There’s a that the designers at might have been dreaming about before they penned the Lithia. We don’t think this kind of inspiration is anywhere near criminal, though, and before anyone broaches the topic of Chinese design, they should know that the is an ex-General Motors man: , who has work on the and the on his resume.
CH Auto helps automakers prepare cars for sale in China, from design through to engineering – part of Darancou’s brief is to make sure those two departments work together. The Lithia, showed off at the , has probably been done as a company calling card. Powered by lithium-ion batteries, the spec sheet claims a 150-kilometer range (93 miles).
Clearly, we weren’t the only ones who spent the better part of their childhoods building all manner of strange and wonderful Lego vehicles. We’re pretty sure we had this design knocked out back in the early 80s, but as far as we know, exactly no one has figured out how to fit easily removable tracks to a conventional vehicle in real life. We’ve , mind you, but they’ve always required a fair bit of work and the removal of a vehicle’s wheels. But not the Track N Go.
This creative solution for foul-weather-mastery comes from AD Boivin, a company better known for marketing products for powersports vehicles like motocross bikes and snowmobiles. The company says that this is the world’s first wheel-driven track system, and judging by the video available , it appears quite capable when fitted to what looks like stock and 4×4 pickups blasting through the snow.
The video indicates that the system is a prototype, and it doesn’t show how easily the tracks can be secured to the vehicle’s wheels (though it does briefly show that you drive onto the tracks before locking them in place – no jacking required). AD Boivin doesn’t say if and when the Track N Go will actually come to market, let alone what sort of fitments will be available and how much the system will cost. While we’re waiting, we’ll just one more time…
Beneath the gorgeous and impossibly long looking hood of the Mazda Takeri Concept lies plenty of real estate. By our estimation there’s room for any number of powerplants, from a high-revving to a twin-turbo V6. However, when launches the new 2014 , which will , it will only contain a measly little four-cylinder, according to Autoweek.
So that’s being a bit harsh, as despite the reported demise of a V6 engine option for the Mazda6, at least it will be getting a four-banger, according to the report. Skyactiv is, of course, Mazdaspeak for its suite of technologies that includes its next-generation powertrain with direct injection and a fancy new automatic transmission design, a combination we when we sampled it in the .
With , , and having dumped their V6’s in favor of an all-four-cylinder lineup for their midsize sedans, we’re not surprised to see Mazda follow course. We do, however, wonder how the intends to compete when it comes to performance.
With 155 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque, the 2.0-liter Skyactiv four in Mazda’s new crossover isn’t particularly powerful, so we hope we might see a slightly larger displacement version with a few more ponies for the bigger sedan. Or one with forced induction. Or how about a diesel engine option? Mazda has promised a diesel for North America, though it hasn’t specified which vehicle it will arrive in. The automaker has making 173 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque for the CX-5, at least in Europe. Now that might be just the ticket to make a top-trim Mazda6 get up and go.
While we’re not ready to label this the return of the , count us eager to get behind the wheel of whatever a “2014 Chevrolet SS Performance” turns out to be. Hopefully the appearance of this reference on the OnStar website is more than just a digital placeholder.
Chevy SS rumors have been swirling lately, with General Motors earlier this month, just days after our spy shooters caught what looked like a . Then there’s the NASCAR situation: has said its new entry in the racing series will be both a . We’re guessing that car isn’t going to be the .
So this new OnStar “leak,” if it is such a thing, would point to the Chevy SS being a separate model (you can check it out on OnStar’s site ). If we are reading our tea leaves correctly, the model will be (the same Zeta architecture that underpins Chevrolet’s law-enforcement-only ), while the brand’s front-drive will get a new, sportier variant. We’d also assume that the long-wheelbase version of the Commodore used for the would donate its top-level powertrain, the 355-horsepower, 6.0-liter V8.
Maybe we should just press the OnStar button and ask?
China’s middle class is predicted to mint up to 500 million new bourgeois comrades in the next 15 years, and not only will that mean new car owners, but more of those owners will be women. Along with rising incomes, that has put The Middle Kingdom into an SUV-buying boom driven by “tiger moms,” similar to the splurge that happened here in the 1990s but with big, striped cats replacing black-spotted white balls.
The trend has enough force already that SUV sales are expected to make up for other slumping segments, which is just about all of them. In addition to mothers wanting an SUV to haul their lone kid around there are other cultural factors at play, one being the fact that car ownership has only recently become a practical aspiration and having an SUV is a way to make a big splash in the new pool.
Carmakers obviously have no intention of denying the Chinese their desires, with Daimler declaring this “the year of the SUV.” It’s probably no coincidence that showed off its Jota in and its in , nor that every other automaker showed up to the Beijing Motor Show with plenty of high-riding hardware (see above). It probably is a coincidence that carmakers dreamed of selling squillions of SUVs just as Earth Day ended.
The venerable was tiny, cheap and nimble transportation in post-World-War-II Europe. In this day of $4-a-gallon gas, could a similar car be an attractive alternative? That’s the question University of Applied Arts graduate asked as he endeavored to imagine a modern Isetta.
Tony calls his interpretation the eSetta, with the “e” indicating an electric motor in place of the original Isetta’s gasoline-powered motorcycle engine. Such a small package couldn’t hold much of a battery pack, but it doesn’t need to in Tony’s plan. The eSetta would be part of a car sharing system where the little cars would be charged via induction stations where the eSetta could be borrowed and returned.
For now, the eSetta is only a concept, but its familiar retro look and frugal philosophy could do well for short trips in a compact urban center.
Details on the pair of Dear Qin concepts that unveiled at the this week are sparse, but they do hint at something interesting coming to every market where the Japanese automaker sells cars.
Calling them “global-strategic concepts,” Toyota says the sedan and hatchback versions of the Dear Qin models have “a design aiming to attract more people to the user base.” With that curious statement in mind, the first promotional video for the Dear Qin models (which you can watch by ) is both language- and information-free, emphasizing the design of the cars for a global audience. With explosions and lightning, of course.
Reports have said that Toyota is working on a new global, front-wheel drive model that is supposed to be launched in 2013. We can imagine these concepts foreshadowing those cars, and hope we get a pair of highly efficient compacts out of the design process. We’ll skip the explosions and lightning, though.
Limousines? That’s so last millennium. These days the pampered and rich in the know get chauffeured around in the back of pimped-out vans. Sure, they may look utilitarian on the outside, but inside, they’re as luxe as a private jet. has been at the forefront of the scene with its much-modified Sprinter vans, but that’s not the only big box in its portfolio. And to drive that point home, the German automaker has just rolled in to with this tricked-out Viano.
Called the Viano Vision Diamond, the custom Benz wagon has a two-tone paint job that only hints at the -grade cabin that awaits inside. The windows (including the partition inside) have the same Magic Sky Control tinting technology as the roof on the new , the cabin is done up in Nappa leather (black for the chauffeur, white for the passengers), and the rear features reclining, temperature-controlled massage chairs, a champagne cooler with flutes, lighting, 40-inch flat screen and Bang & Olufsen sound system (all controlled by a specially-designed iOS app), wireless internet and diamond trim.
Drive us to the airport in one of these and we’d be inclined to just stay in the back, lapping up the luxury of it all. Instead, we’ll just admire from afar in the high-res image gallery and press release .
Rumors and conjecture will only get you so far, particularly when we’re talking about the stratosphere of supercardom where speculation can disappear back into the ether from whence it came as quickly as it emerged in the first place. What we need to really anticipate the arrival of a new record-breaking hypercar is concrete evidence. And concrete evidence, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is what we have here before us today.
The car we’re talking about is the long-awaited successor to the legendary McLaren F1. Considering how thoroughly that bolide smashed all preconceived notions of what a car could do when the original hit the streets in 1992, its successor is something worth anticipating indeed. It’s expected to have nearly 700 horsepower on tap, challenge the for straight-line pace and emerge as a de-facto challenger to the Enzo replacement is working on.
The styling is expected to take greater advantage of the skills of one Frank Stephenson, father of the modern , , and countless Ferrari and models. His arrival at McLaren Automotive is said to have been a little late for him to truly leave his mark on the MP4-12C – its big brother expected to be his first clean-sheet design since moving in at Woking.
From the spy shots, we can see some distinctive common stylistic elements to the existing MP4-12C, tempered with some references to the original McLaren F1 – particularly in the shape of the greenhouse that packs a windshield that looks like it was lifted from a glass-bottom boat. A rooftop hood vent also appears to be popping up through the camouflage, with a giant exhaust pipe protruding high up through the rear (like a Pagani), with what looks like the biggest underbody diffuser we’ve seen yet.
The overall shape also looks longer than the MP4-12C, presumably to accommodate an engine packing 50% more cylinders than its eight-pot kid brother. With the V12 F1 expected to arrive around the same time as the Ferrari F70, it looks like Maranello and Woking are gearing up for once heck of a high-stakes grudge match.
In keeping with the CUV-crazy theme of this year’s , has introduced this Urban Crossover Concept penned by the French lion’s design studios in Paris, Shanghai and São Paulo. Eight inches shorter and three inches narrower than a hatchback, the concept is meant to be the ultimate expression of the company’s decades of popular small cars, crossovers and design.
It is also said to show off Pug’s new design cues, but we aren’t told exactly which cues those are. At the moment, Peugeot isn’t talking about what (if anything) powers its UCC, but perhaps we’ll learn more as the vehicle continues to make the rounds of the auto show circuit. In the meantime, check out the press release by and admire its angles in the high-res gallery.
has just unveiled a special concept version of the company’s Q3 at this week’s 2012 Beijing Motor Show to commemorate the year of the dragon. The 2012 Q3 Jinlong Yufeng, or “Golden Dragon In The Wind,” caters to the kite surfers of the world thanks to its two roof-mounted carbon-fiber reinforced polymer boards and a clever kite pouch that can also be used to hold wet articles of clothing or serve as a beach umbrella. Designers have also thrown in a set of removable, wireless video cameras that can easily be attached to a sail bar or helmet.
The Q3 Jinlong Yufeng wears Liuli Yellow paint outside as well as a few special off-road body components based on production pieces. Brushed stainless steel running boards, LED spotlights mounted in the grille and integrated dual-exit exhaust are all part of the package. Indoors, designers have stitched the vehicle’s surfaces with yellow contrasting thread. The seats use woven leather covers and each door panel features a yellow leather insert.
A turbocharged 2.5-liter direct-injection five-cylinder engine delivers 310 horsepower through a seven-speed transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive – enough, Audi says,to power the Q3 Jinlong Yufeng to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds. Hit the jump for the full press release.
“Stock” is a relative term. Stock cars, for example, like those raced in NASCAR, are anything but showroom stock. And at the opposite end of the spectrum, “stock” is just the starting point when ordering a new . The high-end marque offers its customers a virtually endless array of personalization options, and to drive that point, home Rolls-Royce is showcasing the show car seen here at this week’s .
Called the Six Senses concept, this specially equipped is designed to stimulate each of the five senses – sight, sound, scent, taste and touch – and proffers the singular luxury of a Rolls-Royce as the sixth sense. Sure beats seeing dead people.
The concept is painted in pearlescent Carrara White, with unique forged alloys and an interior decked out in walnut burr veneer, deep-pile lambswool carpeting (even in the trunk), leather headliner with panoramic sunroof, an upgraded sound system and champagne cooler. Check it out in the gallery above and follow the jump for the details in the press release.
Considering the rate at which the Chinese market gobbles up models, you’d think it would be a prime market for . Yet the House of the wasn’t present in China at all in recent years, as the brand has just announced at the its return to the Chinese market.
In the coming months, it will begin selling both the 300C and the Grand Voyager, and to mark the occasion it has presented a special designconcept of its top-of-the-line sedan. Much like sister-brand for its special-edition , the Chrysler brand went with the Ruyi – a scepter-like object symbolizing prosperity and good fortune – for its 300 show car.
The design concept is distinguished by unique ten-spoke 22-inch wheels, dark chrome trim to complement the black paint and tone-on-tone “speed stripe,” aero kit, custom grille, tinted glass and special badging. Meanwhile the interior is done up in a variety of metal finishes, with French-stitched beige suede and leather upholstery. Check it out in the gallery above and the press release by .
MG has taken to the 2012 Beijing Motor Show with its Icon Concept, a hatch that’s somehow intended to pay tribute to the MGA and MGB GT models of old. The automaker is marking its 50th anniversary this year, and chose the Chinese show to mark the occasion with the funky-looking concept you see above. Aside from a general hatchback shape, we don’t see too much of the Icon’s predecessors in the design – in fact, we see as much anything else. The tall ride height and flashy wheels certainly look as if they’d be at home on a modern roadway, however.
Details are scarce as far as the concept’s drivetrain is concerned, though MG says the Icon can accommodate four occupants, and the rear seats fold into the floor to optimize the available cargo area. A brief press release is .
has long been labeled as a “youth brand,” so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised to read word of parent turning over the marque’s aging nameplates so quickly. According to Ward’s Auto,Scion is set to kill off its and models – the first a onetime icon for the brand, the latter an econobox that never truly caught on with buyers (not unlike it’s predecessor, the xA).
A model like the xB was always going to be a love-hate proposition, and indeed, the subcompact sharply divided opinion because of its its t-square styling and funky stance back when it was introduced in 2004. But enough buyers fell enough with its good qualities – remarkable space efficiency, solid fuel economy, ease-of-driving and low pricing that the xB sold surprisingly well, in the process becoming something of a totem for the brand. The second-generation model, which bowed for 2007, seemed to alter all the things that made the original so endearing: the xB grew substantially, had the uniquely sharp corners of its design chamfered off, and it gained more power without adding much in the way of performance because the vehicle had been so radically upsized. Fuel economy dipped, too, as did the xB’s popularity with shoppers. Last year, Scion only moved about 17,000 examples – in its heyday, the xB sold over 60,000 units.
A couple of years ago, Jim Farley, Ford’s vice president of global marketing, told Autoblog that Scion’s intent wasn’t to be a youth brand at all – it was to be an experimental division, an incubator for product and marketing techniques. Farley, as you may recall, was one of the driving forces behind Scion, ascending to the role of its vice president before being reassigned to . By Farley’s yardstick, perhaps Scion had pushed the xB and xD as far as they could go, and now it’s simply time to test new vehicular hypotheses. Indeed, more recent models like the tiny and coupe show the brand experimenting in bold new directions… exactly the sort of innovation we can get behind.
has created the BMW i sub-brand for its upcoming production plug-in models, which currently include three concepts: the and the i8 Spyder. After keeping that third model away from our eager cameras at the New York Auto Show, BMW finally showed off the i8 Spyder Concept in the metal at the today.
The car itself we’ve already , but seeing it on stage shows once again that BMW is serious about putting cars like these on the road (toned down from the concept’s style, of course, perhaps with ). We’re more than ready for the through-the-road, plug-in hybrid that packs a 96-kW (131-horsepower) electric motor in front and a turbocharged three-cylinder gas engine offering 223 hp in back. 0-62 in five seconds and maybe 78 MPGe? Yes, please.
BMW is also making official the “eDrive” name, which is the new catch-all name for all of the electric drivetrain components: motor, battery and motor management system. First , the eDrive designation will be used “for the drive technology of all future electric and plug-in hybrid cars,” so get used to seeing it a lot.
Much as it is to any automaker doing business there, China has grown to become a vital market for the brand. In fact, the group’s iconic SUV brand sells more vehicles in China than anywhere outside North America. And so to celebrate its success in the Chinese market, Jeep has rolled into with the customized you see here.
What sets this designconcept apart from any other Wrangler Unlimited is the dragon motif that dominates throughout. Jeep started with a Rubicon Unlimited, blacked out everything from the fenders and bumpers to the wheels and roof and applied bronze-gold dragon decals to the hood and left flank, the spare tire cover, the unique carbon-fiber engine cover and the interior. Bronze-gold trim complements throughout, with a gold and black leather interior with gold snakeskin bolsters to top it all off.
More than a simple decal job, the Wrangler Dragon design concept looks pretty convincing, and if demand in China is high enough, Jeep might even build it. Just don’t count on it showing up in your local dealership on this side of the Pacific, though – you’ll just have to scope it out in the high-res image gallery above and for further details in the official press release.
The super-SUV is, arguably, the most significant debut of the . Maybe not in terms of sales volume, but at it’s a completely new direction for the modern Lamborghini brand (nevermind the “Rambo Lambo” from the ’80s), and moreover, it shows the first glimpse into the new premium SUV architecture that will gradually make its way through the entire Volkswagen Group portfolio.
We’ve already divulged about the Urus, including the meaning behind its questionable name (it’s a Spanish bull – go figure), but now it’s time to take a look at the bruiser live on the stage in Beijing. Before its debut, we were skeptical about how a high-riding Lamborghini SUV would look, but if we’re honest, we like what we see. It’s absolutely in-tune with the rest of Lambo’s design language, and it’s not nearly as enormous as you might think. We just wonder how much space there is in the back seat and how much utility is offered by the cargo bay.
Click above to peruse through a high-resolution gallery of images live from Beijing, and to watch a video of the SUV’s unveiling live from the Chinese expo.
Eterniti Motors chose the 2012 Beijing Motor Show to unveil the Artemis, an engineering prototype of the we saw at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this year. From the looks of things, the boutique automaker has ditched the -inspired front for a fascia that borrows a bit more heavily from the playbook. The company says the vehicles on display are currently running prototypes used for testing and that finished examples should be in production by this summer.
Designed to offer buyers new levels of luxury and performance, Eterniti calls the Artemis a Super SUV. The cabin boasts absurd levels of hand-crafted detail, including quilted carpets with lambswool rugs, natural wood veneers with carbon fiber and piano black accents and twin reclining rear seats. Eterniti stitched the SUV’s body from carbon composite and massive 23-inch wheels are standard equipment. Under the hood, a 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8 (?) dumps 600 horsepower to the ground and helps the machine dart to 62 mph in a scant 4.5 seconds.
Buyers may purchase their own Artemis for around $337,785 at current conversion rates, complete with a two-year, 100,000-mile warranty. Eterniti thoughtfully offers insurance and financing for those who don’t have that sort of cash on hand. for the full press release.
Starting with the , Nissan will be launching in the United States over the next 15 months. And while the sedan you see here is initially heading to China as the Nissan Sylphy, it’ll be heading to our shores as the later this year, albeit with a few market-specific tweaks.
For now, Nissan has released a short video teaser of the North American-spec 2013 Sentra, which you can view . The video shows the new compact sedan in its SR trim, which Autoblog has learned is only a North American-specific trim package. The rest of the Sylphy’s styling appears to carry over largely unchanged, with new details like LED running lamps and taillamps rounding out a design that’s essentially a downsized version of what we see on the new Altima.
In China, the Sylphy will be launched with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine mated to Nissan’s next-generation Xtronic continuously variable transmission. It might not be an all-new powertrain, but remember, this is the same strategy that Nissan is using with the new Altima – one that has paid big dividends in fuel economy. The engines themselves haven’t changed, but with an improved CVT, we should see gains in not only performance but fuel economy, as well.
We’ll see the North American-spec 2013 Sentra this summer with the car officially going on sale this fall. to watch a teaser video of the Sentra SR, and to read the full press materials about the Chinese-market Sylphy.
