Concept Cars
Tesla-Built Toyota Electric Prototypes Tipped to Be RAV4, Lexus RX
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In a followup to the story we brought you yesterday about Toyota‘s new electric vehicle prototypes that are being built by American electric sports car maker Tesla Motors, the actual vehicles in question are reported to be the RAV4 crossover and Lexus RX luxury crossover. The reason for the use of crossovers is believed to…
Porsche 918 Spyder Could Cost $630,000
Porsche is likely to price the 918 Spyder supercar at 500,000 euros ($630,000) say sources close to the vehicle’s development. That price would top the German sports car maker’s previous icon car, the Carrera GT, which sold for roughly $440,000. Unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show in March and quickly becoming the star of the…
Second Car in Prius Family Set to Hit Dealers in 2012
Toyota will bring three new green models to market in 2012, including the second model in the Prius family. Toyota has confirmed it will expand the Prius name into its own brand, but it’s not yet clear if the second model in the range will be the much-rumored Prius Alfa MPV or if it will…
Lexus LFA Roadster Not in Toyota’s Production Plans
Lexus won’t confirm if it will build the LFA Roadster, which we first saw in concept form at the Detroit Auto Show, but according to recent reports Toyota’s luxury arm has no plants to bring the a drop-top version of its supercar to market any time soon. Instead Lexus will focus on developing the coupe…
Tesla Building Two EV Prototypes for Toyota Using Japanese Automaker’s Vehicles
After reports last week that Toyota has already begun building a prototype electric car using Tesla battery technology, it now appears that that Tesla is also engaged in the prototype process. The American manufacturer of electric sports cars has announced that by the end of the month it will deliver two prototype models to Toyota…
Volkswagen Jetta Coupe Confirmed in Patent Filings
Leaked Volkswagen patent filings have turned up a new model from the German automaker that was already assumed to be headed to production: the Jetta Coupe. Technically known as the New Compact Coupe, there’s no denying the resemblance to the newly released 2011 Jetta sedan and the New Compact Coupe that debuted earlier this year…
Toyota Already Building Prototype EV With Tesla Technology Says CEO
Toyota has already begun building an electric vehicle prototype using Tesla’s battery technology confirms company CEO Akio Toyoda. The comments were made during a meeting with journalists in Nagoya, Japan. That news does not, however, mean that a production EV will make it to market combining Tesla’s innovation and Toyota’s reputation for quality and its…
Lotus to Unveil Four New Concepts at Paris Auto Show
Details of what exactly the “New Era” for Lotus will entail have begun to slip out with reports that the automaker will show-off four new concept cars at the Paris Auto Show this Fall. According to some reports the vehicles will include a successor to the Esprit, two new front-engined GT cars and a new…
Mercedes Ready to Battle Insurgents With Most Hard-Core G-Wagon Ever
Mercedes has just unveiled a military-grade version of its timeless G-Wagon at the Eurosatory defense expo in France. And as with all German vehicles, it seems they must either come with an extra long press release, or an extra long name. Thankfully for us, this one comes with the latter. Although, the name is so…
Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell Profiled in Stunning New Photo Gallery
In case you couldn’t get enough of the new SLS AMG E-Cell, the folks at Mercedes have releases a huge selection of incredible images of the electric supercar. Delivering 526-hp and a 0-60 mph time of just 4.0 seconds the SLS AMG E-Cell is bursting with batteries, which are placed in the front firewall, center…
Volkwswagen E-Up! Electric City Car Headed to the U.S.
While Volkswagen has no plans to bring its small Up! mini car to the U.S., we will get the planned electric version of the urban commuter. The folks at Automobile Magazine claim VW is planning to introduce the E-Up! in select U.S. markets in 2013 – possibly badged as the Up blue-e-motion. That same year,…
GMC Granite Approved for Production – Or Not
The GMC Granite has been given the green light for production. No… wait… it hasn’t. According to a report by Motor Trend, a source at GM announced that the funky Scion xB-like urban MPV based on the Chevy Orlando will get the go ahead. After publishing the report, GM contacted MT to inform them that…
BMW M8 Supercar Rumored to Get Hybrid V10 and All-Wheel Drive
BMW‘s upcoming exotic, based on the Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept, is rumored to due out in 2013 and possibly carry the M8 badge. The rumors, however, sound a bit too extreme. What’s hard to believe is the reported engine and drivetrain, with the M8 powered by a hybrid V10 with electric motors situated at each…
Tesla Unveils Plans for Cabriolet, Crossover and Van in IPO Presentation
American electric car maker Tesla is about ready to launch its IPO and go from a small niche market automaker to possibly a large international electric vehicle powerhouse. But in order to make hat next big step CEO Elon Musk needs money, and lots of it. So before he opens up his company to the…
Toyota FR-S: Official Name for the FT-86 Concept?
The biggest question surrounding Toyota‘s awesome FT-86 concept isn’t if the car will make it to production, but what it will be called. That mystery may have just been solved, with word that Toyota Motor Corporation has just filed a trademark for the “FR-S” name in both the U.S. and Canada. The name certainly makes…
Hyundai to Expand Lineup With New MPV Model
Hyundai is preparing to introduce yet another new model to its growing lineup and this time the car in question is an MPV (multi purpose vehicle). Built for the European market, a prototype has been spied testing in the Swiss Alps. The new MPV is expected to be based on the HED-5 i-Mode concept that…
Toyota Boss Says to Expect Cars Like the Hybrid Sports Car Concept While He’s In Charge
Toyotas are notoriously un-fun to drive, but the company’s new boss aims to change that, infusing some driving character into even the greenest of the brand’s beige offerings. In numerous interviews since Akio Toyoda took over at the helm of the world’s largest automaker, he has repeated that the brand needs products that are more…
BMW Gran Coupe Concept Headed to Production, Possibly as 6 Series Sedan
BMW‘s new stylish Gran Coupe Concept has reportedly been given the green light for production, with a strong possibility that it will wear a 6 Series badge. Currently the concept isn’t far off from production considering it already sits on the same platform being used or the current 5 Series, 7 Series and 5 Series…
Buick Business Concept Headed to Production as GL8 Replacement in China
In China Buick sells several models we don’t get here, including the GL8 van. Recently, a replacement for the current GL8 was spotted camoed-up and testing in China, looking a lot like the Buick Business Concept first shown at the Shanghai Auto Show last year. The current GL8 is based off the tremendously old Pontiac…
Maybach Exelero Replica Now Available, Saves You Over $7 Million
In the world of luxury you just can’t put a price tag on exclusivity – or can you? The original Maybach Exelero was a high-speed test mule conjured up by the minds at Daimler by Fulda tires. And exclusive it was, with only one ever built, selling for nearly $8,000,000. That’s right, six zeroes. But…
MINI Minor City Car to Rival Smart Fortwo, Toyota iQ?
After introducing a new crossover at the top-end of its lineup, MINI now appears to be readying a new entry-level model – reportedly referred to as the MINI Minor by BMW officials. Designed as a true city car, the new minier MINI would be built to compete against the Smart Fortwo and Toyota iQ models…
More Details Emerge Surrounding Gordon Murray’s T27 City Car
Not long after Gordon Murray’s McLaren F1 was feted at the company’s headquarters, new details have emerged about Murray’s all-new T27 city car, being developed by the South African-born engineer independently of McLaren. Essentially an electric version of the T25 city car, the T27 uses a lithium-ion battery and a small electric motor to hit…
Xenatec Dream Car Renderings Include Bentley SUV, Aston Martin Hatch
We’ll give German Tuner Xenatec this much: their Maybach 57S Coupe is pretty sweet. But they’ve now released five Photoshop rendering of what they consider their “dream cars.” Thankfully these are just concepts, because quite frankly we’re not too sure about the styling. Let’s start with their Aston Martin hatchback/crossover. The rear end looks like…
MINI Beachcomber Concept Likely to See Production
MINI appears ready to expand its product lineup some more with the addition of the Beachcomber. First shown at the Detroit Auto Show this year, the Beachcomber Concept rides on the Countryman’s new crossover platform and takes inspiration from the tiny Moke model, which the brand offered from 1964 to 1993. In an interview with…
