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Photos: Cars show speed and style in Geneva

At the Geneva Auto Show, carmakers flaunt jet fighter designs and lots of horsepower.
By Bill Detwiler, Contributor
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Geneva car show

At the 76th International Motor Show in Geneva, carmakers from around the world are vying for attention with speed and style--and even practicality.

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Koenigsegg CCX

The Koenigsegg CCX certainly has speed on its side. With 806 horsepower from its V-8 engine, it'll go from zero to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and hit speeds up to 245 mph.

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Tramonata

One of the most radical new designs at the Geneva show is based on Formula 1 racers. The Tramonata's cockpit is modeled after a jet fighter's. The car may not ever take to the air, but it will hit a top speed of 186 mph.

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Rinspeed zaZen

Rinspeed's Zazen concept car, created by Swiss designer Frank M. Rinderknecht, made its debut at the Geneva show. Plastics manufacturer Bayer MaterialScience contributed to the car design with a roof dome made of transparent Makrolon. This enables the third brake light to shine a holographic image out of the hardtop.

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Fiat Grande Punto

The Fiat Grande Punto is one of the first cars to come equipped with Microsoft's "Blue and Me" voice command technology based on Windows Mobile for Automotive software. A push-to-talk button on the steering wheel (right) enables drivers to control Bluetooth mobile phones by voice commands. It also includes an audio GPS location device that will give directions turn by turn.

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Ford S-Max

Ford is showing off S-Max for the European market. The car has new technology that helps going up steep hills by allowing the driver to release the brake pedal and step on the accelerator without slipping back. CNET's Wayne Cunningham, reporting from Geneva, is impressed by the vehicle's new interface.

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Nissan Pivo

The eye-catching Nissan Pivo, also seen earlier at the Tokyo Motor Show is a concept electric car that has a body which revolves 360 degrees so you never have to put the car in reverse.

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EDAG Biwak

Design firm EDAG looked to the classics for its Biwak model. This concept car is based on Volkswagen's Beetle but is stretched to add more room.

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Karmann SUC

Remember the Karmann Ghia? One of the companies has a concept Karmann SUC, or "sport utility cabrio," is getting raves from reviewers. Rumor has it that it will be put into production soon.

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Lotus Exige S

Lotus introduces the Exige S with a 218 horsepower, supercharged four-cylinder motor which will race from zero to 100 mph in 9.9 seconds.

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