Italian brands prove less is more at Geneva

Italian supercar brands Lamborghini, Ferrari and Maserati have unveiled their latest creations at the Geneva Motor Show.

Lamborghini's attempt at unbridled power was the most extreme, in the guise of the Aventador J, a car which probably should be a concept model but somehow isn't.

Why is that surprising? Well, for a start, the Aventador J doesn't have a roof, not even the retractable kind. Nor does it have a windscreen, with Lamborghini apparently having concluded that its "force of nature on wheels" should be as exposed to the real nature as possible -- if you don't have a garage already, you'll definitely need one after buying this model.

Underneath the hood is the 6.5-liter, 700 hp engine found in the Aventador LP 700-4, which means that the only thing to stop your head snapping off as it races up to 300 km/h are the clever wind deflectors, although Lamborghini still points out that "the right clothing is prerequisite for every trip."

Compared to a roofless, windshield-less model, the debuts from Lamboghini's competitors looked positively wholesome -- Ferrari's F12berlinetta, the lightweight V12 model which takes the mantle from the Fiorano as the flagship of the range and is Ferrari's fastest road car ever.

Maserati launched its new GranTurismo Sport at the show, boosting a power upgrade from the previous S model and a 4.7-liter V8 engine.

Thanks to some nifty tweaking, the GranTurismo Sport can change gears in just 100 ms and can roar from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds, going all the way up to 289 km/h with the help of a newly aerodynamic styling.

The Geneva Motor Show is open to the public March 8 - 18.