Pagani Huayra Live from the Geneva Motor Show, Plus First Promo Videos

It's quite difficult to imagine that the beautiful, spine tingling Pagani Zonda has been around for over ten years. Mr. Horacio Pagani graced our eyes in 1999 with a 7.0 AMG sourced V12 masterpiece with a steampunk style interior. Its beautiful form, angry looks and frightening performance turned it into a modern exotic classic not seen since the earlier years of motoring. But time has come for Pagani to introduce the Zonda's successor in the form of the brand-new Huayra that made its world premiere today at the 2011 Geneva Salon.

When Pagani unleashed the first photos its hypercar named after a South American god of wind, there seemed to be a bit of negative feedback. Many did not enjoy the looks of the wide bottom feeder mouth and oddly set rear tail lights. As with many cases of change, acceptance has seemed to slowly set in. The car looks much better under the radiant spotlights of the Geneva floor.

Pagani has made a move from the gracious styling that graced the previous model and instead has turned to a more aerodynamic inspired shape on the front end and a more wacky styling in the rear that would honestly make Predator a li’l warm under the collar. The Hauurrera-rrura is a case of function over form from the engineering and design departments.

No matter what you think of the design, the figures are far more impressive. How does 700hp, 6.0 twin turbo V12, 2,976 pounds (1,350 kg) weight and a top speed somewhere around 230mph (370km/h) sound? Well it sounds pretty darn good if you ask me. Another sound that is hotly anticipated has to be the engine note. The last model left you screaming for mercy and performing sign language for the rest of your life.

To those that fear the successor will not be as good , trust Mr Pagani...he seems to know very well what he is doing.

By Rory Farrell

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Geneva 2011: Bertone B99 asks, "Can't we All Just Forget About the X-Type?"

Bertone and Jaguar have joined forces again, and the result is this lovely little concept called the B99. Celebrating 99 years of existence, Bertone's B99 is meant to showcase what a Jaguar 3-Series could look like (and thankfully there's no silly black C-pillar as found on the XJ). While some may disagree with this design's placement in the lineup, one thing is certain: an X-Type this ain't.

The B99 measures 4.5 meters long, 1.35 m tall, and 1.95 m wide with a 2.8 m wheelbase. As befits all Jaguars, there's a leaper on the hood; this time, though, it uses some snazzy pedestrian safety sensors that can retract it at airbag speeds should an impaling be imminent. Think of it as dab of Rolls with your Jaguar.

There's more retraction action at the trunk end of things, too, with a speed-sensing spoiler in the trunk.

Inside are a slew of "hidden riches", as per Bertone. Examples of these little ditties include a hideaway multimedia screen, "Ebony Macasar African Wood", and air vents hidden behind the wraparound wing that floats above the dash. Suspended between the wing and the dashboard are "trumpet" gauges wrapped in aluminum. This unique style also carries over to the transmission shifter/infotainment controller which rises up from the center console.

Now, about those sexy seats; they're definitely Jaguar with their flip-down trays, but with an added touch of flair. Also, all four seats are nestled between their own floating armrests, adding an "at home in the recliner" feel to this luxury sports sedan.

Power comes from an extended range hybrid unit developed by Bertone Energy; in the B99, this system utilizes two 150 kW / 201 hp motors housed at the rear axle and a range-extending 1.4-liter, 125 kW / 168 hp gasoline engine. With their powers combined, these power units create an impressive 425 kW / 570 hp while returning a potential 700 km / 435 mile range (100 km / 62 miles in EV mode) and only emitting 30 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

Also showing up in Geneva is a 2.5 meter wide B99 GT, forecasting a potential track fighter. Not only is it wider, it also sits 100 mm lower and has 50 mm of space between its washboard stomach and the pavement. Also, it gets two more electric motors up front for an all-wheel drive system and 725 total kilowatts (972 hp). You can see most of the other mods, along the with standard B99, in the gallery below.

By Phil Alex

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