Matte World Geneva

This year's Geneva Motor Show brought even more matte finish to the party and after discussing the trend with a few of our colleagues, we determined that the bubble is reaching critical mass and will soon burst in a pseudo-rat rod colored explosion.

Several examples were available to prove our point, but the three that caught the attention of our shutter finger include the display of the above Phantom in all its anti-blingerific glory, before it left the Rinspeed crew for a customer somewhere in the Middle East.

The Sbarro Turbo S 20 was another example using the dull hues to good effect and coupled with the blown powertrain from a Porsche 928, it had the oomph to match its understated exterior.

Also on hand was a tuned Mustang GT in the aftermarket showcase area, which we caught on our way out the door on Wednesday. There was no one on hand to answer any questions, but the faux rivets, flanking the hood, roof and trunk were enough to garner a few chuckles as we departed.

Check the gallery for more images of all things matte and we'd encourage you to sound off in comments about the anti-buff trend.

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Maybach 62S

What is the most hedonistic, sybaritic, over-the-top thing you can do when testing one of the most hedonistic, sybaritic, over-the-top cars on the road?

It is to lounge in glorious, luxurious repose and let someone else drive, daaahling, while you sup on sugared dates and wash your feet with sparkling mineral water. Indeed, you’d no doubt like to find yourself in full recline, with a leggy, blond, northern European “guide” sharing secrets of the exotic world around you, and Lars the chauffeur assuming his position: eyes straight ahead, ears closed, mouth shut, foot to the floor. What is the most hedonistic, sybaritic, over-the-top thing you can do when testing one of the most hedonistic, sybaritic, over-the-top cars on the road?

It is to lounge in glorious, luxurious repose and let someone else drive, daaahling, while you sup on sugared dates and wash your feet with sparkling mineral water. Indeed, you’d no doubt like to find yourself in full recline, with a leggy, blond, northern European “guide” sharing secrets of the exotic world around you, and Lars the chauffeur assuming his position: eyes straight ahead, ears closed, mouth shut, foot to the floor.

Lada-C Concept

Though Lada is the punchline of many jokes outside its native country of Russia, the brand run by AvtoVAS has plans for a major export operation that could see more of its cars sold all over Europe, perhaps even in the U.K. Normally we walk right by the Lada booth at various international auto shows, since we've since their cars before... back in the '70s and '80s when they were sold with other brands' badges on their hoods. The Lada C Concept, however, is a genuine attempt by the automaker to design something fresh that's engineered on modern day mechanicals. To achieve that end, a deal was struck with MagnaSteyr, a mercenary engineering and manufacturing firm that will design and build for you whatever you want – for a price. Lada contracted MagnaSteyr to develop the C Concept's mechanicals, which are destined to underpin the automaker's next-generation lineup of cars and CUVs. In addition, MagnaSteyr has developed them to meet European safety and emissions standards, which opens up the door for Lada in many new markets.

It's not known whether the C Concept is destined for production, but the three-door hatch is relatively easy on the eyes, at least compared to the ancient designs of current Ladas. It's powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder, which for its size should provide plenty of grunt.