In less than two weeks time, the Geneva Motor Show will open its doors for the press and public. It is one of the last major motor shows to have kept its allure and as such many major car launches are expected. Today, we have made a round-up of the cars due in Geneva that have been announced this week. The most powerful of these is the Techart GTstreet RS. Limited to just ten examples, it is the final hurrah of the 991 generation Porsche 911. It is based on the Turbo S model, with power lifted by close to 190 bhp to a staggering 760 bhp. In addition to the raised performance, the GTstreet RS also boasts a very wild bodykit.
Among the show cars announced are the Peugeot 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered Concept and a yet to be named Kia All-Electric Concept.
Audi, meanwhile, announced the TDI version of the SQ5 announced in 2017. It features a sophisticated, 342 bhp V6 engine that combines a turbocharger with an electric powered compressor that is driven by energy harvested during deceleration.
The first of the pair of four-day Formula 1 test sessions was concluded yesterday. Grabbing particularly attention for all the wrong reasons was Williams Racing. For reasons still unknown, the team's FW42 was not ready to get on track until halfway through the third day of testing. During the remainder of the test, the FW42 was the slowest of the cars on track but hopefully the team will be able to catch up with the rest of the field before the season starts in earnest.

The 2019 Formula 1 season has kicked off in earnest this week with the first of a pair of four-day tests in Barcelona. One of the teams that certainly hit the ground running was McLaren with the new MCL34 Renault. In the team's quest to finally become a podium contender again, Carlos Sainz yesterday clocked the second fastest time and more importantly recorded well over 100 laps. The young Spaniard was eclipsed by the Ferrari SF90 of Sebastian Vettel, which recorded both the fastest time and also completed the most laps. There were also two old teams in new guises out on track with the Alfa Romeo Racing C38 Ferrari and the Racing Point RP19 Mercedes. Revealed just minutes before the action got underway yesterday morning was the Haas VF 19 Ferrari that boasts a new Rich Energy livery.
Today, Ford launched the ST version of the latest generation Focus. It combines a 276bhp version of the familiar EcoBoost engine with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Marking the company's 100th anniversary, Citroën have offered the first glimpse of the Ami One Concept due to be launched at the Geneva Motor Show early in March. The compact show car is a spiritual successor to the 2CV and is designed to 'free up urban mobility for everyone.'

The launches of Formula 1 continued this week and yesterday, Ferrari revealed the new SF90. Named to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Scuderia Ferrari, it is a development of what was arguably the fastest 2018 Grand Prix car. In addition to the changes made to comply with the revised regulations, it also boasts a revised cooling architecture, which allows a smaller and more efficient engine cover.
McLaren meanwhile took the wraps off the MCL34 Renault, which the British racing car builder hopes will finally bring the team to the sharp end of the grid. Compared to last year's car, it features a revised livery with additional blue touches reminiscent of classic McLaren racing cars like the M20 Chevrolet Can-Am machine.
This week, some interesting road cars were announced. Among them was the Bentayga Speed, which Bentley claims is the fastest SUV in the world. This comes courtesy of a 626bhp version of the venerable W12 engine. The Bentayga Speed can accelerate to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and on to a 306 km/h top speed.
Further announcements include an all new Alpina B7 and a first glimpse of the MINI John Cooper Works GP that is due to debut later this year.

Next Monday, the Formula 1 season will kick off with the first official four-day test session at Barcelona. Today we offer a first glimpse of what the cars that will be testing at the Circuito de Catalunya will look like. One of the most highly anticipated machines for 2019 is most definitely the Red Bull Racing RB15. Fitted with the Honda power unit, this is the first Red Bull Racing car not powered by a Renault-built engine in over a decade. In addition to the new engine, the team also has a revised driver line-up with Max Verstappen joined in 2019 by Pierre Gasly. The latter's old team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, already revealed their new STR14 yesterday. Sharing the driving duties for the Red Bull junior squad this year will be old hand Daniil Kvyat who makes a return to the team and newcomer Alexander Albon.
Unquestionably set to star at the sharp end of the grid will be the Mercedes-Benz W10 EQ Power+, which like the RB15 already briefly ran for a filming session this morning. It is the latest in a line of Grand Prix cars that has won the World Championship every year since 2014, so the W10 will start the year as the car to beat.
Over the last few seasons, Renault has gradually moved up the field and with the R.S. 19 unveiled yesterday, the French team aims to score regular podium finishes. To give the final push, Renault managed to pry Daniel Ricciardo away from Red Bull Racing to join Nico Hulkenberg.
At Williams, there is a new livery as shown on this mock-up FW42 courtesy of new title sponsor RoKIT and also a new driver line-up with Robert Kubica finally making a return to F1 racing. He is joined by the highly regarded Mercedes-Benz junior driver George Russell, who makes his F1 debut.

Last week, all eyes were on Paris for the annual Retromobile show and the three major auctions held during the week. Held for the 44th time this year, the event rarely fails to impress and this year certainly was no exception. Among the many amazing cars on display last week were the very first motorised vehicle built by Ettore Bugatti, the unique Group 5 Ferrari 308 GTB, no fewer than three Mercedes-Benz CLK GTRs, the oldest Bentley in existence and the world's largest truck. In addition to the five-day show in the Paris Expo there were three auctions. The official Retromobile sale was organised by local specialist Artcurial and grabbed the headlines this year by selling this superb Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta for €16.7 million. It is one of just five built and was offered in highly original condition and from an over 40-year single ownership.
Having not missed an edition since 2003, we were in Paris for a couple of days to capture all the highlights. The results is this detailed report, illustrated by a 210-shot gallery complemented by a further three 80-shot galleries from the respective auctions.

All eyes in the historic motoring world are on Paris this week because of the Retromobile show and associated sales. We were also in the city of lights to capture the highlights and will follow up with a detailed report early next week. Today we take a look at the first two auctions staged on Wednesday and Thursday. First up is the RM Sotheby's sale that kicked off the action this week. The 86-lot, €32 million sale was topped by the Ferrari F40 LM, which found a new owner for just over €4.8 million.
Yesterday, British auction Bonhams held their annual Les Grandes Marques du Monde sale in the fabulous Grand Palais. With a 67% sell-through rate, the sale totalled €11.4 million. The top seller in the Grand Palais was the Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet A that was offered by the Jordan royal family, having been cherished for many years by the late King Hussein.
Aston Martin Lagonda have offered a first glimpse of what is to come in Geneva next month with a teaser image of the Lagonda All-Terrain Concept. The show car serves as a preview of an upcoming Lagonda production car.