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Geneva motor show 2008

Thanks to its 2-litre diesel hybrid powertrain, the Land Rover LRX emits just 120g/km of carbon dioxide

04 March 2008

The future is bright, the future is green – or so it seems at the Geneva Motor Show, where the next generation of eco-friendly cars have been unveiled.

With pace, brutal designs and some sort of fuel efficiency, Adrian Hearn rounds up Geneva’s green machines.

View our Geneva motor show 2008 green cars slide show

Audi R8 TDI Le Mans

Unveiled in Detroit, the Audi R8 TDI is the world’s first diesel-powered supercar – boasting the same performance figures as the petrol-powered R8. In the metal it’s stunning – featuring a much more aggressive stance than the normal R8, with the front of the car dominated by a huge grille.

And while the car is not officially going into production, there has been a huge amount of interest in the diesel supercar.

Critics lambaste diesel sports carmakers for concentrating on fuel economy but the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans proves diesels can match the performance of their petrol siblings.

Spectacular Audi R8 diesel unveiled

Audi R8 diesel - from racetrack to road

The ultimate supercar guides: the Audi R8

Land Rover LRX

If it goes into production, the Land Rover LRX will change motoring – and particularly the view all 4x4s are gas-guzzling monsters. The LRX looks stunning – futuristic, but still noticeably a Land Rover.

The best part? Thanks to its 2-litre diesel hybrid powertrain, the Land Rover LRX emits just 120g/km of carbon dioxide – meaning no London congestion charge when the rules change in October. It won’t be on sale until later on in the year, but in black or white it’s the coolest 4x4 by far.

High polluting cars face £25 congestion charge

Congestion charge beaters for under £10k

Koenigsegg CCXR

The 1,018bhp Koenigsegg CCXR is green, kind of.

It won’t do many miles to the gallon and will emit more carbon dioxide than most cars – but it runs on biofuel, which is good enough for us.

At more than £1 million a pop, the Koenigsegg CCXR is one of the world’s most expensive cars.

And if it’s anything like the 806bhp Koenigsegg CCX, which Top Gear’s The Stig lost control of, it’s not just a car for the well-healed, but also for the seriously brave.

Bugatti-beating Koenigsegg

View our Geneva motor show 2008 green cars slide show

Rinspeed sQuba

Switzerland isn’t well known for its car industry, but we were pleasantly surprised to see the Rinspeed sQuba on show. It looks like a Lotus, but with a difference – the sQuba can be driven underwater.

It’s powered by an electric motor so there are no harmful gases coming from its exhaust, and it will hit 74mph.

But you’re unlikely to see the Rinspeed sQuba making waves around Weston Super Mare this summer – the concept car costs £750,000.

The Weird World of Wheels: Rinspeed sQuba

Audi TT TDI

Audi clearly sees diesel as the future for sports cars, with the world debut of the Audi TT TDI, a car which will hit forecourts this summer. Billed as the first bona fide diesel sports car, the Audi TT TDI has a 2-litre diesel engine which will accelerate the TT from 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds while averaging 51.3mpg.

BMW X5 Hybrid

BMW did it with the X3 and now they’ve fitted a hybrid powertrain to the X5. It might only average 43.5mpg and emit 172g/km of carbon dioxide but it’s not bad for a big 4x4 which will still get to 62mph from standing in 8.2 seconds.

Saab 9-X BioHybrid

Turbocharger and biopower = explosive performance, even from a 1.4-litre engine.

The Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept is a four-door breadvan-style motor which produces 200bhp. It has the unmistakable Saab front and also rolls on 21-inch alloys. The best bit? It also has a hybrid motor which is charged when the car brakes.

Performance is good as well - a top speed of 134mph, while only emitting 105g/km, less than a Citroen C1.

C1 car review

View our Geneva motor show 2008 green cars slide show

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