The came out from behind its many renderings today, and yes, it is just as funky in person. In fact, it might be more so – the renderings simply can’t prepare you for the soapbox-racer proportions of this dinky 1,000-pound open-wheeler. And even though there are but two seats, we’re still intrigued by the thought of gaining ingress through the back of the car.
Underneath the slight skin of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, two e-tron electric motors propel the 1+1 with ‘powerful’ acceleration, which is just what you’d expect from a motorized water strider.
Interestingly, Audi had promised us a hardtop version of the Urban Concept, the Sportback, but we’ve scoured the German automaker’s massive stand and have yet to find it. We’ll keep our eyes peeled and let you know if it shows up tomorrow. In the meantime, check out the flyweight Spyder in our gallery.
The has always been a bit of a wild child in the premium crossover segment. It has a polarizing exterior style, and it’s capable of reaching illegal speeds rather quickly. has partnered up with Formula One racer Sebastian Vettel to make it even more extreme, and the result is the (rather blandly named) Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version.
What does it take for a F1 star to apply his moniker to anything other than a sports car? Money. Serious upgrades to the overall performance of the vehicle. Vettel worked with Infiniti engineers to transform the FX50 into a lower, sleeker machine. The vehicle sits 20 millimeters lower and wears aero bits that help improve its coefficient of drag by 30 percent.
Those changes are rather welcome because Vettel wanted the FX bearing his name to hit a pretty impressive speed target. The goal was 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), and this Infiniti FX Vettel Version is capable of achieving that mark.
Engineers were able to squeeze an additional 30 horsepower out of the 5.0-liter V8, bringing total output up to 414 horses. This was done by way of a new exhaust system and reflashing the the engine’s computer. Still, 186 mph is a tough task for a bulky vehicle like the FX, so taller gearing was called for. Despite this, Infiniti says the Vettel FX manages to run from 0-60 miles per hour quicker than the standard FX50.
For the moment, the special FX is considered a concept car, though the rumormill has suggested for some time that Infiniti is , so a production derivative isn’t entirely out of the question. Read more about the Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version by checking out the full press release posted .
The has long since made its American debut, and we’ve scored seat time in a variety of versions. Our Civic is different than the one our European friends get to drive, however, and the updated Euro-market Honda Civic has been revealed to the awaiting crowds at the .
Differences between the U.S. and European Civic models become immediately apparent with just a quick glance. The face of the European car is much more assertive than the North American variety. Fender flares are more pronounced, and the entire exterior package looks far more sporty than the version we can buy here.
European customers will have a choice between three engine options; a 1.4-liter or 1.8-liter gasoline four-cylinder, or a 2.2-liter diesel unit. All three are available with a six-speed manual transmission and the 1.8-liter is also available with a specially prepared five-speed gearbox. The aforementioned diesel engine is good for 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.
Read the full press release to learn more about the car your European counterparts will have the chance to buy.
Combining performance, luxury, style, utility and economy with an enduring concern for the sustainable use of resources, the Fisker Surf is a treehugger’s dream machine. That basically sums up the Fisker’s station wagon, which was unveiled today at the .
The Surf is Fisker’s vision of a plug-inhybrid that slots in between a sedan and crossover and shows how is expected to expand on it its platform with additional models that fill a niche.
If you see a bit of in the Surf, that’s apparently intentional, as Fisker execs have already , “The shape is a bit like a Ferrari FF. But with four doors!” And, as Fisker says, the Surf will check in at around one-third the price of Ferrari’s shooting brake. Neat as it is, we don’t see a lot of cross-shopping going on here, do you?
Despite increased quantities of glass and bodywork, Fisker says the Surf weighs just 66 pounds more than the Karma sedan, but the real bonus comes in terms of cargo space, which grows from inadequate to almost acceptable. Fisker says the Surf will launch in 2013 and we’re guessing that its price tag will be a bit above $100,000.
In other news, Fisker has confirmed a new partner in wheelmakers Claus Ettensberger Corporation, who will provide various alloy wheel patterns and “aerodynamic components” as optional extras for the Karma’s newly formed Reserve program.
Check out live pics of the Surf in our high-res gallery as well as the press release , then let us know what you think of Fisker’s latest in Comments.
may have gone off the reservation with its plan to be all things to all people (again), but at least a few engineers back in Hethel still seem to have their heads on straight. And here’s proof.
The next generation gets a reworked body and tweaked interior, but the real news is under the clamshell. Lotus has pulled the 3.5-liter, supercharged V6 from the and slotted it into the back of the Exige S to create a 2,380-pound, 346-horsepower track sled designed and engineered to be, in the words of CEO Dany Bahar, “the ultimate Lotus experience.”
Although the 200-plus pound weight increase isn’t something Lotus founder Colin Chapman could get behind, the performance should be more than enough to make even hardened Lotus aficionados temporarily forget the “add lightness” edict.
Specially-developed Pirelli P-Zero Corsas are fitted at all four corners, while the Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) system allows drivers to switch between Touring, Sport and DPM Off traction control modes. Option up for the Race Pack, and “Race” is included in the settings, along with Launch Control and a reworked suspension.
Two interior packages – Premium and Premium Sport – will be offered when the Exige S goes on sale next year, but Lotus isn’t giving out performance figures just yet. But considering the current Exige S does 0-60 in 4.1 seconds, it’s safe to assume the added grunt will bring that figure down deep into the threes, and have the handling chops to match. Details in the press release .
The isn’t just any ordinary Euro-market compact hatchback. Flash back to 2009 and remember that the i30 was brought over to the United States as the , and while it didn’t make an enormous splash, officials tell us they are still committed to offering the Touring model here in the States. And with a stylish new i30 ready for the importing, the rakish sedan will now have an attractive five-door counterpart to do battle with the and .
Up until now, the rear end of the i30 had been a mystery, and now that we’ve given the car a full walk-around, we’re quite happy with the way Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language has been presented on this hatchback. The rear fascia gets the same sort of mildly aggressive look as the front, and the whole package looks nicely rounded-out. See for yourself in our attached high-res image gallery, and look for the i30 to head Stateside before you know it.
It seems has hit upon a bit of love-it-or-hate-it styling with its new full-size five-door. Regardless of your stance on its aesthetics, we can all agree that the motor does a fine job of hauling the hefty hatchback around. Now, however, Audi has given us our first glimpse at the more powerful S7, and we can’t wait to get this shapely German back on U.S. soil.
Under the hood, a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine belches out 420 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough motivation to propel the four-passenger five-door from 0-62 miles per hour in under five seconds. Despite the power, Audi has managed to eke out a fuel economy average of 25 miles per gallon thanks to its cylinder deactivation system and seven-speed S tronic gearbox.
Should you live your life in the luxurious fast lane, Audi has prepared a few optional goodies to keep you comfortable at speed. An available sport differential varies the the power distribution between the rear wheels while optional carbon ceramic brakes bring the speedo needle back to legal numbers.
There’s no word yet on pricing. It’s possible to push the price of a loaded A7 above $80,000, so we expect the S7 to start somewhere in that neighborhood.
adds another dollop of masculinity to its with the debut of the Beetle R Concept. Painted in “Serious Grey,” and fitted with bright 20-inch “Talladega” alloy wheels, the high-performance derivative is appealing.
Under the hood of the front-wheel-drive coupe is VW’s familiar turbocharged 2.0 TSI four-cylinder mated to a six-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The automaker hasn’t announced an official power rating, but we suspect it is making about 240 horsepower. That’s a bit less than the output of the same powerplant in the Golf R and Scirocco R, but we aren’t complaining.
Check out the oversize front brakes, complete with hard-to-miss-blue four-piston calipers, and the widened front and rear bumpers. In addition to the lower front splitter, there are three prominent intakes, each with its own role (the middle supplies the engine with oxygen, while the outer two contribute to cooling the brakes). There are also ventilation slots in the hood, to bleed excess heat from the engine bay. At the rear, there is a unique tail fascia with two sets of dual chrome tailpipes.
Inside, the deep bucket sport seats are upholstered in Nappa leather with an embossed logo on the backrest. Contrasting colors add interest to the dashboard and gear shift grip, and the R-specific instrumentation includes auxiliary gauges to keep things in check. for the full details in the press release.
The 2011 Targa Newfoundland is officially underway after three prologue stages on Sunday. As our first real taste of targa competition, the day was instrumental in alerting Brandon Fitch, driver of the number 1680 Flyin’ Miata Supercharged Mazda Miata, and myself to the fact that we had no holy clue as to what we were doing.
As a co-driver in the Grand Touring class, it’s my job to make sure that we arrive at the flying finish line as close to our target time as humanly possible. Early in the event, we get to enjoy nice, wide 30-second time windows. Later in the week, that gap will narrow to a slender six seconds. During the prologue, we either under- or over-shot our times by as much as 30 additional seconds outside of our window.
Mercy.
What was the problem, you ask? Our rally computer, the infamous Terratrip, seems to have been designed specifically to confound and infuriate. With Brandon doing his best to keep us shiny side up during a stage, I’m trying to call out the distances to the next instruction in descending intervals of 100 meters, the instructions themselves, monitor our time as we arrive at the instruction and hopefully keep an eye on our average speed to tell us whether or not we were close to hitting our time. It didn’t work that way.
For starters, the Terratrip seems to have a preference for calculating average speed not from the time that the vehicle begins moving, but from the instant that you turn the machine on. Not helpful. If I cleared the screens in preparation for our start time, the computer began factoring two minutes of zeros into our average speed, rendering a completely useless number.
has officially unveiled its Tubik concept at the , and it’s just as far-out as the . The French automaker says its concept bus was inspired by its old , better known to Europeans as The Tub. We can see where they got the name…
The Tubik has room for nine passengers with modular seating that can be arranged in a number of ways in a “lounge-style cocoon dedicated to comfort and relaxation” – so says Citroën, anyway. Power comes from the automaker’s Hybrid4 technology, coupling a diesel engine that turns the front wheels with an electric motor at the rear.
Of course, it’s the interior that really separates this concept from other people movers. Such interesting design choices as felt seats, leather flooring, along with backrests and door panels covered in silk outline the “different is good” aesthetic for which Citroën is known. We suggest you scroll through our high-res image gallery to take it all in, then you can check out the press release for all the details.
The production model is finally here. To be made available in several flavors, the go-to vanilla offering is remarkable as much for its meandering gestation as it is for its price: €9,850 for the Move Up! “convenience-oriented model” (about $13,500 USD, including Germany’s costly Value Added Tax). That model will have the 59-horsepower gas engine that slots below the available gas-powered 74-hp engine and 67-horsepower natural-gas engine.
In keeping with the fixed-menu offerings that characterize the small-car segment, there will be a convenience-oriented Up!, High Up!, Up! Black and Up! White models that bring a set number of options to the party. (We! Don’t! Know! About! You! But! We’re! Getting! Tired! Of! All! This! Ridiculous! Marketspeak! Naming! And! Crazy! Punctuation!)
According to VW, an innovative financing plan called AutoCredit2 will roll into overseas dealerships to aid sales of the car, but we don’t know anything about that yet. Also, still no word on whether the Up! franchise will make it to North America, but we wouldn’t count on it, at least with this generation of products – after all, we’re still .
So hop on into the gallery of high-res photos for some Up! White and see if it might be worthy of your wily financing schemes.
Next to all the major automakers debuting vehicles at the is a lesser-known firm from Russia that operates under the curious name of Yo-Auto (ë-Avto).
The quirky Yo-Concept, unveiled today in Frankfurt, is the Russian automaker is reportedly working on. And even though the Yo-Concept is not destined for production, execs say this unique concept previews the company’s stylings and that it will function as a design model for all of Yo-Auto’s future vehicles.
The Yo-Concept reportedly features some sort of extended-range setup similar to the gas-electric plug-in system that powers the . Of course, the Yo-Concept’s trickest feature has to be its novel curved doors that slide up and to the rear of the vehicle. Refresh your memory on how the Yo Concept’s doors work by to watch a brief video, then check out live pics in our high-res gallery and drop us your (yo?) thoughts in Comments below.
has been tooting its horns all year about having been in business for 125 years, and to its eternal credit, it’s done so at the top. For the Daimler boys, the is being used to showcase what the next 125 years in business (knock on burl walnut) might bring, and it starts in part with the hydrogen-powered seen here.
With a brief to build a large, luxurious four-seater with zero emissions, the F-125! conceptually employs lithium-sulphur batteries, a body comprised of several metals and composites, passenger controls via “touch, speech and hand gestures,” semi-autonomous driving, three-dimensional and projector-beam displays and a range of 1,000 kilometers.
So no, we aren’t likely to see the massive gullwing fuel cell-powered plug-in hybrid soon, but it’s a novel way forward for a company that built its 125-year name on solid, swift conveyances that have tended to be a bit conservative, if timeless. Find out what this vision of the future looks like by watching a video of the F-125! concept’s unveiling , where you’ll also find an official press release.
F-125! previews a plug-in hydrogen future [w/video]
“For some reason SUVs today never seem to offer the kind of uplifting driving pleasure and luxury atmosphere that are two givens of today’s high-end sports and luxury cars.”
So says , and though we’re quite certain rivals like , and even Maserati’s own sister-brand, , would take offense to the claim, we feel inclined to point out that the very nature of the SUV – higher ground clearance, seating position and the subsequent higher center-of-gravity, to name just one – makes them less suitable for the kind of “driving pleasure” we’d generally associate with Maserati. But we digress.
What we have here is Maserati’s take on the premium sport utility vehicle, and the Italian automaker promises it heralds the coming of a new product line. Maserati claims that the Kubang’s “style, engine, suspensions, brakes, handling and performance will all be 100% Maserati in picture-perfect continuity with the brand’s core values of sportiness, style, elegance, luxury, performance and craftsmanship.”
We hope all that is true, and at least the powerplants sound enticing. According to the Italian company, a new generation of proprietary engines are being designed in Modena by Paolo Martinelli, who previously spent 30 years at and its Scuderia factory racing team, and they’ll be built in Maranello by Ferrari. Expect that engine to be mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Keen fans of the brand may remember that this isn’t the first Kubang seen from Maserati. Way back in 2003 at the , the Trident brand showed off that shared the same moniker. We think this one looks a fair bit better, though it’s still a somewhat oddly shaped little duckling.
Nothing else is yet known about the Kubang, but we’d expect it to borrow liberally from the Jeep parts bin, and there have been many indications that it will likely even . In any case, have a good look at the Kubang in all its somewhat funky glory in our high-res gallery of live images, and feel free to peruse the press release .
For the most part, has had to content itself with working class iron while it has watched its corporate sibling, Hyundai, spread its wings upmarket. With massive sales momentum and big upticks in everything from styling cohesion to consumer consideration, now might just be the right time for the Korean automaker to start its own push into the land of loftier price tags.
The just revealed at the presages a new rear-wheel drive production platform, though we’re guessing the final product won’t look much like this coupe-like four-door. Motivated by a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 giving 389 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque, power for GT is routed through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
While the Kia GT has its share of interesting details (contrasting rocker panel swoosh, fender-mounted rearview camera stanchions, -like front canards etc.), we’re still on the fence about what we think of the visuals.
The interior is somewhat less controversial, with beautiful organic forms, one-piece seats that are covered in different materials front and back, and a unique glass instrument panel. Check it all out in our high-res gallery and let us know what you think in Comments.
We’ve all been anxiously awaiting for Italian dreamboat builders to confirm production of a key new third model line, expanding the brand with . And while Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann just confirmed a new model at an event before the press days began today, it isn’t either of those vehicles. Instead, it’s a production version of the from the , a lightweight, track-only, ultra-extreme carbon-fiber coupe with knife-edged styling.
According to the CEO, the Sesto Elemento will be a hyper-limited production model in the mold of the , with just 20 examples planned (though we wouldn’t be surprised to see a convertible version announced later on). No word yet on pricing just, but mere money probably shouldn’t stop potential buyers from banging on the doors in Sant’Agata Bolognese demanding a copy of their very own.
With the long-serving Defender not… well, long for this world, is gearing up for its eventual replacement – targeted to launch in 2015 – and we just got our first glimpse of it on the show floor here in Frankfurt. Or glimpses, we should say, as JLR surprised us with the debut not only of the , but a pair of them.
In one corner, the white-roofed silver DC100 three-door wagon we’d been shown (at least, in part) a couple of weeks ago. In the other, the DC100 Sport, an open-air version decked out in yellow-orange. Both preview the next generation of the iconic, go-anywhere truck of choice for expeditionary teams worldwide, and pack such innovations as an off-road terrain scanning device to detect potential obstacles and – get this – a sonar depth-sounder for fording through rivers. Plus, you know, a whole lot more style than the model it envisions succeeding.
Check ‘em out in our pair of high-resolution galleries live from the show floor, follow the jump for the brief press release, and stay tuned for more info in our ongoing coverage of the .
Small, lightweight, electric and seats just one. That pretty much sums up the new Nils concept which was introduced at the today.
The sole occupant sits inside an ultra-light all-aluminum chassis with aluminum skin and polycarbonate door panels. According to the automaker, overall length is just 120 inches (for reference, the is just over 98 inches long) and the weight has been kept below 1,000 pounds. Motivation comes from a 33-horsepower electric motor that weighs just 42 pounds, pulling power from a 5.3 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The range is about 40 miles and charging takes just two hours.
Facing the driver is a seven-inch TFT display with digital instrumentation. The Nils is also fitted with a portable infotainment unit to controls navigation, radio, phone and Internet access. With multi-link suspension, drilled disc brakes at all four corners and a wide stance, the Nils looks fun to drive. Designed with short-commute Europeans in mind (the project is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development) the concept probing the feasibility of micromobility probably won’t look very practical to Americans, even if it does appear pretty cool.
Don’t call it an Outback Sport. This is Subaru’s new , and though it totally fits the bill as a successor to the -based Outback Sports of yore, the Japanese automaker says that this little orange all-roader takes the company “into the compact crossover segment for the first time.” (Nevermind that the XV , or that it is, minus a few very minor tweaks, exactly what the Impreza Outback Sport used to be).
Looking over the specifications, as before, the XV is pretty close to its Impreza sister, though ground clearance has been upped to a trail-friendly 8.6 inches. Under the hood, two gasoline engines are available, measuring 1.6 and 2.0 liters, and a heavily tweaked version of the diesel Boxer four-cylinder is on tap, as well. Subaru’s new start/stop system is also on hand, and when mated to the CVT, Subaru says that the XV is quite efficient (thought we’ll wait for official fuel economy numbers before we make any judgments).
It’s still unclear if the XV will make its way Stateside. , it was only being considered for North America, and it probably wouldn’t retain the Outback Sport moniker if it did come over. for Subaru’s official press blast and see the little orange CUV for yourself in our attached high-res image gallery.
It’s compact, sporty, has a manual transmission… and we don’t expect it to arrive Stateside anytime soon. We’re talking about the all-new Suzuki Swift Sport, which is set to make its official debut at the . The compact hot hatch is a tuned version of the standard Swift, with power rated at 134 horses and torque at 118 pound-feet, fed to the wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.
didn’t just fiddle with the engine, however, as the Swift Sport gets a healthy dose of chassis and suspension upgrades over the standard Swift. The torsion beam is more rigid, spring rates have been increased and the front wheels receive larger bushings to help turn the Swift Sport into an agile handling machine.
Despite all the sporting notions, the Suzuki Swift Sport is still a light sipper at the fuel pump. Fuel economy is rated at approximately 37 miles per gallon. So to sum up, the Swift Sport sounds rather fun to drive yet it’s fuel efficient as well, and you’re not going to see one on a U.S. road in the foreseeable future. Feel free to read all the details .
