Bentley Supersports ICR Convertible is a classy drop-top rocketship

Bentley Supersports ICR Convertible - Click above for high-res image gallery

This question is for all of our Bentley buying readers in attendance today: Do you prefer the Flying B in your driveway to be of the limited-edition variety? If you answered "Harrumph! Of course I do, you peasant!", then we've just gotten up close with your next purchase. It's called the Bentley Continental Supersports Ice Speed Record Convertible and just 100 examples will be produced.

The Bentley ICR Convertible was created to commemorate the achievements of Juha Kankkunen. Last month, Kankkunen took a lightly-modified (tires, aero bits and roll-cage) out to a long stretch of sea-turned-ice. Once there, he fired up the twelve-cylinder engine and set a new ice speed record by hitting 205.48 miles per hour.

Bentley is producing 100 examples of the Supersports ICR and each will boast standout features that make them stand out from non-ICR versions. Just three exterior color choices will be available to compliment the Dark Grey Metallic top; Beluga, Quartzite and Arctica White. Inside, carbon fiber has fitted on the dashboard and center console, while the familiar Breitling dashboard clock gets red accents.

The Bentley Continental Supersports Ice Record Convertible is the most powerful Bentley ever (going by horsepower alone). Its 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine produces 631-horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque – enough to push the hefty two-door from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds and on to a top speed 202 miles per hour.

Check out both the actual record-setting car (shown above) and the special production model it inspired in our galleries below, then click past the jump to check out the official press release.

SEAT IBX Concept looks... appliance white

SEAT IBX Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Geneva Motor Show is in high gear, and Volkswagen subsidiary SEAT has no intentions of sitting on the sidelines during the massive European show, as the IBX crossover clearly illustrates.

The IBX was penned to show the Spanish brand's future design direction, as well as the company's commitment to environmentally friendly technology. Power for the front-wheel-drive concept comes from a Chevrolet Volt-like mixture of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery pack. SEAT hasn't provided many details about the powertrain, only mentioning that the vehicle could travel 45 kilometers (28 miles) on an electricity alone, with the range-extending gas or diesel engine kicking in once electro-juice is exhausted. SEAT says that the engine could come courtesy of one of the gas or diesel offerings already available in its lineup.

On the design front, this little ute's two-door design carries some coupe-inspired lines while still
aiming for the roominess of a crossover. The overall form is clean and attractive, if a bit nondescript (an impression no doubt enhanced by its relentlessly white paint). Chief designer Luc Donckerwolke says in the company's press release that the IBX represents the footprint of future SEAT design, adding that "this design DNA will have a profound impact on every one of our models." Hit the jump to read over the official press release, and peruse the high-res images of the IBX concept by clicking on the galleries below.

2012 Hyundai i40 is a Sonata wagon we could love

2012 Hyundai i40 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Geneva has been quite a show for big, handsome wagons, from the stonking Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG to the shapely Saab 9-5 Sportcombi, there's been a kinschlepper for every taste and budget. Adding to the variety is Hyundai's new i40 estate, and it, too, is a looker.

Boasting the same sharply rising character line as the Sonata sedan upon which it's based, the i40 nevertheless has a more traditional nose, with a smaller grille and headlamps that look more like those from the Sonata Hybrid. Overall, the front aesthetic lurks somewhere between the Elantra and an embiggened Veloster, but either way, it's all Hyundai and it's an attractive piece.

Hyundai is quick to note that the i40 was developed in Rüsselsheim, Germany, with the European market firmly in mind, and it will be The Continent's first crack at the model range when it hits dealers later this year. A sedan variant will follow, but it's not known if it will look like the North American YF Sonata sedan, or if it will adopt this car's front clip.

Similarly, we know that more than a few executives within Hyundai of America want to see a two-box Sonata come to the States, but it isn't yet clear if a business case has been made for the shapely load-lugger. Here's hoping...

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept focuses on connectivity

BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW has pulled the wraps off of its latest concept vehicle, which is in part a research tool for the automaker as it looks towards the future of mobile networking. The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept is a two-passenger roadster seeking to push new boundaries in the realm of automotive technology.

The topless concept borrows much of its design from the Vision EfficientDynamics concept that's on the road to production, but this showcar focuses on three areas; comfort, safety and infotainment. Each category provides feedback and data to the driver by means of a light display spread throughout the vehicle.

In the cabin, the driver will be able to monitor a multitude of information thanks to a three-dimensional head-up display. The HUD incorporates augmented reality to display point-of-interest icons and road information into the driver's field of vision. The display is fully customizable, and the driver can fine-tune the amount of information and how it's displayed in front of him or her. Interestingly enough, BMW has provided no information about what powers this concept – either in reality or merely conceptually.

The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept is the automaker's view of where automotive information technology is heading. By providing the driver with as much or as little information as he or she desires, the driver is able to make a closer connection with the vehicle. It may be merely a study at this point, but it's a glimpse at a future where the driver is still in control... and that's something we can stand behind.

Be sure to check out the car in the gallery below, and click past the jump for b-roll footage of the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Concept.

2012 Porsche Boxster S and 911 Black Edition look sinister in Switzerland

Porsche Boxster S Black Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

As part of Porsche's spread here at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the German automaker is showing both of its new Black Edition cars – murdered-out versions of both the 911 and Boxster. But Porsche has done more than simply paint the cars black. Both models get a host of new standard equipment, and in the case of the Boxster, a slight power upgrade over its standard S variant.

The 911's 3.6-liter flat-six continues to put down 345 horsepower, but the Boxster gets a mind-blowing 10-hp bump over the standard 310-hp 3.4-liter powerplant. Both cars can be had with either manual or PDK dual-clutch transmissions, and fuel economy (19/26 for the Boxster and 19/27 for the 911) is surprisingly good for cars that are presumably this good to drive.

The Boxster S Black Edition will set you back $65,200, while the 911 commands $81,300, or $91,300 if you want the wind-in-your-hair Cabriolet experience. See both cars for yourself in the high-res galleries of live shots below.

Saab 9-5 SportCombi is one sharp cargo-hauler

2012 Saab 9-5 SportCombi - Click above for high-res image gallery

We're glad to see that the Saab 9-5 SportCombi is looking good once again. During the General Motors-influenced mid-2000s, the 9-5 took on a bit of a weird shape (those chrome-ringed Dame Edna headlamps were just awful), and thus, the subsequent wagon variant wasn't nearly as special as the generation that debuted in the late-1990s. That all changes now, as Saab has officially pulled the wraps off of the SportCombi of the new 9-5, and might we say, hubba hubba.

Aside from the addition of some rear windows and some sheetmetal, nothing significant has changed in the 9-5's transition from a sedan to a proper station wagon. Both the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and 2.8-liter turbo-six will still be on hand, with the larger engine paired to the automaker's XWD all-wheel-drive system. Look for production to start later this year.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe is a CLK revival

2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

The current Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe may be too large to rightfully compete with the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Audi A5, but the Silver Arrow is rectifying that with the new-for-2012 C-Class Coupe – a revival of the old CLK, if you will.

Aside from the slightly lower roofline and the removal of two doors, the C Coupe is exactly like its newly redesigned sedan brethren. There are three powertrains on tap, including a new 201-horsepower 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-four in the C250 and the direct-injected, 304-hp V6 in the range-topping C350. Well, range-topping for now – the sure-to-be-badass C63 AMG Coupe is set to debut in the very near future. Yeah, we're salivating.

Still, the more pedestrian C-Class Coupe will make up the vast majority of sales, and we're glad to see a modern-day CLK in production once again. Scroll through our gallery of high-res shots below and take it all in, then hop the jump for a trailer of Benz's new 'Drive and Seek' mini-movie starring the new E-Coupe and some rather attractive bank robbing women...

Toyota Prius + sips fuel with room for seven

2012 Toyota Prius+ – Click above for high-res image gallery

As the second size extension of the Toyota Prius family tree, the 2012 Prius+ adds a healthy dose of roominess to the well-known fuel-sipping hybrid equation, and it's making its world debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. There's seating for seven occupants inside, but the multi-purpose vehicle shares a clear design language with Toyota's standard-bearing Prius. What's more, it manages a low 0.29 drag coefficient thanks to its extended roofline and carefully designed front fascia.

Equally as notable is the battery. This is the first lithium-ion battery pack to be incorporated within a non-plug-in Toyota full hybrid. Toyota has found enough room underneath the center console between the driver and the front passenger to fit the battery, which helps maximize interior space for occupants and their cargo.

As you would expect from a Prius, there are three drive modes: A zero-emission EV mode that relies on electric motor power alone, an ECO mode that maximizes efficiency and fuel economy and finally a somewhat ambitiously named POWER mode that is said to boost overall performance.

Toyota is saying that the Prius+ will be on sale in Europe in the first half of 2012, but it's coming to the U.S. around the same time in the form of the Prius V, which we previously saw at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Check out the complete press release after the break and be sure to check out our high-res image gallery of live photos below.

2011 Geneva Motor Show: A to Z Guide of New Models and Concepts

Welcome to Carscoop's guide of the 81st edition of the Geneva International Motor Show which is shaping to be one of the most important automotive events of the year. The show will be open for the public from March 3-13, but we'll be bringing you all the world premieres during the press days on March 1 and 2.

Some of the new production models to look forward to include the stunning Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, Ferrari's first all-wheel drive model, the FF, the Hyundai i40, and Volkswagen's Golf Cabriolet, while on the concept front there's a bevy of studies such as the BMW Vision CD roadster, the Renault Captur and the Toyota FT-86 II. We'll be constantly updating the list after the break so bookmark this page and keep checking back.

Geneva 2011: Novitec Rosso Ferrari 458 Italia makes sexy and fast look sexier and go faster

Novitec Rosso 458 Italia - Click above for high-res image gallery

Novitec Rosso has thing for the Prancing Horse. It routinely turns its wrenches on the cars of the Ferrari stable and shows them a new level of power. At this week's 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Novitec has focused ts attention on the Ferrari 458 Italia, and the results are stunning.

The "standard" Ferrari 458 Italia produces 562 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque from its mid-mounted 4.5-liter V8. Novitec utilizes new engine mapping, and a different exhaust manifold and exhaust system to raise output to 609 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. The tuning company has also managed to raise the redline from 9,000 to 9,100 rpm, which doesn't sound like much but could help earn a few more ticks at the top end of the speedo.

Besides the engine work, Novitec has upgraded the 458's suspension, lightened the wheels and added carbon fiber to various locations all over the car. The resulting Novitec Rosso 458 is lighter, louder and faster than your run-of-the-mill Italia. It's also pretty damn good looking to boot.