All the biggest cars from the 2017 Geneva Motor Show

It’s said that a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. But what happens when you take the Yellowbird name, renowned for being the ultimate expression of the classic Porsche 911, and build another one, which isn’t based on a 911 at all?

Well, in the case of the new RUF Yellowbird, a whole heap of magic. No, really. 

RUF pulled a similar trick to Singer for this one – classic looks hiding seriously modern components underneath. And the result is simply show-stopping levels of throwback desirability.

By now, you’ve seen cars employ electricity for economy, for low emissions and to boost performance to otherworldly figures. But what about using electricity to achieve peak luxury?

Enter Bentley, who wants to do just that – create an electric GT car, ushering in a new breed of electric touring. We’re in.

And all of a sudden, the best Porsche could very well be a GT3. With a 4.0-litre flat six that revs to 9000rpm, a six-speed manual gearbox and a top speed nudging 200mph, it’s perhaps the purest interpretation of the classic Carrera ethos – giant-killing speed and everyday useability. 

In case you can’t tell, we’re fans. And we’ve a fair few reasons why you should be, too.

And so far, it sounds pretty good – 200mph, 0-60 in 2.7 seconds and all the emissions of a small river stone. It’s from a tiny Singaporean battery company, it’s called a Dendrobium (after the flower of the same name) and it’s built with input from Williams F1. 

So, it’s a small company, with a product named after a flower, building cars using knowledge gleaned from top-tier motor racing. Now, where have we heard that story before?

Not to say that the result isn’t swoopy or aggressive – far from it – but the eagle-eyed among you will notice that the AMG GT Concept has four doors and looks quite a bit like it could be the next CLS. 

But it does have a hatch back, an exceptionally clean design, and an affiliation – however loose – with the lovely AMG GT. Interested?

And, as team-ups go, this is right up there with the holy trinity of coriander, lime and chilli. Or, y’know, something motoring related. 

Each Fittipaldi EF7 weighs just 1000kg, has a 592bhp, naturally aspirated V8 and is firmly for track days only – it’s entirely illegal for both road and race use.

Well, kind of. If you’ve the cash, and the desire to make your Aston Martin GT car decidedly more focused, the new AMR sub-brand (think along the lines of Mercedes and AMG) will bring the British racing team’s nous to your next Aston road car. 

And don’t think that this wonderful idea only encompasses the hard-edged Coupes, either. Yes – and we bristle with excitement at the very concept – you can get the AMR treatment on a Rapide.

Ever wondered what would happen if you had an unlimited account at Halfords? Well, wonder no more – there’s not a single piece of the upcoming Civic Type R that hasn’t been tarted up, trimmed or taken to the nth degree.

But has Honda hit the mark with the wilfully aggressive slits, strakes and scoops that adorn its new creation? We’ll leave that one up to you.

And we are, as the kids say, so on board. Kids are still saying that, right?

It’s based on the Zoe, a tiny electric city car, but it has all the right ingredients – it weighs just 1400kg, despite two electric motors, 456bhp and 472lb ft. 

And, thanks to that combination, you can go from zero to 130 miles an hour in less than ten seconds. In uncertain times like these, it’s good to know the future of hot hatches is assured.

Remember all those opinions flying around the internet about how resolutely dull the original MP4-12C was? 

Regardless of where you landed on that, McLaren seems to have taken the whole thing to heart, and has hit back with the 720S. And would you just look at it?

The ‘superhero mask’ front end is actually functional, by the way. It’s still a McLaren, after all. But it’s no longer ‘form follows function’ – it’s more ‘fury follows function’, and that’s an ethos we can get behind.

Yes, it’s true; the big V8 has been consigned to yesteryear. It’s replaced by a 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6, which seems to be the performance engine of choice these days – just ask Alfa Romeo.

But fear not, O ye power-hungry TopGearians, because there’s more power and more torque than ever before.

It’s one of the most extreme Lamborghinis ever built, which must put it in the running for one of the most extreme cars ever built. It is also able to lap the entire Nordschliefe (none of this ‘bridge to gantry’ malarkey) in just 6 minutes and 52 seconds.

So how on earth did it manage that? Well, it might have something to do with Lambo’s new-fangled active aero setup...

No, really. If there’s one thing that could overshadow the launch of AMR road cars, it’s the Valkyrie. Developed in tandem with F1 engineers, with a Cosworth-developed, 6.5-litre V12, it makes a very serious case for becoming the new ne plus ultra of modern hypercars. 

Now, supergroups have been disappointing before – we’re looking at you, Velvet Revolver – so let’s hold off judgement until we see the final result. That said, we’re actually giddy with excitement, but doing our best to rein it in.

If you have a patched tweed jacket (or access to a classic rally game), you’ll likely remember the original Renault Alpine A110. Even in the pantheon of desirable Renaults, the A110 sits on a special plinth, due to its rally history, technical accomplishments and raw desirability.

So, the new A110 had it all to do when it debuted in Geneva. And did it succeed? Yes. Incredibly so. We’re just not sure about the price...

Forget the fact that it’s only slightly smaller than the Range Rover Sport. Forget the fact that it’s very much like the Jaguar F-Pace underneath. And forget the fact that it’ll only look as gorgeous as it does if you spend quite a substantial sum on options.

This is Range Rover heading further into the luxury stratosphere, still building on the market it basically invented in 1969 with the original Velar concepts.

It’s been hard times at Mitsubishi of late. Scandals, buyouts, and dwindling numbers of new exciting cars has seen the public image of Mitsu change from ‘purveyor of rally cars with number plates’ to ‘purveyor of cars, I think... or maybe it was air conditioners’. 

But, rather than jump back in and try to change that, Mitsubishi is going where the money is – city-based SUVs. Yes, wail and gnash your teeth at your leisure, but that’s what everyone’s buying. But will Mitsubishi’s new car restore its fortunes? It’s a definite maybe.

No, not the embattled ridesharing company – back when ‘uber’ was synonymous with ‘the best and most imperious of something’ not ‘Your driver’s name is David’.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand – Porsche may have just built one of the most desirable wagons of all time. And considering they started out with a Panamera, that’s no small feat. Just don’t go trying to move house with one...

We cocked a Roger Moore-esque eyebrow when we heard that VW’s new SUV would be called the Allspace. Because it’s like a Tiguan, but with more space. All of the space!

We then gave up entirely when we got to the Arteon. Was it pronounced Ar-tay-on? Ar-tee-on? Then we discovered the root of the name. It’s literally art + eon, combining to make Arteon. Go home, VW naming department, you’re drunk.

But the finished product will have an engine, and many horsepower, Infiniti assures us. They’re even engaging the help of Renault F1 to make it a reality, we’re told. 

So, who wants a - fingers crossed - 500bhp coupe with Renault F1 tech under the bonnet?

In Geneva, the impossible was made possible – we looked at a Yaris that we wanted to drive, and maybe even own. 

And that may or may not be due to a 1.8-litre supercharged engine that should be good for 220bhp, or the fact that it’ll weigh just 1100kg. 

But what happens when it goes up against a Fiesta ST? We’re keen to find out too.

This is the new XC60, and if you think you’ve spotted the design before, you may be on to something. 

Yes, it’s a dead-ringer for its big brother, but you’d have to admit that it’s no bad thing. 

So, there’s Swedish levels of safety and Swedish design quirks. What more do you need?

And it certainly is a Nissan Qashqai. In fact, no other car could be more of a Nissan Qashqai, and that’s important.

It is a car, as you can tell, and will do an excellent job of taking you and, optionally, a small group of passengers from one place to another.

It was released at a motor show in Switzerland, next to some of the most desirable cars in the world. It may have suffered as a result.

Look, we know that there is a finite supply of petrol, diesel and natural gas. There is also a limited supply of lithium for batteries. 

Neither of these facts bode well for our long-term future mobility. Luckily, Hyundai hasn’t let go of its dream to use hydrogen (otherwise known as the most abundant, and simplest, element in the universe) to power its cars.

And, eventually, we’ll all come around to the fuel-cell-powering-an-electric-engine idea but, until then, Hyundai has to tempt us with future-mobiles like this.

Well, someone over at VW has been watching Minority Report and Total Recall on repeat.

Actually, looking over the ‘Sedric’ (gotta fire that naming team), does anyone else see Marvin the Paranoid Android from Hitchhiker’s Guide? Just us?

In any case, this is VW’s crack at the self-driving car. And how, er, futuristic!

For too long, the X6 hasn’t had enough competition. That, we assume is the thinking behind the Q8, a clipped and coupe-ish luxury SUV from Audi. 

And to make sure it rules the luxo-SUV-cum-coupe market, it’s going to be fast. Very, very fast.

And, on looks at least, it’s something we can get behind. Yes, there’s quite a bit of Volvo and Maserati in there, as well as a dash of Lincoln and even Lucid, but we think it comes together fantastically well.

As it stands, the H600 won’t ever come to market, but perhaps a major manufacturer might take them up on the idea, suicide doors and all? We can dream.

And everyone was too polite to make a Star Trek joke. Okay, yes, it’s technically the wrath, not the vengeance, of Khan, but let’s move on to the actual Kahn Vengeance, shall we?

It’s a DB9 Volante underneath, covered in bespoke bodywork and with a price tag that’ll have you screaming harder than James T Kirk.

In the midst of the immense display of the insanely desirable – and simply insane – is a car that's perhaps a bit of both: the Huayra Roadster.

It says a lot that, in a show as jam-packed as Geneva 2017, this was still perhaps the most transfixing, show-stopping part.

Take your time to pore over it. We certainly did...

No, not as a racing team – we're talking about the insanely desirable, front-engined GT cars of the 1960s and 1970s.

The combination of a naturally aspirated V12, two seats and a prancing horse is the perfect touring mobile.

And the name? It's historic. Really.