This year’s Geneva Motor Show was definitely smaller than last year’s, but despite the show’s focus on all things green, one thing that didn’t get smaller was the horsepower rating of the engine in the latest Brabus super coupe. Dubbed simply the E V12 Coupe, it is based on the latest generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class and features another twin-turbo V12, this time displacing 6.3 liters and producing 800 horsepower and 1047 lb-ft torque. Brabus quotes a 0-100 km/h time of just 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 230 mph for this black beast.

Besides the upgraded engine, the E V12 Coupe also benefits from larger brakes, a Brabus-spec coilover suspension system, 19-inch wheels and a healthy dose of carbon fiber. The front spoiler, grille, front and rear fenders, rear diffuser, intake system, interior trim and seats are all made from the lightweight material. European buyers have first crack at it, needing 478,000 Euros (approximately $650,000 using today’s exchange rate) to secure one. In case you were wondering, that’s more than the cost of 13 regular E-Class Coupes.

Funky urban youth brand Scion has never made the boat ride to Oz, but we are getting a new Toyota model branded for the young urban assaulters, and the local arm of the Japanese giant says the car is “a bit like Vegemite: it’s an acquired taste.”

Indeed.

The Rukus is due here mid-year, and a little info and an abstract image have been previewed to the public.

Fitting the uber-cool ‘urban utility vehicle’ tag, the Rukus is a boxy compact crossover intended to lure new young people into the Toyota brand.

Similar to Scion, the Rukus will have a long list of options and extras such as different paint schemes and a wide selection of full-sic rims.

In light of recent events, it looks like Toyota’s image overhaul has now kicked up a notch or two.

Last year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance featured a special class honoring Morgan’s centenary, celebrating the tiny British automaker’s hundred years of building classic sportscars. Lest people forget that Morgan is still producing new cars, the company announced that it is going to use Pebble Beach as a stage this August, saying that they will debut a new 2+2 concept during the annual classic car festivities.

Details are still scarce on the vehicle, but Autocar seems to think the concept will preview a new production model that Morgan hopes to put into production in 2012 or 2013. Like its siblings, the engine bay of the new Morgan should feature a BMW drivetrain, although we are being told that this latest Morgan will be positioned somewhere below the brand’s range-topping Aero model.

In less than a month, the world will again find out what a global handful of judges consider to be the best of the best from the 2009 crop.

As one of the 59 judges, this writer welcomes the announcement more than most. Though we have chosen our selected few finalists some time ago, it won’t be until April Fool’s day that the winning vote will be announced, and none of us know which it will be.

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A rather controversial opening round of the Australian Rally Championship was played out last weekend, where the right rubber for the unpredictable north-western coast around Burnie, Tasmania, would prove crucial for the ARC title.

The first round of our gravel rally championship is actually a tarmac surface, with some short blasts around super-special street stages and farmland punctuated by long, windy mountain climbs and descents. Newly extended by 5km, the 30km Savage River and Savage River reverse stage made up almost half of the rally’s competitive kilometres - and it was here, on the punishing coarse-chip mountain gravel that the real controversy began.

The debut of a new pairing is always inconsistent to begin with, and most competitors found the availability of the new Kumho control tyres with the right compound and width to be a rally-changing issue.

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What is going on over in Gaydon these days? It seems Aston Martin was synonymous with grand touring not too long ago, with some of the most beautiful luxury sportscars and GT rides around. Nowadays you’re just as likely to find an SUV, four-door or tiny urban car on their show stand. The Rapide four-door is undoubtedly gorgeous, and will no doubt perform spectacularly, but what are they thinking when they show something like the Lagonda crossover concept? Neither beautiful, nor sporty, it was quickly panned by those who saw it, criticized for being way too big and ungainly. Perhaps overreacting to those critics, Aston Martin is now going the other way and showing something that seems to be way too small to wear the famous DB wings.

The little commuter car they have dubbed the Cygnet, is based on the Toyota iQ, and is intended as a sort of land-bound-dinghy for A-M owners who need something a bit more manageable in the city. As odd as it may sound the idea has some merit, especially when you consider how well the premium Mini Cooper sells. Those who have seen the Cygnet in person at this month’s Geneva Motor Show have said that the fit and finish on the Cygnet look suitably Aston. It takes many of the Aston Martin styling cues and shrinks them down to a pocket-rocket-sized mini-me. It might have the looks, but it certainly won’t have the moves of the bigger Aston Martin models.

Lotus and Cosworth – Each of those words elicit memories of the golden era of racing, of very special road and race cars, of powerful, lightweight engines and sweet-handling sportscars. Combined, the two names elicit thoughts of world domination.

Well, the two renowned British automotive names are set to indeed be linked, the companies announcing a strategic partnership to “develop high performance engines for Lotus road and race cars.” Cosworth will apparently tune the Toyota engines currently being used in the Lotus range. The first joint project to come of this marriage will be the new Lotus Evora Cup racing car, powered by a Cosworth-tuned Toyota V6 engine.

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Evora Carbon Concept

The 80th Geneva Motor Show is now open to the press and sitting smack dab in the middle of the Lotus booth is one extra special Evora. The company, known for their mantra of “adding lightness,” have added a healthy dose of carbon fiber to create this Evora Carbon Concept.

Lotus’ motorsport pedigree is said to be the inspiration for this particular special, with its exposed carbon fiber accented roof, nose, tail and sills, and a more aggressive carbon diffuser. The striking white concept car is finished in “an advanced water based pearlesent paint” that combine nicely to create that great Stormtrooper look.

The interior of the Evora Carbon Concept gets some carbon fiber of its own, along with perforated black leather and generous swathes of gray alcantara covering the footwell, dashboard and roof.

Other changes from the standard Evora include diamond cut forged 19” alloy wheels front and rear, shod with Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres (235/35 wide front and 285/30 wide rear).

No word on whether or not the Evora Carbon Concept will see production, but we’re going to go ahead and say it probably will, or at least parts of it will.

The hotly-anticipated Ferrari 599 Hybrid, which the Italian automaker has confirmed for the Geneva Motor Show next week, just got its virtual debut a bit early thanks to the interwebs. The legendary maker of sports and racing cars, so closely associated with Italian racing red, decided to show how green their latest project is by painting it…green.

No new information on the car has been released yet, but we already know that the Ferrari 599 Hybrid will employ a version of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that originally debuted during the 2009 Formula 1 season. The system captures the energy that is normally lost to the flywheel under braking, transferring it to the wheels when the driver activates a button on the steering wheel. Don’t expect Prius-like mileage from this hybrid, just an extra dose of performance on demand.

Pagani Zonda Tricolore

Perhaps as a way of saying goodbye to the Zonda as it makes way for the upcoming C9 replacement, Pagani will be showing a special edition Zonda Tricolore at the Geneva Motor Show next week. Tricolore is a reference to the Italian flag, the country where Horatio builds his hypercars. The flag’s red, white and green hues should be familiar to anyone who has seen a Ferrari Challenge Stradale.

The Tricolore edition actually honors the Italian air force aerobatics team, Frecce Tricolori. Based on the already-exclusive Zonda Cinque, the Tricolore features a special carbon-titanium weave that has been left bare, save a blue-tinted lacquer. Red, white and green stripes run from the nose to the tail, passing by the car’s unique vertical fin air intakes along the way.

Should you come upon the Tricolore at night, you might be able to differentiate it by its LED running lights which are also unique to the Tricolore edition. Only one example will be built and it will be priced accordingly at 1.3 million euros, or about $1.75 million at current exchange rates.