While these supposedly leaked patent images aren’t as sexy as those of the Acura NSX convertible , they do point to an interesting new look for the homely .
As the pedestrian delivery van is in need of a massive upgrade in the aesthetics department, adopting more of a “ face” like what’s found on the and forthcoming seems like a great idea. We’re not sure, however, what to make of the buttresses at the base of the pillars, which reminds us a bit too much of the .
While we haven’t heard much about when a new Transit Connect might be headed to our shores, according to Left Lane News, Ford may show an almost-production-ready concept at the in September.
The current Renault Espace has been on the market since 2003. Next year that will make it ten years old, which is a long life cycle for any vehicle. But it’ll still be a few years until its replacement is ready. So following the facelift it performed on the Euro-market minivan in 2003, Renault is releasing another update.
Refreshed to fall more closely in line with Renault’s current styling direction (the company has changed aesthetic strategies a few times since the introduction of the fourth-generation model), the new Espace has a fresh grille that better incorporates a larger emblem than the model it replaces, and it’s flanked by new headlights and a new bumper fascia below.
Further details on what else Renault has tweaked will be released in July when it hits showrooms overseas.
Vilner has taken the time to give the F800R a once over to create the Predator. Built for a wealthy Russian businessman, the machine received a complete aesthetic redesign with plenty of components hewn from .
What isn’t stitched from composite is coated in chrome, and the company’s engineers set about shortening the bike by almost 10 inches. Vilner also ditched the dual saddle for a single seat variant and remade the headlight array. Red LEDs have replaced the standard bulbs, and a set of repurposed turning indicators are now part of the action.
The Predator remains largely unchanged mechanically, though Vilner threw in a new, hand-built exhaust system. That means this machine still yields around 87 horsepower from its 800cc engine. to check out the quick press release as well as a video of the bike.
“So here’s the pitch. It’s a movie about a car. But it’s not really about a car. It’s about something else. What that is isn’t important. But it’s got a car in it. Not just one car, but lots of cars. Thousands of them actually. And they’re in almost every scene. But only in the background. And get this: They’re all… wait for it… yellow! And the best part is, we don’t have to pay anything for it, in fact, they’re going to pay us to put our cars in the movie. And it’s going to make our cars famous. But that’s not all. Imagine this: It’s not just one movie, but a hundred movies. And TV shows. Thousands and thousands of hours of entertainment, and our new is going to be the star! Okay, not the star, but an extra. A bright yellow extra. I’m telling you, this idea – it can’t fail!
At least that’s the thesis floated by Automotive News to help explain why is so stoked over with its compact van. Beginning in late 2013, the entire New York City taxi fleet will be converting to Nissan’s aesthetically challenged people mover, which will replace the ubiquitous Ford Crown Victoria.
Whether this leads to any burnishing of the Nissan brand remains to be seen, but regardless, AN says the contract is worth 40,000 units in New York alone over the next 10 years. We have to expect that at least some taxi companies outside of the Big Apple won’t be shy about ponying up the thirty-large Nissan is asking for its Mexican-made cab either, as the day when every last Ford Crown Victoria extant has joined the in cabbie Valhalla is certainly coming.
Ward’s AutoWorld is well known for its annual list, but the trade publication has been compiling a second list for interiors for a few years now. Formerly known as the competition, Ward’s rebranded the list last year, naming the coolest cockpits under the “10 Best Interiors” moniker.
This year’s winners are a relatively diverse lot, with hatchbacks, sedans and crossovers all making the list. While Ward’s lists them in alphabetical order rather than crowning a single winner, we’re choosing to present them with the lowest as-tested MSRP first:
($15,925)
($18,745)
($21,485)
($25,195)
($30,415)
($36,875)
Luxury ($44,855)
($49,745)
($54,800)
($67,430)
The first thing we noticed then is that while fully half the models carrying base sticker prices under $25,000, Ward’s was clearly not testing the base models of any of these vehicles. The Chevy Sonic, for instance, starts nearly $5,000 below the price of the car Ward’s drove. Even so, that half of the cars on the list could be legitimately called “affordable” is impressive.
Ward’s says 40 vehicles qualified for the competition by having “new or significantly improved interiors,” and while 13 of those were luxury vehicles, they only made up half of the winners. Ward’s says it judged the interiors based on design, fit-and-finish, comfort, ergonomics, safety, material selection, overall value, aesthetics, and human-machine interface.
Check out all the award winners in our high-res image gallery above.
No one may have asked to drop the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 found in the Taurus SHO behind the headlights of the , but that doesn’t mean we’re complaining. Ford has just debuted the higher-performance crossover at the 2012 New York Auto Show, complete with its full 350 horsepower. Ford says the newly menacing softroader will be good for around 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, and the nudge in power shouldn’t do anything but help the vehicle’s ability to tow up to 5,000 pounds. Engineers have also thrown in bigger brakes and a little extra bracing to help the chassis cope with the additional muscle, not to mention a quicker ratio steering rack for a slightly more responsive cornering.
The available horsepower drops to the pavement via a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive system. The Sport features a unique version of the Terrain Management System found on lesser Explorers, though the software has been uniquely calibrated to handle the additional power on hand.
A handful of aesthetic tweaks are also part of the package, including blacked-out bodywork on the mesh grille, side-view mirrors and lower fascia. Unique wheel choices are also part of the package. for the full press blast.
To hear tell the story, the is super popular with the public. True, it was one of the ten best-selling cars the U.S. last year, but take away sales to rental, government and commercial fleets, and we’d bet our last dollar that the Impala is no more popular than its competitors, probably less so considering its age. That’s why Chevrolet is hoping its all-new Impala for 2013 will do what the last model couldn’t: attract folks who don’t buy their large sedans in bulk.
The 2013 Chevrolet Impala clearly looks considerably better and more modern than the car it replaces, which hadn’t received a thorough redesign since 2005. The face up front is the Bowtie brand’s new corporate visage, which can also be seen on the refreshed . It’s an attractive mug with clean lines, little-to-no clutter and a full suite of high-tech HID and LED lighting elements. At least in pictures, the rest of the new Impala looks brawny and muscular compared to the last model’s antiseptic lines. Its wheels, meanwhile, will range in size from a large 18 inches in diameter to a super-sized 20 inches.
We also universally approve of the Impala’s new interior design, which sports a dual-cockpit concept, as well as a 4.2-inch information screen between the gauges and an eight-inch screen atop the center stack. However, we’re having a hard time with that steering wheel, which doesn’t live up to the rest of the cabin’s aesthetic standards.
Power for the new Impala will come from a range of three engines, all featuring direct injection: a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with eAssist producing 182 horsepower/172 pound-feet and achieving an estimated 35 mpg highway, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 195 hp/187 lb-ft and a 3.6-liter V6 producing 303 hp/264 lb-ft. All will mate to a six-speed automatic and drive the front wheels only.
The Impala has also received a slew of new available active and passive safety systems, including Full-Speed-Range Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Mitigation Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
We’ve included the official press release from Chevrolet below and will update the gallery will more official images as soon as they’re available. And later today we’ll show you what the Impala looks like in person from the floor of the .
Do you love the notion of the 507-horsepower, twin-tubocharged , but just can’t get behind a high-performance family wagon? Alpina has good news for you. The company has officially pulled back the curtain on the new B5 Sedan, and the vehicle boasts the same wicked driveline as its long-roof twin. That means there’s a dizzying 516 pound-feet of torque pouring out of the same forced-induction 4.4-liter V8. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission takes care of gear-swapping duties while a range of subtle aesthetic tweaks set this bruiser apart from its more mundane counterparts.
There is no mistaking the flashy, 20-inch Alpina wheels, however. According to the company, the combined kit allows the B5 Sedan to clip off a 0-62 dash in just 4.5 seconds. That’s plenty quick by our estimation and about on par with the new . Which would you rather have? for the brief press release while you mull it over.
continues to openly toy with the idea of producing a racy luxury sports coupe, following on the heels of 2009’s Geneva Motor Show star, the . This year, Infiniti has gone in a more overtly sporting direction with this hot little number, the Emerg-E.
Fortunately, this coupe’s styling isn’t as contrived as its name suggests thanks to a rakish form that comes across as more of a supercar than the Essence’s large-scale grand touring aesthetic. The Emerg-E looks even better in person than in photos, with an organic quality to the flowing lines that’s nicely emphasized by the car’s smoky matte finish. If we have any complaints, it’s that the nose looks a bit long, and incongruously, it seems to offer a riff on the spindle grille that is rolling out portfolio-wide. No matter, this is clearly one of this year’s most impressive debuts.
Powered by a 400-horsepower range-extended powertrain, Infiniti says the Emerg-E can bolt to 60 miles per hour in four seconds dead while offering a 300-mile range.
We’re officially ready for Infiniti to stop teasing us with handsome concept cars and get on with producing an upscale sports coupe.
has been hinting at the possibility of a full-size ultra-luxury SUV for a few years and here in the rumors finally became reality in all their awkwardly majestic glory.
Just as awkward is the ‘ute concept’s name:, which is about as imaginative and puzzling as its styling. If you were to task a sophomore Photoshop wizard to digitally create a Bentley SUV, this would be the result. And that’s probably the most disappointing aspect of the EXP 9 F – its utter predictability.
Grabbing bits from the and range, mounting them up front, raising the ride height and then adding a liftback hatch is the easy way out. Same for the interior, which takes Bentley’s bespoke aesthetic and gives it the Big Gulp treatment. Maybe we’re too plebeian, but for this ute’s target demographic, it just doesn’t carry the gravitas you’d expect of something this large wearing the Flying B.
The same applies to the drivetrain, which utilizes the 6.0-liter W12 that’s been doing duty in the Continental for years. The only interesting propulsion proposition is the possible fitment of Bentley’s new V8, augmented with an electric motor and battery pack to make the world’s largest and least efficient plug-inhybrid.
It’s just bad on all sides, so like the concept before it, we’re hoping Bentley sees the light, heads back to the drawing board and comes up with something befitting of such a storied marque. Just after it quietly pulls it off the show stand, just like did two years ago.
Back in 2009, General Motors whipped up a special-edition for Jay Leno. With a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 engine, unique aerodynamic and cooling work, Brembo brakes on all four corners and a Pedders coil-over suspension kit, the vehicle was designed to be a modern interpretation of the old Z28. Small aesthetic tweaks abound as well, from a revised front fascia to functional brake duct inlets on the rear quarters and unique exhaust outlets. GM even slathered the vehicle in the same paint as the original Camaro Concept. Very sexy.
Why do we bring up the 420 horsepowerspecial edition now? Because Leno just took delivery of it. The latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage pours over every last detail of the car before hitting the road.
We like the idea of a better-handling, more track-focused Camaro, and while the has scratched that itch for plenty of people, Leno’s V6 bruiser is very cool. to check out the video for yourself.
Long before we saw the in the flesh, word of the vehicle’s arrival flittered around the web with tantalizing persistence. Few rumors manage to get the enthusiast world licking its chops quite as well as one with a potent V6 in the nose of a rear-wheel-drive two-door. Editors began salivating at the thought of a performance coupe renaissance, complete with all of the associated front-page comparos, while forums lit up with threads detailing hypothetical grudge matches between the would-be Korean prize fighter and hardware from the to the then-upcoming . had clearly rustled up some snakes.
Then the Genesis Coupe debuted, and while ingredients like available Brembo brakes and a limited-slip rear differential pointed to the possibility of a genuine contender, it’s fair to say the coupe never really became a top-flight prospect for many enthusiasts. A vague gearbox and similarly detached brakes sapped precision from the platform, consigning it to a mid-pack finish in our three-way back in 2010.
None of this is news to Hyundai. The company began planning ways to sharpen its first genuine sports car nearly as soon as the vehicle debuted at the . For 2013, the two-door receives a dose of the automaker’s patented love-it-or-hate-it styling as well as a host of mechanical improvements tucked behind the polarizing aesthetics. Are the changes enough to give the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe the fangs it needs to thrive in the cutthroat performance coupe world?
We don’t envy the designers who pen bikes for the likes of Triumph or Harley-Davidson. Machines like the Bonneville and Sportster are inherently popular for their nostalgic looks, and die-hard fans are the first to cry foul when the bikes wander too far from the original recipe. As the Triumph Bonneville Speed Twin Concept elegantly illustrates, that’s a crying shame. As the brainchild of English designers Roy Norton and Tom Kasher, the Speed Twin is a modern take on the classic Bonneville. The two started with a Bonnie as a base platform and proceeded to update the machine’s aesthetics accordingly.
The conceit began with the simple notion of what the Bonneville could have evolved into were it not so saddled with the nostalgia millstone. The two contacted Triumph while working for a design studio shortly after college, and Triumph Product Manager Simon Warburton gave the concept the go-ahead. The result is what you see here.
The concept uses a heavily modified Bonneville frame in conjunction with muscular-looking girder forks. Barbour cloth covers both the seats and the grips. With an 865cc engine, Thruxton brakes and unique gauges and levers, the Speed Twin is distilled awesome. Warburton is apparently pleased with the final result as well, and says some of the elements may make their way to future Triumph models. Head over to for the full story.
Few things can stand between a and the finish line. Not rain, not sleet and certainly not snow. So while the latter on Maranello, where Ferrari was planning to unveil its latest F1 challenger yesterday, that didn’t stop the Scuderia from showing it off to the world, through the magic of this newfangled invention they’re calling the “internet”.
The F2012 you see here is the fifty-eighth F1 car built by Ferrari, comprising a chassis and powertrain developed and produced entirely in-house: a rarity among F1 teams, particularly in these past few years since major manufacturers like , and withdrew from the sport.
The most prominent change to the car’s form over the it replaces is the rather aesthetically challenged but aerodynamically-optimized stepped nose, which (like the one on the and expected to follow on several more) conforms to revised FIA regulations while allowing sufficient air to pass underneath the nosecone to allow the underbody aerodynamics to do their thing. The rear section is also more tapered, leading to the rear wing with the Drag Reduction System that returns from last season.
That’s all well and good, of course, but what really matters is how the F2012 is going to stack up against the competition – particularly from the returning champions at Red Bull and longtime rivals at McLaren. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will wring out all the F2012 it has to offer, but only time will tell if they’ll be able to add another trophy to the cabinet in Maranello. In the meantime you can check out their new ride in the high-res image gallery above and for the full press release, technical details and video footage.
has released details on the upcoming before the vehicle gets an official unveil at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The vehicle will bow with the same turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel engine found in the and , and Volkswagen projects the engine should help the oil-burning 2013 Beetle net 39 miles per gallon highway and 29 mpg city.
Those numbers aren’t quite as lofty as we’d expect, especially given how well our has performed with the same engine under the hood. While we’re still waiting on Environmental Protection Agency numbers, our guess is real-world drivers will see significantly better out of the latest diesel Bug, which, for what it’s worth, is the first oil-burning Beetle since 2006.
With 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, the vehicle shouldn’t be a slouch to drive, either. Buyers may choose either a six-speed manual or dual-clutch gearbox. Otherwise, the Beetle TDI remains aesthetically similar to its gasoline counterparts. Expect to see the vehicle hit the market in mid-2012 as a 2013 model. In the meantime, stay tuned for our Chicago Auto Show coverage and for the full press release.
The on-again, off-again Volkswagen BlueSport roadster is, well, on again according to EVO Magazine. The publication reportedly spoke with Uli Hackenberg, head of engineering with , who said the company’s dealers are mistaken when they say there won’t be a market for a vehicle like the BlueSport. Hakenberg said that the rise of hardware like the Toyota GT 86 and , alongside the upcoming next-generation suggests buyers are once again willing to put down cash on an entry-level sports car. Throw in the fact that the dollar is regaining strength and European vehicles start to look even more competitive in the Land of the Free. Despite this, recent reports have indicated that the BlueSport’s planned sibling at , and its other planned sibling, the Audi R4, is understood to have been .
As a result, Volkswagen is reportedly going to ask its dealers to once again gauge demand for a mid-engine convertible. The roadster will need to see sales estimates of at least 50,000 units worldwide in order to get the go-ahead from corporate. Even if that happens, it will likely be a good three years before we see the production model touch down. Maestro, cue up the sad trombone if you would be so kind.
The 2001-2003 Z8 is one of the more graceful designs to slip from the design studios in recent memory. With the droptop’s classic roadster lines and plenty of performance on tap, the Z8 may not have sold like gangbusters when it was in production, but its slow-burn appeal has ensured that it has plenty of fans and impressive resale value. Despite a very limited production run of just 5,703 units, Senner Tuning has belatedly turned its attention toward modifying this convertible, which is quickly becoming a classic.
The company’s engineers got started with a new sports air filter and easy breathing exhaust, including low-restriction catalytic converters. Throw in a mild ECU reflash and the vehicle is good for 450 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque. Senner Tuning says those figures should be good enough to get the Zed to around 186 mph.
Thankfully, the folks at Senner haven’t messed with the Z8’s aesthetics too much. A set of slick 19×9-inch Work Schwert SC1 wheels ride up front while 19×10-inch rollers out back take care of putting power to the pavement. Senner also spent some time with the vehicle’s suspension. A new coilover suspension with adjustable rebound, new strut bar and reinforced shock mount are all part of the package. If you like the sound of this recipe, Senner Tuning will rework your Z8 for the princely sum of just under $25,000 at current conversion rates. for the full press release.
Automakers have been integrating wind deflectors into convertibles for years now, though in many cases, they’re a do-it-yourself, manual affair. The idea is to disrupt the wind enough to eliminate that obnoxious swirling effect that kills conversations and hairstyles in equal measure.
That said, we’re not surprised that has fitted its with just such a device, but we like the car’s unique power execution here (manually erecting or folding a wind deflector can be a chore and eat into storage space). The 911 Cabrio’s new assembly is massive, which might not do the car’s aesthetics any favors, but the size should help it be more functional.
to watch the 911 Cabriolet drop its top in only 12 seconds, followed by the big wind deflector that arrives on the scene in the blink of an eye.
Carrera Cabriolet gets unique power wind deflector
The 2012 Toyota Aygo is here with better looks, better fuel economy and emissions and better equipment. It’s the supermini’s first serious overhaul since it was introduced in 2005, and it borrows some of its aesthetic chops from the recently unveiled . A bulldog-y stance is emphasized with a jutting lower front bumper with a wide trapezoidal opening, while the lines above have been slenderized.
The carryover 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine has been tweaked for efficiency; its 67 horsepower and 69 pound-feet of torque remain the same, but rowing the five-speed manual will now get you 65.7 Imperial (54.7 U.S.) miles per gallon combined. You’ll also hear less of it and the transmission due to increased sound deadening.
Trim options will include new hubcaps, seven exterior hues, a new unified finish on the instrument panel, and a new steering wheel backed by paddle shifters. It might look like just another tiny Eurocar, but the previous Aygo still earned the title of , and that’s a recommendation not to be trifled with. Pricing and other details will follow closer to its on-sale date, for now, there’s a press release with more info.
Before we go any further, let’s just acknowledge the obvious: The e-NV200 Concept has a face only its mother could love. As far as styling goes, what we see is basically the Japanese automaker’s with the fascia of the electric grafted on up front. To top it all off, the e-NV200 is painted in the Leaf’s familiar shade of Aqua Blue.
Inside, the e-NV200 features two foldable rows of seating for passengers. The driver is treated to a unique instrument cluster that Nissan calls a flat C-cluster display. There are also some so-called EV Meters, which we assume must bean battery gauges and telematics.
Moving past its unfortunate exterior aesthetics, we see plenty of good in the electric van’s conceptual design. Nissan says that the e-NV200’s laminated 24 kWh lithium-ion battery will provide similar range as the Leaf. That means an estimate of between 47 and 105 miles. Like the Leaf, the e-NV200 is powered by an 80kW electric motor that’s rated at 207 pound-feet of torque.
Because it’s based on the NV200, there’s plenty of room inside for passengers, cargo or both. Nissan figures its electric van would be suitable for both commercial and passenger use in large metropolitan areas. The fact that Nissan’s small van is also slated for taxi use in New York offers one potential usage scenario. Under that kind of scenario, the fact that it doesn’t burn gasoline could turn into significant cost savings.
Though the e-NV200 is being shown in concept form at the , Nissan is calling the electric van a potential mass-production vehicle. Check out all the images in our high-res gallery above, and be sure to for a video and the official press release.
