, Perana Performance Group has tied up with Zagato in Milan, Italy, to put together this Z-One. Tubular steel chassis and fiberglass body are original work while the powertrain is the 440-hp V8 straight from the LS3 Corvette C6. For about $65k equivalent Perana wants to shift 999 of these per year to "discerning European clients." They won't, but we applaud their springbok resolve.