Autoblog UK

"Sticking to the road like glue" is hardly a new adage for a Ferrari Testarossa, but "sticking to the road like a rock" certainly sounds like a fresh approach! Nevertheless, a Testarossa carved in stone can now actually be found in someone's garden. You have to do a double take; is it a Stone Age excavation? No, it really is a sculpture that has been created by two artists with a penchant for eccentric projects. The artists, Daniel Dewar and Gregory Gicquel, have already worked together on such unusual projects as a Nike trainer, a BMX bike, electric guitars, skateboards and motorbike helmets – all of them made from wood.

Their work has been exhibited worldwide and now their Ferrari Testarossa hewn from stone has arrived in the art world. The red racer's distinctive features are immediately recognisable and are worth a look at in the gallery.

Every year there is a new title in the Need for Speed game console series. Although the previous game Undercover was a flop, leading to rumours that the series would be discontinued, the next version is due to come out this year.

Need for Speed SHIFT is a pure racing simulation which has completely steered away from arcade-style driving and this new release concentrates on quality again. The game is being developed by Slightly Mad Studios, who have already worked on the GT Legends and GTR 2 games. Since SHIFT concentrates on professional motorsport, fans can look forward to a wide range of racing cars. It is not only the cars that handle themselves fantastically well in street traffic, but also the characters of the drivers, although this time the vehicles can't be individually tuned. Two further versions are in the pipeline: Need for Speed WORLD ONLINE and NITRO; Nitro being an arcade racing game for both the Wii and DS.

The brand new Toyota Verso was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Toyota has shed the old name of Corolla-Verso and is simply calling its new compact MPV the Verso. But otherwise little else has been lost. The car has grown by seven centimetres to 4.44 metres and the wheel base has been extended by 3 centimetres. These adjustments provide more space in the newly designed interior and the Verso now offers 32 different seating combinations, which make it an extremely flexible vehicle. Even when all seven seats are in use, there are still 178 litres of available boot space. Overall, very little has been changed in the basic shape of the car, with only the side view and roof line having been tweaked a little.

Originally, this car was the unique preserve of car game punters. But then, the guys at Citroën shoved their game controllers to one side to play on with their CADきゃど programs instead. With the "GtbyCitroen" concept car, the marque with the well-known double chevrons is showing a really different sports car. As the name suggests, this vehicle is conceived as their interpretation of a Gran Turismo. A model of the same name is to be found in the "Gran Turismo 5 Prologue" game which enjoys great popularity among joystick jockeys. The game version of the car has electric drive with a fuel cell, but what is concealed beneath the bonnet of the actual concept car has not been revealed yet.

The design follows a new direction with its length of 4.96 metres and 2.08 metres and the exaggeratedly long tail fin is supposed to contribute an optical illusion of higher speed for the car, while the driver himself is provided with the true facts from a head-up display. It is said that a diesel hybrid drive by the name of HYmotion4 will be used, providing a fuel consumption of almost 63mpg.

The new Kia mini-MPV concept, called the Kia No 3, has its world premiere at the 79th Geneva Motor Show. According to the manufacturer, the new Kia No 3 concept combines design with the pleasure of driving and with this car, Kia wants to inject new style into the mini-MPV market. Its distinctive radiator grille, headlights and Kia logo are a particularly eye-catching combination. This concept car is distinguished by its over-sized windscreen which flows almost seamlessly into the panoramic glass roof, complete with an automatic sun visor. This model reveals the new face of Kia and has new white styling accents on the sides.

It goes without saying that men go to motor shows to marvel at the latest offerings. But as well as the amazing cars, there are also lots of girls on the stands presenting the newest innovations. Some men may even go to motor shows simply on account of the beautiful girls, but that of course is just a story invented by women. Naturally you tell your wife or girlfriend that you are only going for the dream cars on display; and you speak of these vehicles as models - and with that you are in the clear.

Making economies and being environmentally friendly: what would a car show be without models that laugh at the worldwide economical crisis? If a major group like Volkswagen celebrates the birthday of one of its subsidiaries that happens to be celebrating its centenary, then environmental issues can arguably be briefly overlooked. Here, we are of course talking about the VW subsidiary Bugatti, who presented an exclusive one-off Bugatti Veyron at the Geneva Motor Show. The gallery contains some pics of this 1001bhp monster. Have them on us!

Nissan brought its future mini SUV along to the Geneva Motor Show. At some 4 metres in length, the "Qazana" concept car is reminiscent of a dune buggy that you could have seen during the Dakar Rally. The trend for a 'Smiley Face" can also be seen at Nissan and the rounded front design brings a new style to small four-wheel drives. Although it is not readily noticeable at first glance, the Qazana is a five-door car, which is why it's worthwhile checking out the photos in the gallery to discover the Nissan's finer details. Whether the series version will also show these striking lines when it rolls off the assembly lines in Sunderland from 2010 will doubtless be determined by reactions in Geneva to this concept.

After 12 years, Audi is bring a five-cylinder mill to market again. The new Audi TT RS will be equipped with this turbo engine and should be available from dealers from the middle of next year having celebrated its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. The direct injection turbo will deliver over 300bhp, sprinting from 0 to 60 in under five seconds and racing on ahead until the electronic speed regulator kicks in at around 155mph. Treat yourself to the first pictures of the 50,000 euro Audi in the gallery.

So are there any selling points that can be made for this rocket? Well, let's start with speed. The performance is at F1 level and with 700 horses to hand, this monstrosity takes 3 seconds to burst from 0 to 60. In just under 9 seconds you will be cruising comfortably at 125mph. The power pack is a modified bi-turbo Audi V8 that selectively pumps out 650, 700 or 800bhp. The choice of an Audi engine was in the hands of company founder Roland Gumpert, who once managed Audi-Sport. The price is not yet known, but with the basic model already costing over 300,000 euros, you can certainly count on having to shell out over a wee bit more for the Speed version.