Wacky Wednesday at the Geneva Show

We've christened today (11 March 2009) Wacky Wednesday at the Geneva Show and there's nowhere better to be to feast your eyes on the wild, wonderful and yes, wacky creations on offer from the world's car makers.

We've waded through the press releases and pounded the show hall floor so you don't have to. Here's our favourite five.

1 Rinspeed iChange concept | View gallery

No Geneva show is complete without a Rinspeed concept and although this year's iChange isn't as mad as the Swiss company's hydrofoil or sub-aquatic machines of the past, it's still pretty far from conventional. This electric-powered sports car offers seating for one, though push a button and that extends to three - its glass dome moving to create space for an extra pair of passengers. That's unconventional enough, but its real weirdness comes from features like a diamond coated floor and an iPhone controlling much of the car's interior functions.

2 EDAG Light Car - Open Source concept | View pic

Outwardly there's nothing initially that unusual about EDAG's Light Car Open Source, but look around the rear and things get a little bit weird. The rear screen is exactly that, displaying the level of braking, highlighting pedestrians and even showing roadworks signs to the following cars. I could be the end of roadside signage as we know it; in fact that's not so bonkers after all...

3 Brabus Smart ED| View gallery

There's not much that's unconventional about the electric Smart Brabus, more the fact that it's Brabus that's been charged to modify it in the first place. Brabus is more often than not stuffing massive V12s into engine bays of various Mercedes models to create weapon-grade autobahn machines. The Smart ED is a bit of a diversion. There's no word on whether Brabus has played about with the drivetrain, but it has added a sound generator that allows the usually silent Smart electric drive to make a more purposeful noise.

4 MDI AIRPod | View pic

It may look like a cross between a gondola ski lift and a shopping trolley but the MDI AIRPod is about as green as transport can be. It runs on compressed air, the 220kg pod can carry two at speeds up to 40mph and can be 'refuelled' in just 90 seconds. The technology could be mated - in hybrid form - to a conventional engine to help reduce emissions. Clever technology perhaps, but the design needs some work.

5 Maybach Zeppelin | View gallery

There's not much unusual about the Maybach on show in Geneva except its name - Zeppelin. We'll not be getting it here in the UK, the €473,200 luxury saloon delivering 640bhp and getting to 62mph in just 4.9 seconds. Daft, but not as silly as naming a car after airships that are remembered for being spectacular failures. Actually, perhaps it's quite apt.

Kyle Fortune