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Expanding an automotive empire is tricky business. You can either pit one brand within the group against another, or you have to differentiate them significantly. Volkswagen has opted for the former, with numerous competitors from different group brands in the same segments, but the Fiat/Chrysler group over which Sergio Marchionne presides is going the other route.

As a result, Marchionne insists that Ferrari isn’t after the same market that the likes of Porsche and Bentley – both part of the Volkswagen group – currently pursue. Ferrari, he says, is in a league of its own, but in fact it plays against the likes of Lamborghini and Bugatti. So what is Marchionne pitting against Porsche and Bentley? Maserati.

Reiterating that Ferrari will never build an SUV or a four-door sedan, Marchionne points to Maserati to fill those niches. In order to get there, as we know, the Trident marque is launching a pair of sedans – one larger and one smaller – to succeed the current Quattroporte, and the SUV currently known as the Kubang, previewed in concept form at the Frankfurt show last month.

Together with the GranTurismo range – the convertible version of which Marchionne is pictured with above – the new models are pegged to boost Maserati’s sales up tenfold over the course of the coming years, from the 5,675 units it sold last year up to 55,000 or even 60,000 units. Ferrari’s sales, meanwhile, will be limited to 10,000 units from the 6,573 it sold last year in markets around the world.

Marchionne aims Maserati at Porsche and Bentley

The Chevrolet Sonic and its big sister, the Cruze, have proven to the world that General Motors is once again capable of building class-leading small cars. To showcase these cars in a new light, Chevrolet will be bringing a smattering of Sonics and Cruzes to the upcoming SEMA show, with these models accounting for 60 percent of the brand’s show cars. (Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of Corvettes, Camaros and Silverados, and we’ll have details on those in the coming days.)

The 2012 Sonic is the latest and greatest of the Chevrolet small car portfolio, and GM will have 20 different Sonics on display. Here, we see the Sonic Z-Spec I (above) and Z-Spec II (right), showing the different aftermarket options that will be available for the Sonic hatchback. The Z-Spec I wears a lower aero kit that will be available to order starting this December, while the extra body work of the Z-Spec II is still purely conceptual right now.

Not pictured, a sedan version of the Z-Spec I will also be on display, as well as the Sonic Dusk concept, which wears a new Berlin Blue exterior finish, Z-Spec aero kit and a two-tone Mojave leather interior. All the SEMA Sonics are equipped with GM’s 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four, ride on special 18-inch wheels and are fitted with upgraded suspension bits, as well as Brembo brakes.

Both the Z-Spec and Dusk treatments make their way to the Cruze sedan in a similar fashion. In terms of design, the Cruze models look very similar to their Sonic counterparts, though the upsized dimensions of Chevy’s C-segment sedan allow for larger wheels – 19-inch sets on both vehicles.

We’ll have more images and details live from SEMA next week, but for now, follow the jump to read the full scoop in GM’s press release.

Continue reading Sonic and Cruze headlining for Chevy at SEMA

Sonic and Cruze headlining for Chevy at SEMA

Honda has announced that the company will bring a version of the company’s Crosstourer Concept motorcycle unveiled at the 2010 EICMA Show to production. The final version of the adventure/sports tourer hybrid will be unveiled under the lights of the 2011 EICMA show next month. According to Honda, the Crosstourer will boast a 1200cc V4 engine borrowed from the company’s VFR1200F, which means the bike could boast up to 170 horsepower. Combined with a more upright riding position, off-road aesthetics and a long-travel suspension, Honda hopes that the Crosstourer will be a more versatile addition to the company’s stable. There’s also word that the production version will come equipped with a dual-clutch transmission.

The Crosstourer Concept wore styling that appeared to be heavily influenced by the BMW GS family, which certainly doesn’t bother us in the least. With its wire spoke wheels, near vertical windscreen and subtle skid plates, the bike looks to be a legitimate alternative to the rest of the adventure bike set. But, as we all know, looks aren’t everything. We’ll have to wait until we get our gloves on the final version before we can say one way or the other whether the bike can hold its fenders high against the likes of the Triumph Tiger and BMW GS lines. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Continue reading Honda bringing Crosstourer Concept to production

Honda bringing Crosstourer Concept to production

It shouldn’t even need to be said, but Kubang just isn’t a good name for a Maserati – and that’s not just because it sounds like onomatopoeia for the noise a Biturbo makes just before it becomes a Monoturbo.

When the name first surfaced on a 2003 Detroit Auto Show concept, the Modenese automaker said that Kubang was named after an Indonesian wind. But if we are to believe this guy, “kubang” actually means “quagmire” in Javanese. So maybe it actually is appropriate for the production version of this Maserati concept, which will have the most confused bloodlines of any product to wear the Trident since the infamous Chrysler TC.

But seriously, we completely understand why the Fiat brass would prefer that the Maserati crossover be called something as banal as “Cinqueporte,” which not only complements the Quattroporte sedan, but literally translates to “five-door.” That the name has reportedly been registered in Italy only makes sense – if for no other reason than to keep someone else from using it.

Maserati registers Cinqueporte, name of crossover revealed?

We first saw the Cadillac XTS Platinum concept (pictured) at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, but it appears that the production car will finally bow in Los Angeles next month. The XTS will be Cadillac’s new flagship sedan, replacing both the STS and DTS when it arrives.

The big highlight of the XTS will be Cadillac’s new CUE infotainment system, which will later be available in the ATS sedan and SRX crossover. Mum’s the word on what sort of powertrain will be lurking under the hood of the new flagship, but recent reports have suggested that we could see a turbocharged version of General Motors’ new 2.5-liter inline-four, producing around 300 horsepower. For reference, the XTS Platinum concept debuted with a 3.6-liter V6 mated to a plug-in hybrid system, delivering 350 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

The XTS will go into production in the spring of 2012. We’ll have the full suite of details live from Los Angeles next month.

2013 Cadillac XTS coming to LA Auto Show

Holden has resurrected the company’s ground-breaking 1969 Hurricane Concept with a complete restoration. The low-slung, mid-engine coupe served as a showcase for technology that wouldn’t find its way into production vehicles for almost three decades, including a turn-by-turn navigation system, automatic climate control and a rear-view camera. At the time, engineers relied on genuine ingenuity to load the Hurricane with equal parts performance and technology. The navigation system relied on magnets embedded in the road surface to illuminate a series of arrows on the dash while the rear-view camera borrowed from closed-circuit TV.

A group of dedicated Holden workers took it upon themselves to put the Hurricane back in working order using as many original parts as possible. That includes the experimental four-barrel 253ci V8 mounted mid-ship. Holden eventually used the design as the platform for its small-displacement V8 effort, which began later in ‘69, though as GM points out, the V8s wouldn’t receive the four-barrel treatment until much later in the ’70s.

Holden has been working to restore the Hurricane since 2006, and now that it’s finished, the concept will be on display at the Motorclassica Car Show in Melbourne from October 21-23. Follow the jump for a quick video on the car as well as the press release.

Continue reading Holden restores its first ever concept car, the 1969 Hurricane [w/video]

Holden restores its first ever concept car, the 1969 Hurricane [w/video]

Some concept cars don’t die off into the unknown oblivion of some random unmarked warehouse. Instead, they just fade into eBay Motors. The 1994 Ford Power Stroke Concept is the latest refugee from the show circuit that has shown up on everyone’s favorite auction site.

Originally designed to show off the Ford Power Stroke diesel engine, the bulbous and somewhat homely concept is about as aesthetically far from any full-size truck as it gets. The seller says the vehicle functions as it should and comes with the custom wheels and tires that it rolled onto the stage with way back when. Apparently the show electronics are also included in the deal.

Unfortunately, this machine isn’t registered as a street vehicle and likely never will be. As such, the winning bidder will receive a bill of sale. As of the time of writing, the truck has six days left on the auction with zero bids and a $40,000 starting bid. Head over to eBay Motors to check out the auction for yourself.

eBay Find of the Day: 1994 Ford Power Stroke Concept

The upcoming Toyota Prius C has been unveiled in concept form, caught wearing a ton of camouflage and maybe whispered its new name to us (Aqua). But that doesn’t mean we’re not still interested in what will be the smallest and cheapest model in the Prius family when it arrives in 2012. Thankfully, CarScoop is here to help. A reader sent in a leaked brochure featuring what appears to be the production version of the little hybrid. The scans show off the C so nakedly we want to give it a modesty slip. Almost.

The production version of the Prius C – if that’s indeed what we’re looking at – loses a lot of the angular, sporty style of the concept, but it still carries a welcome refinement of the traditional Prius wedge. The biggest different is at the front end: the concept’s striking headlights have been eliminated in favor of smaller versions of the Prius Liftback’s instantly-identifiable lights. The rear end now blends the look of a standard Prius with a Nissan Leaf.

We like most everything about the concept better (see also: the wheels), but if Toyota can hit the speculated numbers – around 60 miles per gallon for around $20,000 – we’ll take the highly efficient baby Prius no matter what it looks like. See more scans in our gallery or check out the whole brochure over on CarScoop.

Are you the new Toyota Prius C?

French automaker Peugeot has had an interesting back and forth lately when it comes to its flagship model. The big 607 sedan was discontinued a couple of years back due to lackluster sales, replaced by the new 508 that also succeeded the smaller 407 sedan. Then reports began sprouting up that the Lion marque was planning on turning that into a crossover wagon similar to the approach taken by Audi with the A6 Allroad or Volvo with the XC70.

We figured that’s what we were looking at when the company unveiled the 508 RXH diesel hybrid in Frankfurt, but at the same time Peugeot also showcased the HX1 concept – a sort of luxury crossover that was more similar in concept to the Mercedes-Benz R-Class than the Audi Allroad.

Now the rumormill suggests that Peugeot could put the HX1 into production as its new flagship model, sitting above the 508 and its high-riding RXH counterpart. PSA’s adaptable Hybrid 4 drivetrain could offer nearly 300 horsepower driving all four wheels through a combination of internal-combustion and electric motors. And while we’re just spitballing here, if sister-company Citroën moves ahead with plans to produce the Metropolis concept, parent company PSA could have a business case on its hands.

Peugeot to produce HX1 flagship luxury crossover?

Increasingly stricter environmental dictates are making the rich man’s camel pass though the eyes of smaller and smaller needles to get to regulatory heaven. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is going to have to shrink somewhere in order to make it into the future, and it seems the company plan for that is to make an electric version, possibly even with lithium-sulfur batteries powering plug-in fuel-cell technology from the F-125! concept showed off at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

The hitch in this case is that if we ever see such a car, Daimler’s R&D chief believes 2020 or 2025 would be the window for its appearance. The technologies aren’t concept-only, or as out-there as using thorium for power, but scaling up to passenger car sizes and standards might be a decade or more out. The return: an S-Class with an emissions-free range of 621-miles.

That might sound like overkill, but as of now only one S-Class undercuts the European average for vehicular CO2 emissions. With the noose tightening in 2015 and even tighter strictures in 2020 and 2025, Mercedes (and plenty of other automakers) will need to position itself for 2025 and beyond.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class EV in the cards?

Driving Audi’s Futurethink Diesel-Electric Roadster

At last September’s Paris Motor Show, we were thrilled to see this very concept car, the Audi e-tron Spyder. The crisp lines of its carbon composite exterior, its tapering side windows, its airflow vents cut in the hood, its almost impossibly clean and sleek interior treatment… all of it spoke strongly without trying too hard.

After the September 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show debut of the R8-based all-electric e-tron, we then got the surprise of seeing an even smaller one – also called “e-tron” (perhaps to confuse and/or not give too much away regarding the design’s important future) at last January’s Detroit Auto Show. This second electric car, a hardtop, carried two electric motors pushing the rear wheels (versus the four motors of the R8 e-tron’s all-wheel drive, an ongoing programming challenge referred to within Audi as e-Quattro).

The e-tron Spyder, however, is not just a roofless version of that stunning Detroit e-tron coupe, as the model we’re driving here comes with an all-new plug-in diesel hybrid-electric drivetrain, and it’s 5.1 inches longer with more wheelbase, along with being 1.2 inches wider. On the other hand, the current Audi TT is 4.7 inches longer than the e-tron Spyder, so we’re still operating on a very small scale here.

Our time in the driver’s seat of the e-tron Spyder was originally set for right after June’s 24-Hours of Le Mans, where the car successfully completed a parade lap for the almighty marketing department’s sake. Sadly, right as they were loading the car onto a transporter to get it on a plane and out here to SoCal, an incident occurred that left one of the rocker panels of the Spyder pretty beat up. Now that the summer holiday and big Frankfurt show push is done, we’ve been given another go.

Continue reading 2014 Audi e-tron Spyder [w/video]

2014 Audi e-tron Spyder [w/video]

General Motors is hoping to snag buyers who’d otherwise be driving an Audi A6, BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class when it launches the new Cadillac XTS next year. That may prove a tall order, but the General is going about it in an interesting way.

Rather than (or in addition to) marketing the new XTS directly to its prospective buyers, Cadillac is reportedly planning on selling its new flagship sedan (potentially stretched by approved third-party coachbuilders) to what are commonly known as Town Car drivers – known in the industry as Black Cars. We’re not talking about the retiree down the street who refuses to drive anything but a full-size Lincoln – we’re talking about car service operators who shuttle those with the means around cities like New York. Like taxis, only booked in advance and slightly more upscale; the preferred mode of transportation for affluent professionals and executives in Manhattan.

It’s a market dominated by (and commonly borrowing its name from) the Lincoln Town Car, a vehicle that is finally out of production despite accounting for the lion’s share of this niche market after extending its lifespan for years. Lincoln aims to retain its domination of the Black Car market with specially-prepared versions of the MKT crossover, while Cadillac (whose DTS never made as big an impact on these fleets as the Town Car did) is pitching the new XTS. In doing so, GM hopes the wealthy fares riding in the back of these shuttles will take note and maybe place orders of their own.

Cadillac to market new XTS to the Town Car set

Citroën has done a lot with the DS lineup over the past couple of years. From a long-dormant nameplate it has built a range of three models – DS3, DS4 and DS5 – but according to the latest reports, has no plans of slowing down any time soon.

Among the most interesting plans involve the DS3 Racing. The extroverted hot hatch, with its 200-horsepower turbo four and anything-but-subtle color scheme, was initially planned as a limited edition of 1,000 vehicles. Popular demand across Europe saw that increase more than twofold to around 2,400, but sources suggest that with even those almost all sold out, a new version could be in the works.

Demand in China – which is rapidly becoming the largest market for many automakers, Citroën included – for larger vehicles could also see the range expand with a bigger version of the DS5 and maybe even a flagship production version of the Metropolis concept pictured above.

Beyond that, we’re told to expect – or at least for our overseas readers to expect – a wide range of new options and special editions in the years to come. Looks like we haven’t seen the last of the DS line.

Citroen to expand DS line with larger models for China, new DS3 Racing

It’s hard not to be skeptical when we read a report in Automotive News like this one: “Work also is under way on a compact sedan, but that car is a few years away from production, Jaguar officials said.”

It’s been over six months since we last reported on Jaguar’s ‘XS’ sport sedan, the would-be rival to the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4. Unlike, say, the Cadillac ATS, we still have relatively little actual information about this new competitor in one of the most hotly contested luxury segments.

How Jaguar might be planning on plugging such a gaping hole in its product lineup remains to be seen, but the hope is that the new sedan might share components with the forthcoming sports car based on the Jaguar C-X16 concept from the Frankfurt Motor Show. The concept was fitted with a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 making 376 horsepower, along with a hybrid battery pack to allow for an additional 94-hp boost.

However Jaguar plans to go at its competition, it will be an uphill battle, as the brand hasn’t fared well in the segment in recent years. Its X-Type sedan was poorly received when it was launched under Ford ownership a decade ago. Since then, the entry luxury market has seen plenty of excellent sport sedans attempt to dethrone BMW, including models like the Infiniti G37.

Small Jaguar sedan to fight BMW 3 Series rumored anew

It’s not easy designing and building a car from the ground up, and that’s especially true when the resulting machine is meant to usher in a new styling direction for an established automotive marque or to put on display the latest bits of technological wizardry and high-fashion materials. Such is the case with the Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class.

The German automaker is quite proud of its conceptual entry-level luxury hatch, and it’s taken the time to lovingly craft a video outlining exactly what goes into creating a concept car like the Concapt A from the drawing phase to the official unveil and everything in between.

To quote the video: “It should be something where you would think, ‘Maybe this is a car my daddy wouldn’t buy… This is a car that I would buy.’” Interested? Check out the complete video after the break.

Continue reading Mercedes takes us behind the scenes of a concept car

Mercedes takes us behind the scenes of a concept car

BMW officially unveiled its i3 concept ahead of the car’s on-stage debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Details on the i3 and upcoming i8 poured out. Click here for all of that initial info.

Recently, Consumer Reports‘ Eric Evarts spoke about the i3 with BMW chief engineer Ulli Kranz. Evarts asked of the i3’s optional range-extending engine and, even though Kranz wouldn’t discuss specifics, Evarts seems to have prodded Kranz in such a way that BMW’s range-extending solution was revealed.

Evarts suggested to Kranz that one of BMW’s motorcycle engines would be ideally suited for range-extending duties and, rather than deny this, Kranz’ “eyes lit up when it was suggested that a motorcycle engine might be a perfect fit for such a car,” according to Evarts.

Furthermore, Green Car Reports speculates that handling the i3’s range-extending duties will be one of BMW’s G-Series motorcycle engines, most likely the 48-horsepower, single-cylinder 652-cc unit that powers the U.S.-spec BMW G 650 GS motorcycle.

2014 BMW i3 to feature range-extending 652-cc motorcycle engine?

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about the next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and judging by this latest set of spy photos, there’s still quite a bit of work to be done before the new Silver Arrow flagship makes its debut.

Like the earlier mules we’ve seen, the next-generation S-Class will likely use a larger, more upright grille design, previewed by the F700 concept from a few years ago. Expect the Merc’s face to be chocked full of LED goodness, and under the hood, you can count on the standard range of gasoline, diesel and hybrid powertrains.

Inside, you can bet that the new S-Class will be as luxurious as ever, with Mercedes-Benz reportedly looking at cashmere and silk as possible cabin materials. Sounds plush. Look for the all-new S-Class to debut sometime in 2012.

Next-gen Mercedes-Benz S-Class does its thing on the ‘Ring

We’ve got good news for you if you’ve found your life suspiciously lacking in lasers. BMW plans to unveil new lighting technology within the next two to three years that uses highly focused beams of light to illuminate a dark road, according to Inside Line. The news comes courtesy of Hanafi Abdul, an optical systems designer for BMW, who said that a system using a photonic process to create white light is currently ready for production and awaiting the correct application.

A version of the technology has already bowed on the i8 Concept, thought Abdul said that the laser lighting system could arrive in dealerships before the production i8 heads to market in 2013.

The process uses Gallium Nitride to create blue light, which is then converted to white light with the help of a phosphor disc. So, why go laser? BMW claims that the system is 1,000 times brighter and 100 times smaller than traditional LED lighting while being twice as efficient. The system is said to have an average life span of around 10,000 hours.

BMW to offer laser headlights within next few years

Late last year, Mercedes-Benz confirmed that its seriously pretty CLS Shooting Brake concept would go into production, and our trusty spy photographers have now caught the first test mules out on the road near the automaker’s headquarters. Aside from the addition of some shapely new sheetmetal at the car’s hind quarters, not much is expected to change from the standard CLS-Class sedan range, and that’s just fine with us.

Expect Merc’s new twin-turbocharged 4.6-liter V8 to be the base engine at launch, with a CLS63 AMG Shooting Brake (be still our hearts!) coming down the pipeline. When Mercedes-Benz initially confirmed that the five-door CLS would go into production, we were told it would arrive sometime in 2012, and because these test mules appear to be nearly done with the development phase, we wouldn’t be surprised if the final car debuts at the Geneva Motor Show next March (if not sooner).

Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake reveals its rakish rump

Between Subaru and Toyota, the pair of BRZ/FT-86 rear-wheel-drive coupes are high in the running for the honorary Chevrolet Volt Award For Painfully Slow New Car Rollouts. We won’t take you through the entire lifespan of this pair of Japanese sports cars, but we’ll say this: we’re sick of waiting in Pavlovian anticipation for their Tokyo Motor Show unveiling already.

Still, at least this latest set of spy photos gives us a better glimpse at some of the Subie’s finer details, including the full shape of the taillamps and what appear to be LED running lights just above the fog lights. We could probably do without that rear spoiler, though we’ll wait until all of the swirly paper has been removed before making any final design assessments.

Subaru will be bringing a concept version of the BRZ to the Los Angeles Auto Show before the final production car debuts in Japan. All we can say is, it’s about time.

Subaru BRZ continues to tease