Categories: Auto Shows

The most powerful iteration of the Porsche Panamera sedan yet will make its debut at the 2011 New York Auto Show next month. In preparation for the show, Porsche detailed the new sedan a little early. The Panamera Turbo S brings more power, more speed, and more standard equipment.

Porsche upgrades the Panamera Turbo's 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8 with new turbochargers with titanium-aluminum turbines and a reprogrammed engine control. The result is an extra 50 horses--up to 550-hp—and an extra 37 lb-ft of torque—up to 553 lb-ft. In Sport and Sport Plus modes that torque can be temporarily boosted up to 590 lb-ft.

The Geneva Motor Show is so stacked to the rafters with big car manufacturer debuts that we almost forgot about the tuners. Up until Italian shop Novitec Rosso reminded us, that is. The tuning firm known for its Ferrari tunes debuted two new ones in Geneva, one based on the 458 Italia and one based on the 599 GTO.

Let's face it, you want to know about the 599 GTO the most. So here it is. Ferrari's fastest road-going car ever gets oh so much more powerful at the hands of Novitec; power is upgraded from the stock 671 horses to a knee-shaking 888-hp. Torque is also given a major boost to 636-hp, up from 457-hp.

What exciting news for the auto world. As part of its Geneva presence, Volkswagen presented an all-new Microbus concept. Taking off on the Microbus Concept VW presented in 2001, the reinvented icon does its hippie, tree-hugging roots proud: it tosses the gas engine in favor of an electric motor.

The concept is called the Bulli, a name that represents Germany's nickname for the original Transporter buses, which were popularly called Microbuses in the U.S.

Well, it looks like that mysterious teaser picture we saw earlier this month was indeed the Gumpert Tornante. Because Gumpert has pulled the cloth off its second car, and it's definitely one in the same. Gumpert's latest supercar brings a new level of refinement and comfort to its line, while not giving up much in terms of power and performance. 

The full name of the car identifies its origins: Tornante by Touring. The Touring refers to Italian coachbuilder Touring Superleggera. Realizing that while it had mechanical engineering pretty well covered, it didn't exactly make the sexiest cars, Gumpert outsourced the styling to the Italian firm.

Well, we only have a year or so left before the Toyota sports car developed in conjunction with Subaru goes into production (slow ride, yes?). And earlier this month in Geneva, Toyota provided what it calls the "clearest indication yet as to the final design of Toyota's next sports car," a car that receives some marked modifications over the Tokyo '09 original. 

After a long, exhaustive rundown of Toyota sports car history, the automaker had surprisingly little hard information to offer about its newest sports car. Here's a piece of what we're working with in the official press release: "With the proportions of its long, low bonnet, high wings, and rear-set cabin paying homage to Toyota's illustrious sports car history, the dynamic power of the FT-86 II concept gives the clearest indication yet as to the final design of Toyota's next sports car."

Aston Martin has a new car. More accurately, it has revived an old car. The Virage nameplate from the 1990s is back. Aston's latest two-door debuted at the Geneva Motor Show and aims to bring more subtle, toned-down styling for those who aren't quite ready to get behind the wheel of a DBS.

The Virage will split the DB models, landing between the DB9 and the DBS. Major specs and pricing reflect its position in the greater Aston family. The Virage will be powered by a 490-hp version of the 6.0-liter V12 engine—right between the 470-hp DB9 and the 510-hp DBS—and will cost around 150,000 GBP ($244K) when it goes on sale, placing it smack in the middle between the £125,000 DB9 and  £175,000 DBS.

Somewhere along the line, the Sport Luxury Car (SLC) changed its name. Unfortunately, for auto fans, it did not change it to 'Pantera,' but rather to the equally boring but slightly more specific "Sports Luxury Sedan" (SLS). Boring name for a boring car. After showing the car to the Italian government last week, De Tomaso has unveiled the car at the Geneva Motor Show. The SLS represents the first effort of the revived De Tomaso badge.

Known for its sexy sports coupes, De Tomaso went bankrupt in 2004. Former Fiat exec Gianmario Rossignolo purchased the name back in 2009 and has been working with Pininfarina on the first car.

BMW unveiled its Vision ConnectedDrive roadster concept last month, but saved some juicy details for the official Geneva debut. Interestingly, in a concept as striking as the VCD, BMW chose to focus its presentation on interior technology as opposed to exterior styling. But that technology is as intriguing, if not more intriguing, than the looks of this particular concept.

Alfa Romeo has debuted its 4C sports coupe at the Geneva Motor Show. While it's in concept form at the show, the Italian firm has detailed plans to produce the car beginning late next year. Joining that good news is even better news: the car will be among those Alfas getting exported to the United States. So, interstate highways and byways will soon have a little bit more curvy Alfa flair.

The 4C is powered by a mid-mounted, direct-injected, 1.8-liter turbo four that will put out more than 200 horses. The engine is mated to a TCT twin-clutch automatic gearbox and powers the rear wheels.

Well, that didn't take long at all. A day after Lamborghini finally unveiled its newest V12 flagship, the Bull announced that the entire first-year production run of the Aventador LP700-4 has sold out. While Lamborghini didn't specificy the exact number of Aventadors it had sold, Motor Trend estimates the number around 900, or nearly a quarter of the entire 10-year production run of the Murcielago. Not bad for one day.

Sound the horns. This year’s Amelia Island Concours D’Elegance is the 16^thannual show and is scheduled to run March 11-13. The event’s host hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, was rated by readers of Conde Nast Traveler No. 5 for best resorts in North America and No. 31 for best beach hotels on planet earth from readers of Travel and Leisure Magazine. In addition to world-class amenities, staying at The Ritz also includes a hefty price tag. But considering the grandeur of the show, The Ritz Carlton is a perfect fit for such an over-the-top event. This year’s lineup includes several historically significant vehicles and Indy 500 Winner Bobby Rahal as the 2011 Honoree.