Geneva Motor Show: Round-up Report

The sheer scale of this year's Geneva show has made strolling the Palexpo's cavernous halls a dazzling experience. The Swiss international motor show has few peers even in its quiet years, but the current event will take some beating.

Almost every manufacturer unveiled a major new model or update, and thanks to the proliferation of innovative hybrid technology there were even interesting specimens at the stands of lesser known manufacturers.

Yesterday's press conferences circled the show in a hyperactive swirl of activity. As we reported, Audi and Mercedes called on the biggest celebrity names at their disposal to lend their glittery presence to proceedings. Arguably, Timberlake trumped Schumacher for outrageous levels of press attention, but the F1 legend managed to exit the stage with considerably more dignity than the popstar, who had to be hustled from the stage by his hired muscle as the paparazzi descended.

In terms of the cars behind the stars, the Audi A1 was an unequivocal attention getter. The premium hatchback might not be the most exciting prospect visually, but just sitting in the car's fantastically well finished interior assures you that Ingolstadt are likely to have another major hit on their hands.