Maserati Quattroporte GT S Awards Edition

News in Geneva week always comes thick and fast, and now it’s the turn of Maserati who have made a special edition Quattroporte. Named the Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards Edition, it is based on their Quattroporte Sport GT S with some special touches to make it that bit more special.

The car comes in an all-new Quarzo Fuso colour with a burnished chrome trim and twenty-inch wheels and polished stainless steel brake calipers. The interior features an alcantara headliner and seats made of supple Poltrona Frau leather with alcantara centres. The trim is done in black satin finish wood whilst the door sills are presented in brushed aluminium – it certainly looks and feels special.

The all-new Cayenne S Hybrid

Following the news a few weeks ago that Porsche will be launching their first Hybrid racecar, news of a much more attainable Porsche with Hybrid power has been released – the all-new Cayenne…

Lighter, more fuel efficient – boasting an increased wheelbase (40mm) and a longer overall length (48mm), this new Cayenne actually looks really good.

The Cayenne S Hybrid combines a supercharged 3.0-litre petrol V6 and an electric motor to give “the performance of an eight-cylinder with the economy of a six-cylinder running on much less fuel… at 193g/km, the Cayenne S Hybrid is not only the cleanest version of the Cayenne with the lowest level of emissions, but also the cleanest Porsche throughout the Company’s entire portfolio.”

The new Cayenne will also be available in the familiar V6 and V8 engines too – the diesel offers 240bhp and 405lb ft of torque from its 3.0-litre V6, reducing fuel consumption by 20 per cent, to 38.2mpg. Fuel consumption is also down in the Cayenne S, with its 4.8-litre V8 engine, this time by 23 per cent to 26.9mpg – although power is up from 385bhp to 400bhp.  And then there’s the monster Cayenne Turbo, with its 500bhp 4.8-litre V8 biturbo, claiming an impressive 27.6mpg.

Sales of the new Cayenne are scheduled from 8 May in Europe. Let’s hope they can organise the new Cayenne for our Dubai trip in November…

Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid

The 80th International Geneva Motor Show sees Lotus Engineering unveil the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid concept, a high performance technology demonstrator with a plug-in series hybrid drive system and new technologies for ‘enhanced driver involvement’.

For everyday commuting journeys, up to 35 miles can be travelled using battery power. The battery can be charged overnight using a conventional domestic mains supply through a socket concealed by the rear number plate. This permits the vehicle to operate with zero tailpipe emissions. For longer journeys, exceeding the battery capacity, the highly efficient range extender engine is used as a generator to supply the motor with electrical power and top up the battery.

• 0-60 mph/97 kph in under 4 seconds
• Total hybrid range of over 300 miles/483 kilometres – electric-only range of 35 miles
• Eco-mode or Sports-mode featuring simulated 7-speed paddle shift
• HALOsonic Sound Synthesis – simulated engine sounds through speakers mounted inside and at front and rear of the car – choose from V6, V12 or ‘futuristic electric’ car sounds
• Torque vectoring for improved dynamic stability
• Integrated glass roof and engine cover and interior concept from Lotus Design

So if you fancy an electric car that can do 0-60mph in under 4 seconds with a range of 35 miles, that simulates gearshifts with a V12 speaker system, then this is the car for you.