A vision of the future from the 2016 Geneva Motor Show

Editor’s Note: This story was written by car expert and writer Gareth Herincx. All opinions expressed are his own.

Story highlights

The Geneva Motor Show is one of the most important car expo's in the world

This year's show saw debuts from Bugatti, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini and Aston Martin

The event runs from March 3-13

CNN  — 

From supercars to concepts, and state-of-the-art automotive tech to world premieres, the Geneva Motor Show has it all. The 86th Geneva International Motor Show this year is no exception.

While hypercars from Bugatti and Koenigsegg are the have certainly stolen the headlines, there’s plenty more to adore.

Where better to start than the glamor of the fastest car in the world? The wait for the successor to the legendary Bugatti Veyron is finally over: All hail the $2.6-million Chiron.

It develops an enormous 1,479bhp, thanks to its two V8s bolted together to form a W16, and is boosted by four turbochargers. Capable of 261 miles per hour, the Chiron is faster and more powerful from the Veyron, and looks oh so cool in blue.

However, Swedish outfit Koenigsegg has rained on Bugatti’s parade, unveiling its $1.9-million Regera – the Chiron’s hybrid nemesis – producing the same power from a V8 and three electric motors. Let battle commence…

A new face for an iconic brand

Almost back in the real world, Geneva sees the long-awaited debut of the Aston Martin DB11. Easier on the eyes than James Bond’s exclusive DB10 from Spectre, it’s the fastest production Aston Martin DB ever.

Capable of 200mph, the $217,000 car is powered by an all-new 600bhp, 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine, and can reach 62mph in just 3.9 seconds.

There’s no shortage of other cars for the super rich at Geneva. Ferrari’s GTC4Lusso is a four-seater, four-wheel drive cruiser with a top speed of 208mph. Price? Probably around $300,000. Or there’s the Lamborghini Centenario, so called because founder Ferruccio Lamborghini would have been 100 this year. Sadly all 40 of the $2 million cars Lamborghini plans to make have already been sold.

Priced from $215,000, the McLaren 570GT is billed as the most practical and luxurious McLaren ever, comfortable for weekend trips and long-distance drives, despite its breathtaking 204mph performance.

Heritage still counts

Geneva isn’t just about shiny new cars. Many manufacturers draw on their heritage, dusting off classics from their collections. For instance, Alfa Romeo have a distinctive C52 Disco Volante from 1952 on their stand, while Volvo’s showing off a gleaming 1960s P1800 ES.

All 40 of the $2-million Lamborghini Centenario have already been sold.

Morgan, that great British survivor, has a lot to shout about at Geneva too: a special 80th anniversary edition of the Morgan 4/4 has been unveiled. Just 80 cars will be built, and each will cost £39,996 ($55,954.)

The 4/4 is sharing star-billing with the EV3 three-wheeler, the first all-electric production car in Morgan’s history.

Retro cool at its best, the EV3 weighs just 500kg and features a 62bhp electric motor fed by lithium ion batteries, giving it a range of 150 miles, a 0-62mph time of eight seconds, and a top speed of 115mph.

Proof of concept

Geneva isn’t Geneva without concepts cars. Most will never make it into production, but they give a stunning vision of the future.

Three of best this year include the DS E-Tense, the Vauxhall/Opel GT and the Pininfarina H2 Speed.

The slippery Vauxhall/Opel GT is the simplest of the three: a pint-sized, back-to-basics sports coupe. The DS E-Tense is the French company’s high-performance, all-electric GT, while Pininfarina’s H2 Speed is perhaps the most revolutionary – a 186mph hydrogen fuel cell track car.

Italian luxury carmaker Maserati unveiled its first SUV, the Levante. With an aggressive front end, it may not be the prettiest car ever, but going for at least $75,000, it’s set to go head-to-head with the new Jaguar F-Pace in the crucial crossover sector.

The car of the future

Self-driving vehicles and improved in-car connectivity, plus hydrogen, hybrid and electric propulsion were once again the tech highlights at Geneva, but it was tire giant Goodyear that raised the most eyebrows.

Goodyear unveiled its Eagle-360, a “visionary tire concept for future autonomous vehicles,” a sphere with a treat resembling a human brain.

It doesn’t have a hole or connect to the body of the car, instead relying on magnetic levitation, resulting in increased passenger comfort and reduced road noise.

And finally, if you thought driverless cars were a pipe dream, mighty Volkswagen announced that they aim to be first to market with the first truly autonomous cars.

“In a few years we’ll see vehicles without a steering wheel or pedals,” Volkswagen Chief Digital Officer Johann Jungwirth reportedly told journalists.