GENEVA — Understated is not the word to describe an international auto show that witnessed the introduction of the most ferocious Ferrari ever and an ostentatious Bentley SUV rolling on 23-inch rims. But the 2012 Geneva Motor Show certainly felt understated.

For all the outlandish supercars and concepts on the show floor, there were many quiet, thoughtful ideas for making good, efficient cars. Easing our reliance on fossil fuels is an incredibly tough nut to crack. While hybrids and electrics undoubtedly will play a growing role in the equation, the Geneva Motor Show was all about a holistic approach to sustainable motoring: Efficient engines driving lightweight, uber-aerodynamic vehicles.

Well, that and supercars. Geneva being Geneva, no show is complete without the glorious irreverence, if not irrelevance, of a 700-plus horsepower carbon-fiber wedge designed to carry no more than two people at absolutely eyeball-compressing speed.