2016 Geneva motor show report and photo gallery

McLaren was also there with its superb 570GT - everything this company does seems better than its last impressive effort. So were the tiny supercar makers Geneva always attracts: Apollo, Arash, Kahn, Rimac, Techrules and other unfamiliar names, this year with more convincing-looking efforts than ever. You always wonder what holds these manufacturers up, though this year you could see the case for many. Ferrari’s best effort was to change the FF’s name to GTC4 Lusso, which hardly seemed enough in this supercar company, but it will probably sell some cars anyway.

Desirability came in small packages as well. Audi scored what will surely be an instant, international king-hit in the neat and small Q2 crossover, reminiscent of the A3 Sportback in styling, but as light and almost as compact as a B-segment hatch. Talking B-hatches, Ford extended its offering both up and down, signalling the arrival towards the end of the year of a “value” five-door called Ka+, while powering up its top Fiesta ST to 197bhp as a farewell gesture for a car that’ll be replaced in a year.

Of course, crossovers were a continuing strong flavour among new cars. Maserati’s Levante has been flagged for some time, but still won lots of notice. Subaru had a convincing XV replacement and Ssangyong a concept called SIV-2 (its Korando replacement) that was so handsome that for once you didn’t laugh when they said it was similarly in size to the Range Rover Evoque.

Renault had a new and superbly-designed Scenic mid-size MPV to prove that the design team assembled by car design’s man of the moment, Laurens van den Acker (who, incredibly, has revised the large and complex Renault range since 2009 - and invented a few other entries along the way) still can do no wrong.

If it was funny names you wanted, DS was there with the E-Tense (a one-off electric supercar looking like a bigger Audi TT) and a still-wounded VW (whose clumps of  officials stood about laughing too loud at their own jokes) had an interesting crossover convertible T-Cross Breeze.

Porsche brought us down to earth with its 911R, not because the car lacked presence or desirability - far from it - but because it played to the different appeal of hard-won heritage and simplicity.

Going in, some commentators dubbed it a potential star of Geneva, and it wasn’t quite that, but it certainly pushed at a part of the envelope others missed. Given Porsche’s ability to lead trends at Geneva (remember the show-stopping debut of the 918 Spyder), perhaps a back to basics era is coming next.

How the Geneva motor show unfolded - live blog by Darren Moss

1900 - And that brings our live coverage of the Geneva motor show 2016 to a close. We hope you've enjoyed all of our stories on the new cars in Geneva, and feel free to tell us your show stars in the comments section below. We'll be back tomorrow with a full show report, as well as more pictures and analysis, so keep your eyes glued to this page. For now, goodnight and goodbye!

1845 - Things are winding down now in Geneva, but before we go we'll leave you with the genuine star of Geneva 2016 - and the poster child for a new generation of car lovers - the Bugatti Chiron.

1835 - Stephan Winkelmann has long been known as the boss of Lamborghini, but now he's stepping aside and heading off to Audi's Quattro division. Jim Holder caught up with him in Geneva.

1825 - We've got fresh pictures in of the Pininfarina H2 Speed concept car, which is powered by two electric motors and fed by a hydrogen fuel cell. 

1805 - Bentley has revealed the bespoke Mulliner six-seat Mulsanne Grand Limousine - Jim Holder has the full story.

1755 - The Nissan Qashqai will be able to travel autonomously on the motorway from 2017, officials have confirmed. Mark Tisshaw has the full story.

1750 - More new metal has arrived in the form of the Kahn Vengeance. It's based on the DB9, and has received a comprehensive style makeover. The detail is only skin deep, though, as no mechanical changes have been made.

1745 - The new Toyota C-HR has also been revealed, and will rival the likes of the Renault Captur and Fiat 500X. It's baseed on the Toyota Prius, and will come with the option of a hybrid powertrain.

1740 - Now under Chinese ownership, the company formerly known as Gumpert (now Apollo) has revealed the Arrow - it's a 224mph mid-engined supercar powered by a 986bhp Audi-sourced engine.

1735 - There's plenty of news still coming from Geneva. The Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport has been unveiled, and features a naturally aspirated V8 engine. It sits between the Corvette Stingray and the Z06 in the line-up, and gets 460bhp. Matt Burt has more.

1730 - Jesse Crosse thinks he's found the best new invention in Geneva: "This has to be the innovation of the show. The clue is in the name of the Goodyear 360 future tyre concept. It's spherical. Instead of axles, the spheres support the car by magnetic levitation and there's no mechanical link between the wheels and the vehicle. Inside each one is an electric motor driving the inside of the sphere via small wheels.

"The outer shell forming the tread can be renewed when it wears out. The tread pattern reflects the fact that the spheres can rotate in any direction and is based on the shape of brain coral. Goodyear calls the approach 'biomimicry.'

"Director of tyre technology, Percy Lemaire,  says 'we calculate the power needed to levitate the car is quite low, around 200 watts.' That's the same as two old-school light bulbs. The wheels are packed with sensors to relay info on road conditions to the car and the wider world, supporting future autonomous vehicles. Total power from the four motors could be 60-150kW. A battery lives inside each wheel to drive the motors and are charged wirelessly by inductive charging."

1725 - Described as being a 'purist's' sports car, the new Porsche 911 R has been hotly anticipated. It features the same naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat six engine as the GT3 RS, but comes with a six-speed manual transmission in place of the usual PDK automatic.

1720 - The 759bhp, V12-engined Lamborghini Centenario is priced at £1.64 million, but only 40 examples will be made. It's based on the Aventador supercar and has a top speed of 217mph.

1715 - Next it's the Audi Q2. It's shorter, wider and taller than the A3 Sportback and will be the entry-level SUV option in Audi's range when it goes on sale this summer. The full range of Audi's latest technology features inside, including the Virtual Cockpit digital display, and a head-up display system.

1710 - First up, let's revisit the storming new Bugatti Chiron. The new king of cars features a 1479bhp powertrain, can reach a top speed of 261mph and is the successor to the iconic Bugatti Veyron. We've got interviews, show pictures and everything you need to know in our full story, here, and if you feel like saying goodbye to the Veyron in style, our tribute is right here.

1705 - As the crowds begin to leave the show halls in Geneva, let's recap over some of the biggest stories from this outstanding motor show. And don't forget, all of these stories are in our Geneva motor show hub.

1703 - Spyker has also revealed its first new car since merging with electric aviation company Volta Volaré. Meet the Audi V8-engined C8 Preliator.

1700 - We've got new pictures of the Touring Superleggera Disco Volante Spyder - what do you think of this Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione-based roadster? 

1650 - The Aston Martin DB9 is still ranked among the very best driver's cars, so can the new DB11 really be another step further? Matt Prior asks that very question in his latest blog.

1645 - Mark Tisshaw's latest blog covers the new Audi Q2, and why it could be the start of a new design revolution from the German manufacturer. Read his thoughts here.

1640 - Nic Cackett reckons the new Subaru XV concept could be a turning point for the brand in Europe. Read his blog here.

1635 - This is a little worrying from Mark Tisshaw: "Think I may have just spotted my first grey hair in the mirror in the toilet. Possibly related to the look Sergio Marchionne gave me when I asked about the Dino."

1630 - Bentley boss Wolfgang Dürheimer has been telling Andrew Frankel about the company’s forthcoming 3.0-litre V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain, and how it will use its electric motors to provide "performance equivalent to that of our V8." 

When asked if that meant it would at least match the 500bhp output of the 4.0-litre V8 used in the Continental and Flying Spur ranges he replied, "that sounds like a good number, doesn’t it."

The new powertrain will first be seen in the Bentayga next year, but only after the V8 diesel version has been launched towards the end of 2016. The powertrain is essential not only to give diesel-averse customers in the US the range they desire but also to protect the company from the unpredictability of the Chinese authorities. "Already you cannot drive in the centre of Beijing without an electric drive," said Dürheimer, "and who knows if in the future they decide to limit the number of cylinders or engine capacity. This new engine makes us bullet-proof against such decisions."

1615 - Andrew Frankel captured this great moment on the Tesla stand. "How seriously does the opposition view the Tesla Model X?" he asks "Well this is is the most top of Mercedes top brass - Zetsche, Weber and Kallenius checking it out."

1610 - A new version of the Nissan Micra is in development, and will take on the Ford Fiesta when it goes on sale in 2017. Read all about it here.

1604 - Andrew Frankel is now with Bentley, which he says will finally show the replacement for the long serving Continental GT towards the end of 2017, with sales beginning early in 2018. The new car will be built on a new aluminium intensive structure, likely to reduce the weight of an entry level V8 petrol model to below 2000kg. The car will also be launched with a 500bhp 3.0-litre V6 hybrid powertrain and the heavily reworked 6.0-litre W12 engine already serving under the bonnet of the Bentayga. The new 4.0-litre V8 diesel engine heading for the Bentayga is ‘under consideration for the car’ but not yet approved.

1600 - Toyota has revealed its new C-HR production model. The compact crossover gets a coupé-like roofline as designers wanted it to appear unique in the carmaker's range.

1557 - Ready for more new metal? One of the final new models to be unveiled in Geneva is the Lotus Exige Sport 360 Roadster. It's the lightest Exige ever made, weighing in at just 1085kg, and can reach 60mph in a supercar-baiting 3.7sec. Sam Sheehan has the details.

1552 -  Jesse Crosse has been trying out a new, digital, approach to customising a car: "Car configurators can drive you crazy but ZeroLight, once better known in the gaming industry for its car racing games, has a better idea. It's developed a new system which lets you configure cars in real time in a 3D fully 'immersive' virtual reality system which literally puts you in the car as you sift through materials, wheel and colour choices. The system can also be used in high quality 2D.

"The first company to use it is Pagani in the Huayra BC. The 20 lucky buyers of the sold-out BC had the opportunity to configure their cars with it and Audi will adopt the system this summer. The 3D system can be used on Android phones using Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR and using full blown virtual reality headsets at dealerships."

1548 - More from Andrew Frankel: "Mercedes-Benz boss Dieter Zetsche says his company’s drive to perfect autonomous driving is nearly complete. ‘There are still some issues when it is dark, wet or icy, but the basic challenged is solved.’ But he acknowledges that like everyone else Mercedes must wait for network infrastructures to be build and legislative frameworks to be changed before the dream of autonomous drive can be realised."

1540 - Andrew Frankel has spent time on the Mercedes-Benz stand: "Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche has told Autocar of the ‘tremendous damage’ that would be done to the European project were the UK to vote to withdraw from the EU," he says "‘In the last 70 years Europe has progressed from being a continent at war, to a single community. We don’t all pull in the same direction and at the same time, but it would be terrible to see this process put into reverse.’ He also said he believed the economic consequences of Brexit would be ‘much more serious for the UK than the rest of Europe.'"

1535 - Great news over on the Ferrari stand, as boss Sergio Marchionne tells Mark Tisshaw the entry-level V6-engined Ferrari Dino is still on the drawing board, even though no progress has been made in the last 12 months.

1527 - PSA Peugeot Citroen will become the first European car maker to publish real-world fuel consumption figures. The numbers, calculated over the course of a 49-mile test route, are in response to the VW dieselgate scandal. Julian Rendell has more.

1520 - More breaking news from Geneva - Porsche bosses have confirmed that the next-generation GT3 will have the option of a manual transmission. Andrew Frankel has the full story.

1515 - Vauxhall bosses have ruled out bringing the GT concept to life in the style of the VX220. Although enthusiasm for the concept is high, new Vauxhall boss Rory Harvey said that investment in putting the model into production would have to be driven by a business case. Get the full story here.

1510 - Mark Tisshaw has been spotting some celebrities at the Geneva show. "Jackie Steward was talking loudly into the microphone of his mobile phone on the Lexus stand," he says "Was he dictating a story back to his office on the LC500h?"

1505 - Last snippet from PSA's Carlos Tavares for now. He told Jim holder that he'll unveil a new company strategy for PSA Peugeot-Citroen on April 5 of this year. Having acheived the 'Back in the Race' plan early, his new strategy will be called 'Push to Pass' - an analogy linked to the boost button that can be used by drivers in the Formula E electric race car series to gain more power and pass rivals. Tavares refused to be drawn on specifics but said: "PSA is a company with a lot of potential, done not yet even unleashed. This plan is to change that ."

1500 - What does PSA boss Carlos Tavares think of the DS E-Tense concept car? "'It is driveable now," he says "but only as a concept. Will we have it in two years? No. Such a car is a big ticket car - high development costs, low sales. But never say never - we are open to new ideas. It has been built to show off the creativity of the teams at DS. But I agree the brand will need a halo car. That will come, I promise."

1455 - Another snippet from Mark Tisshaw, over on the Porsche stand. "Porsche uses an amplifier but no special software to enhance the sound of its new flat four engine, which observers have likened to a Subaru WRC car. It's not only the engine that's new in the 718 Boxster but the chassis also, tuning for which has cut the Nürburgring lap time of the Boxster S to the same time as the old Boxster Spyder (7min42sec)."

1450 - The facelifted Mitsubishi Mirage will go on sale in the UK in May. Speaking to Jim Holder, Mitsubishi's UK boss Lance Bradley said: "While our strategy is to be a niche manufacturer of four-wheel drive vehicles with electric or hybrid power trains, there is a core of small car buyers for whom the Mirage is the car they want - small, efficient, and capable enough." Bradley expects to sell 1500 cars in the year to the end of March 2016, on total Mitsubishi UK sales of 31,000 cars

1445 - Jim Holder has been speaking to PSA boss Carlos Tavares: "Carlos Tavares has been giving some insight into why Peugeot Citroen is backing its own independent, real-world fuel testing: 'VW-gate has created a lot of concern in our company,' he told us 'we are the industry leaders on fuel-efficiency and diesel emissions,  so if there is an action that breaks the trust of buyers it is a big concern. We want to demonstrate an openness and a confidence. We do not want to be confused with our German competitors on this issue, and the real-world tests are one way of demonstrating that.'

1440 - More from Mark Tisshaw: "There are no plans for Porsche to install its new flat four engine into other models, including the 911. That's according to Stefan Weckbach, the boss of the Porsche 718 model line."

1435 - Porsche Boxster chief Stefan Weckbach has confirmed far higher states of tune are available on its new flat-four engine. "350hp is not the end of the engine, there's plenty of room for more," he told Mark Tisshaw.

1428 - Roving reporter Mark Tisshaw is running from one interview to the next: "Just arrived at the Ferrari stand ahead of the Sergio Marchionne press briefing," he says "Will there be talk about Dinos and V6s?"

1425 - Andrew Frankel has been talking to Aston Martin design director Marek Reichman: "Never one to look back, Reichman is already talking Vantage. 'It's completely different to the DB11, with not a panel in common. In design terms it owes more to 007's DB10.' Another Aston insider said 'while the DB11 makes you want to stop and look at it, the Vantage shape is so sporting it just makes you want to get in and drive'."

1415 - Jim Holder has been speaking to Mitsubishi officials about the eX concept car. "The Mitsubishi ex-concept electric crossover will make production by 2020, UK boss Lance Bradley has confirmed. It is expected to have a range of 250 miles and be priced competitively alongside combustion engined equivalents. "The commitment is to return to full ev when the infrastructure is mature," said Bradley. "Full electric power is very much part of Mitsubishi's future.""

1410 - Interestingly, the 911 R will be limited to just 991 units. Preuninger didn't want to do more or have it become a regular production model in order to preserve exclusivity.

1405 - Preuninger also confirmed that his Porsche road cars will retain naturally aspirated engines "for the forseeable future", with the sole exception of the GT2 RS in 2017.

1400 - Andrew Frankel has been speaking to Porsche GT3 boss Andreas Preuninger, who has confirmed the six-speed manual gearbox used in the new 911 R will be available as an option on the next-generation GT3 too. The GT3 RS will remain automatic only, though.

1330 - Two of the most read stories on Autocar at the moment are the Aston Martin DB11 and Bugatti Chiron. Which would you have on your driveway?

1320 - Over on the VW stand, officials may want to rethink their hashtag...

1310 - So you want more gratuitous shots of the new Aston Martin DB11. Here you go...

1300 - And there we go, this is the new Aston Martin DB11 in all its glory. Forget the leaked shots, this is the real deal. Aston's replacement for the DB9 features a new 600bhp twin-turbchargedV12 engine, can hit 62mph in 3.9sec and costs £154,900. Matt Burt reveals all.

1255 - Stand by folks, another big new car is just around the corner...

1250 - Pininfarina describes the new H2 Speed as being "the first high-performance track car in the world." The LMP-style design helps with aerodynamic efficiency. Danni Bagnall has the full details.

1245 - Time for another new car, this time it's the Pininfarina H2 Speed, which is powered by two electric motors and fed by a hydrogen fuel cell.

1240 - Sometimes, a picture really can say 1000 words. Here's outgoing Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann with new Lamborghini boss Stefano Domenicali and Audi boss Rupert Stadler.

1235 - The next new car to be revealed in Geneva is the Touring Superleggera Disco Volante Spyder. It's based on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, but features bespoke styling. Each car takes six months to build.

1230 - Time for a new lead image on our Geneva motor show gallery - this time, it's the Jaguar F-Type SVR.

1225 - Also on display in Geneva is a special version of Morgan's 4/4, designed to celebrate the car's 80 years in production.

1220 - For Morgan, the Geneva motor show is all about the EV3. It's an all-electric sports car based on the popular 3 Wheeler and can reach 62mph in 8.0sec.

1215 - With all of the new car news yesterday, you may have missed the news that sales of high-performance Ford vehicles are surging in Europe. Steve Cropley explains all.

1213 - There's also lots of practical metal at the Geneva show. This, the new SsangYong Tivoli XLV, can carry 720 litres of luggage. 

1200 - We've got fresh pictures of VW's T-Cross Breeze concept car. The open-top concept previews a new entry-level SUV model which could go on to rival the Range Rover Evoque Convertible. Greg Kable has the story.

1155 - Looks like there has been some embarrassment on the Volkswagen stand. Richard Bremner, who was watching the firm's press conference, says: "At VW conference sales and marketing boss Jurgen Stackmann's presentation was 'interrupted' by a VW mechanic fixing an Up! Not a good joke if you're waiting for your diesel to be fixed."

1150 - Having now shown us how the 124 looks with a hard-top roof, Fiat could well use this car as a precursor to a road-going 124 Coupé.

1145 - Abarth has showcased a rally version of the new 124 Spider in Geneva, which signals the brand's return to racing. The rallying 124 and the road-going car were developed in tandem.

1140 - There's plenty of attention on the Volvo stand for the new V90, which is making its world debut in Geneva. We've got pictures fresh from the show floor, so take a look at the full story here.

1135 - The Honda NSX may no longer be the newest car in Geneva, but it's still one of the best to look at. Honda has revealed the sports car will cost £130,000 in the UK, but don't expect to be able to order one any time soon.

1130 - It's a double debut for Renault in Geneva, as the wraps come off the new Megane Sport Tourer too. Read the full story here.

1125 - As you might expect, the fourth generation of Renault's Scenic has ditched its MPV styling to become more of a crossover. Its styling has been influenced by 2011's R-Space concept car, and prices should start from around £21,000 when sales get under way. Sam Sheehan has the full story here.

1120 -  And the new cars just keep on coming in Geneva - next up is the brand new Renault Scenic.

1115 - The new Subaru XV crossover concept has also made its debut in Geneva this morning. It offers a close preview of the next-generation Subaru crossover, and also previews the firm's new design language, dubbed 'Dynamic X Solid'.

1110 - The new all-new car to be unveiled today is the Italdesign GTZero. This 483bhp concept is powered by three electric motors and has a range of 311 miles. Doug Revolta has the full story here.

1100 - Alongside the road-going 124, Abarth is also showcasing a rally-tuned version of the car which gets 300bhp and is set to make its debut in the 2017 rally season.

1055 - We've got fresh pictures of the 170bhp Abarth 124 Spider, a surprise unveiling at the Geneva show. It will go on sale in Europe in September for around £31,000.

1050 - More on McLaren's new battery-electric hypercar. Under McLaren's Track22 plan, the firm will launch 15 new models by 2022, of which around half will be hybrids and at least one will be a "very special, very focused" car to slot into the firm's Ultimate Series of models.

1045 - A great news scoop from Steve Cropley. The next McLaren P1, which could arrive around 2023, could take the form of an all-electric hypercar. Our rendering shows how it might look. Get the full story here.

1040 - Jesse Crosse has been across to the Edag stand. "Geneva isn't all about exotic cars there are some innovative oily bits lurking too, that could have a big impact on the amount of choice manufacturers can give us. Edag has bought along a space frame concept whose knuckles are made using 'additive manufacturing'. Effectively this means laser 3D printing using steel powder instead of plastic," he says.

"The advantage is that new car derivatives can be made as quickly as a computer model can be created, with no expensive steel tooling needed. That will allow manufacturers to offer more derivatives to choose from, more frequently. It's ideal for niche cars too, like small volume sports cars. Similar components are about to be launched in aircraft production made from aluminium. There's more work to do to make the process cost effective for cars, but EDAG expects it to happen within 5-10 years." 

1030 - So, any early picks for star cars from Geneva? Don't all rush to say 'Bugatti Chiron' at once... let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

1025 - Customers who buy an Agera RS final will have access to a massive range of personalisation options, as well as an upgraded V8 engine with 1341bhp. Read more here.

1020 - Time for a closer look at another of Geneva's star cars, the Koenigsegg Agera RS Final. Just three examples of the car will be made, and those will be the last Agera RS models to come off the production line.

1015 - We've now got official pictures of the Porsche 911 R, the 911 designed for purists. This manual-only sports car gets the same 493bhp engine as the GT3 RS, and is priced at £136,901.

1010 - Ready for another new car? Time to welcome the Fiat Tipo hatchback and estate. It's based on the saloon of the same name, and both models are coming to the UK. More here.

1005 - Speaking to Lotus boss Jean-Marc Gales in Geneva, Jim Holder says: "Gales revealed that order banks are fuller than at any point in the last six years. Lotus can make a profit if annual sales pass the 2000 mark. Gales says they'll hit that in tax year 2016/17."

1000 - Jim Holder has been for a closer look at the new Lotus 3-Eleven

0957 - Bentley is expanding its product range with a new six-seat version of its Mulsanne. Called the Mulsanne Grand Limousine, it features smart glass inside that allows passengers to switch between clear and opaque for privacy.

0955 - You know, the Geneva motor show isn't all about supercars, as evidenced by the facelifted Peugeot 2008, Volvo V40 and Volkswagen Up. You'll find pictures of all three in the gallery above.

0950 - Mark Tisshaw has hurried over to the Abarth stand to see the new 124 Spider: "Abarth 124 Spider looks far better than the Fiat 124 Spider on which it's based," he says "Harder and faster looking and better resolved, the Abarth 124 even had Jean Alesi purring over it. Jean Alesi."

0945 - We've now got full pictures of the Lamborghini Centenario. This £1.64m supercar features a 759bhp V12 engine, and is based on the Aventador. Just 40 examples will be made.

0940 - Steve Cropley is over at the Volvo stand: "Volvo seem to have imported every Mum's sitting room," he says "Tasteful furniture NOT from Ikea."

0935 - Andrew Frankel has unearthed some more breaking news from Geneva, as Radical will unveil its 700bhp RXC Turbo 500R later today. It is by far the most powerful car ever made by the British manufacturer, and will be built in both road and race guises. Read the full story here.

0930 - A genuine surprise entry to the Geneva motor show, as Abarth drops the new 124 Spider. Officials confirm it will get 168bhp. More details as we get them, but to remind yourself of Fiat's 124 Spider, click here.

0925 - You're all clearly enjoying the new Audi Q2 - it's currently the most popular story on Autocar by a country mile. To see what all the fuss is about, click here.

0920 - As you can see from the gallery above, we've got some more updated pictures of cars on the Geneva show floor. This batch includes the Skoda VisionS, DS E-Tense and Subaru XV. 

0915 - And another blog here from Jesse Crosse, who has been talking to Mark Adams about the Opel GT concept.

0910 - An interesting blog from Julian Rendell here, who wonders whether VW's new minimalist design language could spell the end of the steering wheel.

0900 - Here are the latest pictures of the new Audi Q2 from Geneva. This sub-Q3 crossover is designed to cater for young, urban drivers. First deliveries will start in the autumn, with prices due to start at around £21,000.

0855 - Andrew Frankel is over at the Aston Martin stand, where the new DB11 waits under a cover. "Aston's future lies under this cover and according to one well-placed source, that future is orange... Pics should be worth the wait. Reveal at 12.45 GMT."

0850 - More from SVR boss John Edwards, who says the Range Rover Sport SVR has "significantly exceeded expectations" which makes him "quietly confident" of F-Type SVR sales. Interestingly, though, he won't say how many F-Type SVRs have been sold.

0845 - Jim Holder has been talking to Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations boss John Edwards. You may remember that details of the new Jaguar F-Type SVR leaked via a brochure a few days before its unveiling. "It was a complete accident," he told Autocar "but it's actually been very good for awareness. We got a lot of customer interest earlier than we expected, and although orders have only just formally opened - with production starting the last week of March - were doing very well."

0840 - Mark Tisshaw has been to see the new Q2. "I saw the Q2 under embargo as long ago as 2014. It's the first production car design chief Marc Lichte has had a chance to influence, but we'll have to wait until 2017 and the next-gen A8 to see a Lichte car from scratch. As for the Q2, it still looks too derivative for me, but I've no doubt it'll sell by the bucket load, as it's bang on trend."

0835 - And here we go, this is the first picture of the new Audi Q2. What do you think of it?

0830 - While we wait for those pictures, let's take a closer look at the DS E-Tense concept, the French firm's new all-electric, 402bhp sports car concept.

0825 - And hot on the heels of the Koenigsegg, it's the new Audi Q2. We're waiting for the first images, but you can read the full story here.

0820 - Ready for the next new car unveiling? This is the production version of the Koenigsegg Regera - a hybrid hypercar with, wait for it, 1479bhp. Read the full story.

0815 - Over at the Chevrolet stand, Mark Tisshaw says: "Chevrolet's presence in Europe now begins and ends with the Camaro and Corvette models. Oh, and an expensive sponsorship of Man Utd to promote. It still has a large Geneva stand however, but there are only so many ways of positioning Corvettes without it looking empty... Still, rather that than Orlandos or Sonics."

0805 - Remember the Techrules electric supercar teaser from yesterday? Mark Tisshaw has seen the car ready to be unveiled at the company's Geneva stand. "Techrules is a mysterious Chinese start up promising a turbine hybrid supercar at the show later today," he says "Jaguar tried similar tech with the C-X75 but couldn't get it into production; will the Chinese have better luck?"

0800 - Mark Tisshaw is over at the Spyker stand: "Spyker makes its latest comeback at the Geneva motor show today with the unveiling of its C8 Preliator," he says "The car's under covers at the moment but looks familiar to what's been done by Spyker before. But if it didn't work before, what's going to have changed this time? I'm sure the ever talkative Victor Muller will have the answers later..."

0755 - Here's a blog from Steve Cropley on the opening of the Geneva show. It's the same, he says, but different.

0750 - Ready for the next big car unveiling? Introducing the Honda Civic Concept, which we already know is almost exactly what the 10th-generation Civic will look like. Find out more here.

0745 - Another big reveal overnight is the latest in Ken Block's series of Gymkhana videos, which this time takes him to Dubai. Watch the full video here, alongside our other favourite Block highlights.

0740 - More from Andrew Frankel, who has been talking to outgoing Mercedes-Benz R&D boss Dr Thomas Weber: "He says the company's drive towards autonomous cars is close to the limit of what can be achieved just using on board technology. 'The next really big step will come with widespread availability of the 5G network, then the possibilities become incredible,' he says. These include the car becoming able to 'see' potential hazards out of sight of the driver and not only being able to brake to mitigate crash damage but swerve to avoid it altogether."

0735 - As you can see from the top of this page, we've got our first batch of pictures from the Geneva show floor, including the Pagani Huayra BC, the Audi RS Q3 Performance and the Porsche 718 Boxster.

0730 - Andrew Frankel reports from the show floor: "The new Mercedes-AMG C63 Cabriolet will follow hot on the heels of the C43 Cab revealed in Geneva last night. Originally thought to be revealed at the end of the year, it now seems the car will be unveiled later this month. Like its saloon, coupe and estate sisters, the C63 Cabriolet will be available in both standard and 'S' guises, the additional weight of the convertible roof adding just 0.1sec to the 0-62mph time."

0725 - Over on Honda's stand, there's the new NSX sports car. Cropley says that deliveries in the UK will start in the autumn. Each car costs £130,000.

0720 - Steve Cropley is already at the show: "This F1 design project, the Pininfarina Sigma, was first shown in 1969. The aim was to show what a safe Grand Prix car could be like when F1 was marred by accidents. Ferrari 3.0 engine, 400hp. Not sure why it's here, but still looks great after 47 years."

0715 - The facelifted Mitsubishi ASX has also been revealed. It gets updated styling inside and out, and the option of a new 1.6-litre diesel engine with 112bhp. Find out more here.

0710 - The Black Badge models are based on the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Wratih, and are designed to appeal to younger customers. The Black Badge range will be a permanent addition to the Rolls-Royce line-up.

0705 - Overnight we've seen the new Honda Civic concept, facelifted versions of the Mitsubishi ASX and Mirage, and the all-new Morgan EV3. Full details of those cars in a moment, but let's start with the Rolls-Royce Black Badge models.

Wednesday 1st March 2016, 0700 GMT (0800 Geneva time) - We are back for the opening day of the Geneva motor show, reporting on all the news from the show floor with reporters at every major press conference.

2140 - And with that, we'll bring our live coverage of the Geneva motor show to a close for this evening. There'll be plenty more new cars to come tomorrow, and keep a close eye on Autocar overnight as several key cars are being revealed. For now, though, goodnight.

2135 - Speaking of the VW Group press conference, Mark Tisshaw has written a blog about the event, which he says didn't provide much for car enthusiasts to get their teeth into.

2130 - Here's an interesting tidbit from the VW Group press conference earlier. Audi revealed its vision of how an autonomous car could look in the year 2025, showing off an image of a high-sided, self-driving pod. No technical details were given about the vehicle, but Audi envisaged that its pod could “change a blind person’s life” by providing them with a road-based transport solution that would be otherwise unavailable to them. 

2125 - We'll also see Jaguar's 200mph F-Type SVR in the metal tomorrow. This £110,000 sports car goes on sale this summer in coupé and convertible forms.

2120 - Of course, if you've missed anything today you can catch up with our full Geneva motor show coverage right here.

2115 - It's been said that the front headlights of the new Bugatti Chiron look very similar to those of the Alfa Romeo 159. What do you think?

2110 - Here's one of the cars we're looking forward to tomorrow - Chinese firm Techrules will unveil a new electric supercar concept which features a turbine-based recharging system.

2105 - And three more potential stars, the Lexus LC500h, Ferrari GTC4Lusso and Skoda VisionS.

2100 - Ford's Fiesta ST200 packs 197bhp and acts as a swansong for the current generation of Fiesta.

2055 - Next it's the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet, which will go on sale in the UK this summer.

2050 - Let's recap on some of the day's biggest news, starting with the storming Bugatti Chiron, which was unveiled earlier today.

2045 - Here's a great blog from Jim Holder. He says there's an interesting debate in Geneva surrounding profits versus car sales - get the full story here.

2040 - Let's not forget that tomorrow will bring a whole host of new vehicle debuts, including the Lamborghini Centenario. Fortunately, we've already seen that car thanks to a leaked image.

2035 - The new Phideon is based on the Audi A6, and previews a new design language which VW wants to incorporate on its new high-end saloon models, including the next-generation Phaeton.

2030 - Now it's time for another new vehicle, this is the China-only Volkswagen Phideon. Here's the full story.

2025 - This is a great comparison in Jim Holder's blog on the Bugatti Chiron - here are its key stats versus the Veyron.

2020 - Another big piece of news away from Geneva, as we've driven a prototype version of the new Volvo S90. Volvo's Jaguar XF and BMW 5 Series rival is shaping up to be a very competent car. Read the full review here.

2015 - We're still digesting much of Volkswagen's presentation on future mobility, but the main consensus is that it isn't anything new. Like most manufacturers, VW wants to position itself as a provider of varied and cost-effective mobility solutions, but, like most, it hasn't specified what a 'mobility solution' might involve.

2010 - Remember folks, we'll be posting in-the-metal images of all of these cars in the next few hours, so don't go anywhere. You can also keep up to date by following Autocar on twitter.

2005 - Well, Andrew Frankel's gone and done it. He's asked the big question of the night - out of the Bugatti Chiron and Porsche 911 R, which has the greatest driver appeal? Answers on a postcard, and you can read Frankel's thoughts here.

2000 - And with that, the walls surrounding Müller raise up to reveal the latest VW Group models, including the new Skoda VisionS SUV concept. Read more about that car here.

1955 - For the full story behind Volkswagen's autonomy pitch tonight, read our full story here. The presentation ends with a quote: "the best way to predict the future is to invent it."

1952 - Mark Tisshaw is similarly sceptical: "Volkswagen is the latest brand to not define what mobility actually means. That was quite a jargon-heavy presentation and idealistic. No mention of legislators either."

1951 - Jim Holder has been listening to Volkswagen's presentation. "The speech is strong in terms of language," he says "but has the feeing of an answer a college student would come up with if asked to spell out a vision for car makers. It's all been heard before - the only proof will come with actions."

1950 - VW is also stressing the point that autonomous cars can give time back to drivers while making mobility more accessible and more relaxing than it is currently.

However, as Mark Tisshaw notes: "it's interesting that VW has mentioned nothing of driver pleasure or the driver being able to take back control in its autonomous presentation, which is in stark contrast to others including Ford and Mercedes-Benz."

As other car makers have already pledged to do, Volkswagen says it will reinvent itself from a car manufacturer into a mobility company.

1945 - Key messages from Volkswagen tonight focus on how cities could look by 2025, when autonomous cars are mainstream. As Mark Tisshaw notes, that future is only nine years away. VW says around 1.25 million lives could be saved each year by using autonomous cars, as 91% of accidents are currently down to human error.

1940 - Müller is speaking passionately about the dawn of autonomous driving, saying that the automobile "has the best times ahead of it. VW has a bright future. Building the best cars won't be enough nor having the best software - we must merge both."

1937 - A big focus from Müller on electric models - remember that VW is planning a radical new electric model for 2019, which you can read about here.

1935 - More from Müller: "We will not be paralysed by the crisis. Quite the opposite, we must use it to leapfrog the next technical innovations.

"There will be traditional combustion engines, from three to 16 cylinders and from natural gas to gasoline."

Müller says that automotive industry "will undergo a similarly radical transformation as media, retail and consumer eletronics. Unless we want to be relegated to being a mere hardware maker we must develop like the technology industry. We must think and act quickly, pragmatically and with vision."

Interestingly, Müller believes that, in time, electric cars will be cheaper to buy than conventional models.

1930 - Volkswagen boss Matthias Müller takes to the stage: "We are aware we've breached ethical limits and broken trust. It is all about re-establishing that trust again. 2016 is the year where we intend to solve the problem of our diesel engines and lay the foundations for a better Volkswagen.

"We lay these plans with respect but we are also confident we can resolve it and emerge from the issue stronger than we entered it."

1925 - Tisshaw says that Volkswagen won't be commenting tonight on emissions, a different stance to the apologies which have been commonplace on the North American motor show circuit.

1920 - Mark Tisshaw is waiting for the VW Group night to start. He says: "Volkswagen announcing a hi-tech overhaul in a room where the WiFi doesn't work smacks of irony."

1905 - For the moment, the new C-Class Cabriolet range is topped by the 362bhp Mercedes-AMG C43, but we already know that a convertible version of the storming C63 is planned too. Read more here.

1900 - And here is the next unveiling tonight - introducing the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet. This open-top variant of the new C-Class will go on sale in the UK this summer. Read everything you need to know right here.

1858 - Standby folks, we've got another big reveal for you in just a few minutes. What could it be?

1855 - Mercedes officials confirm that 2016 will see a raft of new models come to market. Interestingly, it's also been confirmed that an extra variant of the Mercedes-AMG GT is on the way - could that be the Mercedes-AMG GT-R, which has already been spotted testing?

1850 - Mercedes-Benz is the next manufacturer to start its pre-show event in Geneva. The first model to take to the stage is the new C43 Cabriolet.

1845 - Interestingly, Ferrari is one of a number of manufacturers saying it wants to aim its models at a younger, more affluent audience. That means cars with more connectivity, more powerful infotainment services and more autonomy than ever before.

1840 - Another potentially star car in Geneva is Ferrari's GTC4Lusso. Previously known as the FF, the GTC4Lusso gets subtle styling upgrades, a more powerful V12 engine and rear-wheel steering. Find out more in our full reveal story.

1835 - The Vauxhall GT is powered by a 144bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine and is about the same size as a Mazda MX-5. Would you like to see a new Vauxhall sports car? See more pictures here.

1820 - As leaks go, few have been as gratuitous as the Aston Martin DB11. We've had plenty of spy pictures of the DB9 successor, but in the past few days these images have given the car an early debut.

1815 - As epic drives go, driving a McLaren 570S from Woking to Geneva is about as good as it gets. Richard Bremner has blogged about his journey, read it here.

1810 - We've also driven the new four-wheel drive version of the BMW 7 Series - here's Nic Cackett's verdict.

1805 - Away from the Geneva show floor, and the business of reviewing cars continues apace here on Autocar. First up, we sent Hemal Mistry to find out if the facelifted Nissan Navara can keep pace with refreshed versions of the Mitsubishi L200 and Ford Ranger. Here's how he got on.

1800 - More on the 911 R - It's been designed for the maximum amount of driver enjoyment. That means Porsche's won't be seeking record-breaking lap times, instead focusing on driver engagement and driving feel.

1755 - Another leak now, as the first images of the Porshe 911 R have hit the web ahead of the car's official unveiling. It features the same 4.0-litre flat six petrol engine as the GT3 RS, and gets unique bodywork and red racing stripes.

1750 - The Fiesta ST200 was revealed a few days ago, acting as a range-topping version of the already powerful Fiesta ST. The ST is already one of our favourite hot hatches, we we can't wait to see what more power and torque does for the car.

1745 - It would be wrong to pick a star car of Geneva when the show hasn't officially opened its doors to the public yet, but Mark Tisshaw thinks the 197bhp Ford Fiesta ST200 could be an early hit. Read his blog here.

1740 - Speaking of the fledgling DS brand, the Geneva show will mark the first public outing for this, the E-Tense. It's an all-electric concept with a range of 224 miles, and receives 402bhp from its electric motors. 

1735 - The establishing of DS as a standalone premium car brand will be built around the revised DS 3, officials have told Jim Holder, with the French brand positioning itself as a niche rival to Audi, BMW and Mercedes Benz. Read the full story here.

1730 - Steve Cropley's opinion on the Car of the Year announcement is that "the Astra is a deserving winner, but a remarkable effort by the Mazda MX-5. Small volume car takes 3rd overall, beating the likes of A4 and XE by a good margin. Very impressive success."

1725 - What makes the new Astra's win today even more impressive is that is saw off competition from the likes of the Mazda MX-5, Jaguar XE, Audi A4 and Volvo XC90 - all very worthy cars.

1720 - The big news this afternoon (apart from the Bugatti Chiron, of course) was the naming of the new Vauxhall Astra as European Car of the Year for 2016. Get the full story here.

1715 - Overhearing Nissan's Paul Wilcox in Geneva, Cropley says his speech will tell the world that "tomorrow's filling station is no filling station at all." Intriguing.

1710 - Steve's been getting in trouble on his wander through the Geneva motor show. "An overzealous Rolls-Royce security man tried to stop me taking this picture," he says "I don't think it gives too much away, do you?"

1705 - Our own Editor in Chief Steve Cropley has managed to sneak into the show early. It's his 35th Geneva motor show: "It's amusing to hear tomorrow's speeches today," he says "as car bosses are in rehearsal."

1700 - Jim Holder says it's currently too cold in Geneva for the city to turn on the famous fountain in Lake Geneva. "Apparently the jet gets blown too far across in high winds," he says "No rain though - that's forecast for Wednesday. Unless it snows. In which case no rain. Either way, expect it to be bloody cold outside."

1655 - More on the taxi strike currently going on in Geneva. Jim Holder says it's to do with Uber being allowed in the city. He notes the timing is deliberate to undermine the motor show. Taxi owners say they will drive as normal tomorrow, however, to avoid upsetting 'the city's relationship with the show.'

1650 - The Maserati Levante is awaiting its global debut in Geneva, name change or not. The Levante is Maserati's first ever SUV model, and will come with the same 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine which already features in the Quattroporte and Ghibli.

1645 - No motor show is complete without a healthy dose of rumour, and the rumours from the Geneva motor show indicate that Maserati may have to change the name of its Levante SUV to Mistral, due to negative connotations of the word. While Levante is the Italian word for a piece of the Ligurian coastline near Genoa, other historical definitions include the geographical name for Syria and Palestine and the French name for the area that covers Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Cyprus and Turkey – at least five of which are bad-news hotspots today.

1640 - Aside from its outrageous power reserves, this image reminds us that, like the Veyron, the Bugatti Chiron is envisioned as being a luxurious grand tourer too.

1635 - Now that the Bugatti Chiron is out, doesn't the Vision Gran Turismo concept car look familiar? Officials admit the concept was a teaser for the new road car.

1633 - More from Jim Holder, who is at the Bugatti Chiron's unveiling: "The carbonfibre monocoque used in the Chiron is the of the same standard as Audi and Porsche LMP1 cars, and its development included 500,000km of development testing and 300 hours in the wind tunnel. A total of 30 test cars were built while it was honed."

1627 - Announcing the Chiron in Geneva, Bugatti boss Wolfgang Dürheimer said: "Where others have stopped Bugatti has gone one step further. We have taken the boundaries even further - there are no boundaries we haven't pushed. The Chiron is a new superlative in the automotive world."

1624 - Of course, with the new Chiron now out we should remember its older brother, the Veyron. As the poster child for an entire generation of car lovers, the Veyron deserves its place in history. Here are some of our very best Veyron moments.

1618 - And here are our first shots of the new Bugatti Chiron in the metal. It's clearly more aggressive than the old Veyron, but what do you think of it?

1615 - Jim Holder blogs from the Bugatti Chiron's unveiling - here's why we should celebrate the new Chiron.

1610 - Reaction to the new Bugatti Chiron is overwhelmingly positive, so let's dig a little deeper into this new king of hypercars. The Chiron is powered by a quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 engine - a revised version of the engine used in the Veyron - but with power boosted to 1479bhp. Bugatti says it can sprint to 62mph in less than 2.5sec, and it has a top speed of 261mph. 

1605 - Jim Holder is at the Bugatti Chiron's unveiling, here's his front-row view of the new car.

1600 - And here it is. This is the Bugatti Chiron. It's the 1479bhp, 261mph successor to the Bugatti Veyron. Read everything you need to know in our full story, here.

1557 - Stand by everyone, Bugatti coming up next...

1554 - Landing in Geneva today, Autocar's Editorial Director Jim Holder noted that there's currently a taxi strike in the city. "They are negotiating to end it for tomorrow," he said "Lots of long faces and - reportedly - embarrassment among even the famously snooty city bosses that it coincides with the car show."

1549 - That image of the Lamborghini Centenario was published on social media, and depicts the £1.64 million hypercar in all its glory. The centenario builds on the styling of the Huracan, and is understood to be powered by a 690bhp version of the Aventador's 6.5-litre V12 engine. 

1546 - While we wait for the real Bugatti Chiron to be unveiled, which we understand will be in the next few minutes, let's take a look at another car to have been given an internet debut before Geneva - this is the Lamborghini Centenario.

1543 - One of the biggest stories from the Geneva motor show so far is the Bugatti Chiron. Technical specs for the car have leaked to the internet less than an hour before its official enveiling. The specs show the car will be powered by a quad-turbo W16 engine which produces an astounding 1500bhp. Find out more here.