AC Cobra

As far as birthday offerings go, this one's a goodie. To mark its 110th birthday, not only is AC Cars turning up to the Geneva motor show, but it'll be bringing its latest showpiece, the AC MkVI.

The stunning newcomer is staying loyal to the design and style of an AC Cobra and although it isn't bringing anything new to the party, (it uses the 430bhp V8 unit from a Corvette, for example) the curvy muscle car will at least benefit from a new cross-Atlantic partnership with AC Germany, which sees the company that recreated the Gullwing Mercedes coupe take charge of the MkVI's production - adding a good dose of Teutonic-build quality and hand-craftsmanship to the MkVI's hefty price tag of €109,000 (that's about £93,294 and doesn't include taxes).

However, it won't just be the Germans that'll be getting their hands on AC-badged cars. An AC Heritage Centre, located at the top of the historic Brooklands test hill in Surrey, will be formally opened later this year and will be home to a production range of AC classic cars, while displays of cars and artefacts will be on show for AC fans within the Brooklands Museum Complex.

Good news across the pond, too: Iconic Motors has adopted the AC brand for its ultra-high performance car, the Iconic AC Roadster (see picture below), which comes decked out with a stonking 6.8-litre Detroit V8 that puts out an incredible 825bhp and 680lb ft, giving it a top speed of 210mph and a jaw-dropping 0-60mph time of less than three seconds.

Anyone wanting to get their Corba kicks at the Geneva motor show should make their way to stand 1035, where they'll find the AC MkVI as well as an original AC Ace - the model which became the infamous AC Cobra.

Jaguar XKR-S

This is the new Jaguar XKR-S - an uprated version of the quietly legendary XKR. Due to make its debut at next week's Geneva motor show, the XKR-S still sports the 5.0-litre supercharged V8, but power is up from 510bhp to 542bhp. There's also a boost in torque to 501lb ft (up from 461lb ft).

The hardcore XKR-S gets a new version of Jag's brilliant adaptive dynamics suspension with uprated dampers, active sports exhaust system, and new aero to reduce lift and assist the massive brakes, which measure 380mm at the front and 376mm at the rear - bigger than a Lamborghini Murcielago's. It needs them too because top speed is 186mph, and it should hit 62mph in 4.2 seconds. Jaguar also tells us the XKR-S will emit less than 300g/km of CO2, which means it'll be top of its class in the cleanliness stakes.

BMW Mini. Modern

The BMW Mini. Modern, popular, great to drive. But it's not very small, is it?

The Rocketman, debuting at next week's Geneva motor show, should address that most familiar complaint from fans of the original.The first BMW Minis were 12ft 2in long, more than two feet longer than the dinky originals. And this year's Countryman came in at 13ft 5in. This concept is just 11ft 3in long and 4ft 7in high. That's small.Complex hinge technology means the 3+1 set-up will also - in theory - still seat three people and in the familiar euphemism for a human the size of a baby chimpanzee, 'a fourth adult for short journeys'.

The sliding seat system gives you the option to slide the driver and passenger seat back for a 'full-blooded driving experience', slide the passenger seat forward to reveal an individual rear seat, or slide the entire front section forward to accommodate the aforementioned 'short journey adult'.The two-part boot has a lower sliding section that allows luggage to be stored in a drawer, which can be locked in various positions to increase interior space.There are other cool touches: the hooped brake lights don't illuminate, but project the brake and indicators onto the bodywork using high-output LEDs. The electronics are accessed from a trackball on the steering wheel, and in keeping with the Italian Job nostalgia, there's also a Union Jack etched into the panoramic glass roof.

No news of engine plans, only that the Rocketman will be designed to offer 'enhanced sprinting ability' with average fuel consumption of 94mpg. Which is all very easy to say at this stage, of course."We will assess reaction to the Rocketman before deciding on whether there is a case for it to be a production car," said marketing director Ian Robertson. "Mini has a great past, but the best is yet to come."

Bugatti Veyron 16.4

Greatest supercar of all time, named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1939, the Bugatti racing car. Two hundred cars were built from 2005 to 2008, they were different versions: Veyron 16.4, Pur Sang, Hermes Edition, Sang Noir, Targa, Vincero, and Bleu Centenaire.

price 1500000 $ top speed

407 km/h, 253 mph power & torque
1001 hp, 736 kW 1250 Nm @ 2200 rpm
0-100 km/h, 0-62 mph.2.46 seconds