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BMW's long-awaited four-door coupe model's apparently nearing the end of its development pipeline, as newly retrieved patent images indicate. The elegant new model will be essentially a four-portal 6 Series competing with the Mercedes-Benz CLS and Audi A7. More »
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Road & Track offers up three designs for the next Ford supercar, one by Ford GT designer Camillo Pardo. Should Ford leave the past behind, or keep visually referencing its 1-2-3 GT40 victory at Le Mans in 1966? (Thanks, $kaycog) More »
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We almost had jet-powered cars. Chrysler quietly developed a Jet-powered car in the 1960s. Steve Lehto's new book Chrysler's Turbine Car explains how bureaucracy killed one of Detroit's engineering triumphs. —Ed. More »
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Remember the 12-year-old kid behind the Porsche 928 turbo concept? Well, "Porsche Kid" has put together a full breakdown of what he expects from Porsche's 2013-14 lineup with photos below. More »
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Can’t stand these future-of-the-car capsules, correct? They’re not for you! But give them to the people who knit sweaters while driving Camrys and us car geeks will have more space and more petrol. More »
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Hybrid technology propels most fuel-efficient vehicles currently on sale in the U.S., but with costly battery packs and not-so-easy-on-the-wallet pricing; Are gas-electric hybrids long for this world? Could pneumatic hybrids be a cost-effective replacement? More »
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Another peak at Chrysler's Viability Plan gave us two profile views of the 2010 Dodge Charger and 2010 Chrysler 300C we missed the first time around. Time for a new-vs-old comparison! More »
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VW would like to share with you their dream for the future. The original Volkswagens were designed to assume the role of providing uniform transportation for the masses, and now it seems VW desires to return to their roots for 2028. No, not the whole take-over-the-world part, we're talking about them doing what their name says, being the "People's Car." More »
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Ratan Tata and his eponymous company sent the automotive world buzzing with news of their $2,500 car, the lilliputian Nano. At the time, we reported that Bajaj Auto, which is partnered with Renault-Nissan, was going to announce a $3,000 car. Turns out the companies have found a way to cut $500 off the price to create a $2,500 competitor. To make this car the three companies are creating a new company with ownership split between Renault (25%), Nissan (25%) and Bajaj Auto (50%). No name on the car other than the codename "ULC" which we can only guess stands for "Uncomfortable, Little and Cheap." The car is to be sold in India in early 2011 as the primary market. Press release below the jump. More »
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The spy photo of the 2010 Ford Taurus which were so fleetingly displayed today (and which will live on in RSS readers everywhere) got the old gears turning back to memories of 1996. Ford made huge waves at the Detroit Auto Show that year with the Synergy 2010, a peek at the future of automobiles. It was "equipped" with a 1.0-liter diesel engine, advanced communication systems, super lightweight materials and state-of-the-art aerodynamics. The car was a design concept exploring ways to carry four passengers safely while returning an astonishing 80 MPG in the year 2010. More »
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Possibly reaching out to the dekotora crowd, Toyota seems to be taking the next generation of its most awkwardly named MPV in a distinct direction with a gigantic and protruding front fascia. The Toyota Alphard, which is named for a star but sounds like the first mentally challenged person or a movie about Alf in prison, is what our vans would look like if we hadn't abandoned the Previa. In Japan, the current gen includes a hybrid version and the Royal Lounge Alphard, which has only four seats. If you look closely at the scans from this random Japanese magazine, you'll see airline-like captain's chairs with a possible full recline feature. More »
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The Imperia brand isn't the most memorable of Belgian automakers, having produced only a small number of cars before being absorbed by other companies. But that doesn't mean it can't live again as a hybrid. For only $125,000 (or $50,000 less than the Mindset E-Motion) you might be able to land one of these gasoline-electric hybrids. In addition to the unique design, which manages to blend the BMW Z3 with a 1930's Chevy Coupe, the coupe offers a 2.0L V4 engine with a small electric motor. But there's a twist. More »
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Many Jalopers have a special place in their heart for W12 Volkswagen Phaeton (and we know a certain journalist with a pair of V8 Phaetons). And while we like the Passat CC up close, it doesn't move us in the same way. So that makes us happy to hear that Motor Authority is reporting that VW's chief Stefan Jacoby mentioned that it was a mistake to end the Phaeton in North America and that it could make a return. More »
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Remember that Mazda6 Coupe sketch that popped up on the automotive interwebs today? We got it from The Hollywood Extra, a site that provides an interesting mix of shots that are made more interesting by the editor's complete unwillingness to attribute anything. As we guessed, it turns out this is an older Atenza drawing from Mazda. More of them below the jump. More »
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Mr. Vince Burlapp and his The Hollywood Extra Car Page brings us another mystery. This time it is a completely random image of what looks to be a Mazda6/Atenza coupe sketch. Burlapp claims this is a sketch from Mazda, so we'll go with that for now. It would make sense to us to bring a Mazda6 coupe to the world as all the competition seems to be doing it and Mazda has had an unfortunate excess of doors recently. Here are some pictures of the Mazdaspeed Atenza Concept, which seem to share similar touches. More »
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For those of you who think that the stock 2009 Ford F-150 FX4 is a bit too tame, Ford has been secretly developing a super off road version under the project name "Raptor." According to Four Wheeler Magazine, this new F-150 will use the same long-travel suspension technology used in the Baja 1000. More »
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The new Nissan GT-R has barely been out long enough for idiots to start crashing them, and people are already thinking about the first R35 GT-R Spec V. Previously, we brought you possible GT-R Spec V pics and now we think we know where some of them are coming from. The folks at Best Car are rendering for their readers what they hope Nissan will render unto them. Besides the carbon fiber goodies, the car should get a revised suspension, less weight and tweaks to the AWD system. More »
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According to the very fine people at Car & Driver, Ford CEO Alan Mulally confirmed that it would be the Lincoln brand that would get the next derivative of the Ford Flex seven-passenger crossover minivan replacement. This goes against rumors that it would be Mercury that would be getting a version of the Flex. More »
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The illustrator's over at Winding Road have been having fun with a possible future RX-9 based on previous concepts such as the Mazda Nagare. Their guesstimation picks up some of the Nagare aft of the A-pillar, with a modernization of lines from the current generation RX-8 and last generation RX-7 in the rear. As for under the hood, guesses range from a modified Renesis to something as out-of-character as a V8. But before you rotorheads get up in arms, remember this is all just educated dart throwing. [WindingRoad] More »
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The power thirsty folks at AutoWeek are reporting that the Aston Martin is ready to take on Ferrari with the V12 Vantage RS, which should replace the vanished Vanquish as the brand's top offering. The monster engine is said to be taken from the DBRS9 race car, thereby giving it something in the range of 600 hp, with the 0-60 mph run in less than 4.0 seconds and a top speed close to 200 mph. More »
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We have confirmation from World Car Fans via Automotive News that Volvo will be making good on its threats to wagonify the C30 hatchback. We also heard via the same sources that Cindy will totally go to second base with you if you borrow your dad's Lincoln. But don't hold us to that. The C30's platform is comfortable with five doors as it already underpins the Mazda3 hatch, S40 wagon and Euro Focus. Above is our exceptionally poor rendering of what the hatch might look like with four doors in sportback/wagon version. More »
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Those crossover teases at Subaru have a minisite up for the new Forester. There's been a decent amount of speculation surrounding the new version. A little tinkering with photoshop gives you a fairly decent view of the Forester's tail, which seems to preserve the tall greenhouse. More »
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Aptera announced today that it would be producing both an all-electric and hybrid version of the 300 MPG prototype we told you about in July. The Aptera Typ-1 plug-in hybrid uses an all-electric drive train coupled to a small diesel gas engine and will achieve 300 MPG, while the all-electric version has a total range of 120 miles. The company claims that the car (categorized as a motorcycle by the Dept. of Transportation) in either form will be available for under $30,000! Aptera is Greek for "Wingless Flight," so let's hope this isn't a flight-of-fancy. The company will take a $500 reservation deposit if you live in Southern California (and has taken 400 already), with the rest of us SOL for now. Full press release below.
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Mallory McMorrow will be living the dream at the LA Auto Show as a full-scale model of her 2018 Mazda3 concept will be carved out of clay, LIVE! This is all part of the "Mazda Design Challenge," which invited contestants to describe and draw their ideal 2018 Mazda3. The finalists were paired with Mazda designers to have their concept sketched professionally before being put to a vote on Facebook. In addition to seeing her model formed out of the clay, she'll get $1,000 in cash, a trip to the auto show and a Mazda3 to cruise around in while in L.A. Pics of her design and the press release below: More »
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Todd Lassa's shrill condemnations of the blogosphere notwithstanding, Motor Trend clarifies the Audi RS4 issue with some of that snappy jernelism we expect from those who still use the telephone. Those saddened by talk the RS version of the Audi A4 was going the way of Brock Yates's Park Avenue office will be heartened to hear it's just taking a yearlong hiatus. With the new A4 appearing this fall atop Audi's oft ballyhooed modular architecture, the current RS4 will be shelved. A new RS4, based on the updated A4 and sporting what could total 450 horsepower, will appear at the end of 2008. Meanwhile, Audi's spending down the remaining parts on the limited-edition RS4 convertible, due by year's end. Only 300 of the droptops will be built, each costing around 90 grand each. And we didn't even have to pick up the phone. Ain't meta media grand? [Motor Trend via The German Car Blog] More »
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Automotive News reports this week on GM's plans for its future as a profitable concern (at least for now) One point on Pontiac's timeline that grabbed our fleeting attention span was the year 2009. That's when AW says the previously rumored Solstice Coupe is due (Note: 2002 Solstice Coupe Concept pictured). Destined to be a favorite for club racers and the aerodynamics engineers who rue those craptacular hardtops they've had to add on the roadster versions, the Coupe will get the turbocharged 2.0-liter direct-injection four producing 265 horsepower, though there's no word of a shoehorned V8 (hello? Mr. Mallett?). A redesign of the entire Solstice line is in store for the 2011 model year. More »
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It's no secret China has become the most compelling reason to keep a candle burning for the Buick brand. The superpower-in-training is now Buick's top market, evidenced by the Rivera concept that debuted at the Shanghai auto show earlier this year. Now, Automotive News reports China's influence may feed back into the US market by decade's end. The first Chinese-designed Buick to debut in the states could hit in 2009. That is, the next Excelle, a small, entry-luxury sedan to ride on GM's new rear-wheel-drive Alpha architecture (similar to the Pontiac Solstice's Kappa platform) that'll reportedly host the next Cadillac BLS for Europe. [Note: AN says it's a front-drive platform; not sure what they're smoking]. The next-gen LaCrosse sedan will follow on the Epsilon 2 platform in front- and all-wheel-drive versions, and the next Lucerne in 2011, which will be built on Holden's Zeta platform like the Pontiac G8. That car will be similar to the Park Avenue, recently introduced in China. Does the Chinese market know American cars better than we do? Watch this space. More »
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Lexus UK boss Steve Settle says the L-word is working up a dedicated hybrid that'll be bigger than a sack of flour and smaller than the St. Ignace Mystery Spot. That'll put it squarely in range of what's known in Europe as the D-Segment, which had a minor dance hit in 1985 with "Girl, Stop Your incessant Proffering of Sexual Congress to My Homies." The car is reportedly planned for 2010, and will have more interior and trunk space than the IS, but less than the GS. It'll also likely be powered by the next generation of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system. Peace. More »
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We wannabe upper crusty anglophile types are already busy drooling over the allure from the double-decadent Havana coupe. Now Bentley springs this on us? As the revitalized German British marquee nears the brand-imploding 9,000 cars a year threshold, they are going to need new steel to maintain their momentum. Wait, not steel — as was dictated by sharing a chassis with brother Phaeton — Al-you-min-e-um. The new Continentals will use Audi's lightweight MLB platform, probably shedding half a ton in the process. Much more interesting (says me), is the likelihood of low volume offshoots, including a four-door drop-top, a sedanca and most wonderful of all, a shooting brake! And if Davey G. calls the latter a "hatch back," I'm sicking Daniel Craig on his ass. – Jonny Lieberman More »
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