Geneva Motor Show Preview: Ferrari F12 and Evoque Convertible

The Geneva Motor Show kicks off on 6 March and it is expected to be a bumper year, with new cars expected from all of the major manufacturers.

From the all-new, fastest-ever Ferrari F12 and an even faster Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, to the first-ever convertible Range Rover and the stunning Hyundai i-oniq concept, the Geneva show promises to be spectacular.

One of the undisputed highlights of the week will be the all-new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. With its long nose, aggressive front end and muscular haunches, the F12 looks stunning.

And packing a 6.3-litre V12 producing 730bhp, it is also the most powerful Ferrari ever produced, eclipsing the current most powerful - the 599 GTO - by a full 60bhp.

Ferrari has upped the power over the 599 and also reduced the weight - the F12 weighs in at 1525kg, a full 70kg lighter than the older model.

All of this means that the Ferrari F12 can accelerate from rest to 62mph (100km/h) in just 3.1 seconds and on to a top speed of "over 340kph" (212mph), making it the fastest car ever produced in the Maranello stables.

When compared to its predecessor, the F12 is 47mm shorter, 20mm narrower and sits 63mm lower than the 599 - all of this helps to lower the car's centre of gravity, which leads to greater stability in the corners.

That V12 engine - which revs to a is mated to an F1 dual-clutch gearbox capable of changing gear in the blink of an eye with the steering-wheel mounted paddles. Alternatively, it can be left it automatic mode.

The F12 is expected to cost upwards of £250,000 when it goes on sale early next year.

Land Rover will use the Geneva Motor Show next week to debut the Range Rover Evoque convertible concept, which the company announced last month.

The Evoque has been a huge success since it went on sale in late 2011, winning a slew of awards from the motoring press, including Top Gear Magazine's Car of The Year, and both the three- and five-door models have gone down a storm.

While the convertible remains a concept and may never see its way into your local showroom, Land Rover said the car will "explore the potential for the world's first premium convertible SUV" and that the decision to produce the convertible or not could be made within six weeks of the Geneva show.

Land Rover has released soft-top models in the past; the original Defenders all has removal canvas roofs and the original Freelander came in both hard- and soft-top versions when it was launched in 1997.

But the Evoque convertible would be the first to feature a fully collapsible roof - which we have no doubt will anger the off-roading purists, more so than the Victoria Beckham-designed Evoque did when it was first announced.

Even if the green light is given for the Evoque convertible, it would take an estimated two years of development before the car was production-ready - and Land Rover has said that 75kg of strengthening would be required to stiffen the chassis and A-pillars.

Design director Gerry McGovern said, as reported by Autocar: "The Evoque lends itself beautifully to the idea of a convertible. This study is not a traditional convertible design execution - instead we have worked with the balance of the Evoque's lines to retain its distinctive shape and create something that is unique and, we believe, highly desirable."

The Geneva Motor Show kicks off on 6 March and International Business Times UK will be reporting on all of the biggest announcements with statements from the major manufacturers and image galleries from the show.