On of the most exciting concept cars in Geneva this year was the gorgeous Saab Aero X. Ok, there is no hope of this two-seat supercar ever seeing the light of day, but what a wonderful indulgence.

Apparently inspired by its aviation heritage, the muscular body features a huge canopy encompassing the front windscreen, roof and doors that tilts and rotates forward to allow access to the cabin. Though this would be ludicrously expensive to produce, a major advantage (other than posing) is the uninterrupted 180-degree visibility afforded by the lack of A-pillars.

Though the exterior is what will grab you initially, we noticed that the instruments resemble the graphics used in the Minority Report movie (where Tom Cruise plays a cop that solves murders before they happen). There is nothing criminal about this car though, as it manages to mix environmental responsibility with high performance.

A twin-turbo V6 engine nestles under the distinctive carbon-fibre bonnet. It produces 400bhp, which may not sound very green, but this concept is powered by 100% bioethanol fuel, a sustainable energy source that cuts CO₂ emissions during its life cycle. As a side benefit, it allows more power to be extracted from a given engine.

Saab doesn't pretend the Aero X will make it into production, but if it did, it would boast four-wheel drive, and hit 62mph from standstill in 4.9 seconds according to computer simulations. Unlike many far fetched concepts, the Aero X is actually pretty rather than just futuristic. Let's hope the same designers are responsible for the next generation of Saab production cars.

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