Concept Cars
Toyota FT-86 Delayed Until 2013
Those eagerly anticipating the launch of the FT-86 affordable sports car from Toyota will have to keep waiting. According to a report by Japan’s Best Car magazine, the concept has been delayed from an original production date of 2011 until 2013. Reasons for the delay include the possibility of a different design direction (why?), as…
BMW Z Spyder Stradale Rumored as Successor to Z8
BMW insider SCOTT26, posting on E90Post.com has dropped another juicy rumor on us: a successor to the Z8. Known internally as the Z Spyder Stradale the car is rumored to be the pet-project of BMW boss Norbert Reithofer. The name Spyder Stradale comes from a special version of the BMW 328 MM dating from the…
Volkswagen Golf Blue-e-Motion Detailed in New Photos
Volkswagen has just released a selection of new images of the Golf Blue-e-motion concept, with diagrams and even under-the-hood photos of the brand’s upcoming electric car. Set to debut in 2013 along with the Up blue-e-motion and Jetta blue-e-motion, VW will first test a fleet of 500 cars next year. The concept is powered by…
Half of MINI E Lessees Sign on for a Second Year
Roughly half of those who took part in the MINI E’s lease program in North American have opted to sign on for a second year. As the first electric MINI, the MINI E was built as a test platform for future electric car models from MINI and parent company BMW. MINI’s pilot project included leases…
Volkswagen Golf GTI Excessive Edition Debuts at Worthersee Tour GTI Meet
Volkswagen has a long history of unveiling wild SEMA-esque cars at the annual Worthersee GTI Meet and this year proved to be no different. While its not the Bentley W12-powered widebody GTI, the GTI Excessive is a more realistic street car and certainly gets our motors running. The car features flared fenders and a complete…
Volkswagen GTI Excessive Edition Concept to Get Wide-Body, Launch at Worthersee Tour GTI Meet
At the annual Worthersee Tour GTI Meet next week, Volkswagen will unveil a wide-body GTI Excessive edition concept. The car will feature a flared fenders and a complete areo kit, as well as a wider track. In addition a new spring and shock setup will take the place of the standard setup, while larger brakes…
California Journalist Discovers Electric Car Inconvenience in Mitsubishi iMiEV
Mitsubishi is testing a fleet of iMiEV electric cars in California and one of the chosen drivers is Southern California Public Radio KPCC’s Shirley Jahad – who’s diary entries do not paint a glowing portrait of the tiny EV. Jahad’s latest entry in her “EV Diaries,” series includes a day spent behind the wheel on…
405-HP Volvo Polestar Performance C30 Concept Detailed in New Video
It’s probably the most talked about Volvo in a decade (if not longer) and the Swedish automaker has just released a new video highlighting the many awesome aspects of the Polestar Performance C30 Concept. In case you missed our first post on this car, the extra spicy hatch is in many ways like the Ford…
Mercedes Test Driver Crashes ML Prototype, One Dead
A heavily disguised prototype of the 2012 Mercedes ML crashed into a Mazda that was stranded on the side of a road near Stuttgart, Germany. The driver of the Mazda was killed, and the ML rolled down the road for 800 feet before coming to a stop. Three fatal crashes involving manufacturer test vehicles have…
Report: BMW Gran Coupe Will See Production
BMW will bring its Gran Coupe concept to life, its first foray into the “four door coupe” segment currently en vouge with German manufacturers. BMW has yet to decide on a name for the car (“…we don’t know what to call it yet,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW’s head of design), but the revival of…
Gordon Murray’s T25 City Car Spied In England
Gordon Murray, the engineering genius who brought the world the McLaren F1 is hard at work on his new city car project, which was spotted undergoing testing in England. Unlike the million-dollar F1, Murray’s new T25 city car is designed to be simple, urban transportation that will radically transform the way cars are designed and…
Cadillac XTS Concept Shown at Beijing Auto Show: With New Photos
Ever since a report a few weeks back that Cadillac had signed off on production of the XTS Concept, execs at GM’s luxury arm have tried to deny any such thing. But last week GM decided to showcase the car at the Beijing Auto Show, and have released a gallery of new photos – indicating…
Cadillac Converj Rises From The Dead at Beijing Auto Show
Cadillac‘s Converj electric car, reported to be dead, has made an appearance at his year’s Beijing Auto Show, sparking speculation that the opulent alternative fuel vehicle is still alive and kicking. The Converj, which mates the Chevrolet Volt’s electric powertrain with the features and amenities of a Cadillac, can travel about 40 miles on electric…
BMW Gran Coupe Concept Debuts at Beijing Auto Show, Looking to Take On Panamera
BMW chose the Beijing Auto Show as the venue to unveil its new Concept Gran Coupe – which by all accounts appears to be a near-production rival to the Porsche Panamera. Using BMW’s coupe-like stylings to design a 4-door, this new concept isn’t nearly as dramatic as the Concept CS, which debuted back in 2007….
Chevy Volt MPV5 Concept Debuts at Beijing Auto Show
Chevrolet has just released details of the new Volt MPV5 Concept car, which debuts today at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show. Based on the Volt’s platform, this 5-seater adds plenty of functionality (not to mention style), as well as including the Volt’s revolutionary range-extender Voltec powertrain. Despite the MPV in the name, Chevy still refers…
Ford Start Concept Gets “Near Production” EcoBoost 3-Cylinder
Ford has just released a selection of photos of a futuristic-meets-retro mini car, powered by a “near production” EcoBoost 3-cylinder engine. Using a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder combined with a turbocharger and direct-injection technology, Ford says the new engine in the Start Concept delivers power comparable to that from a traditional 4-cylinder engine. On the concept car…
Volvo Polestar Performance Concept is the C30 of Our Dreams [with Video]
Let’s get this right out in the open: Why do the Swedes get all the fun? How awesome is this Volvo C30 “Performance Concept” prototype? It packs a 405 horsepower and 376 ft-lbs turbocharged 5-cylinder T5 motor (similar to the one used in the Ford Focus RS500), all-wheel-drive, front-and-rear limited slip differentials, Öhlins suspension components,…
Mercedes Shooting Break Concept Car Unveiled Ahead of Beijing Auto Show Debut
Ahead of its debut at the Beijing Auto Show, Mercedes has just unveiled its new Shooting Break Concept – which by all accounts is a near-production vehicle. In many ways this is the CLS equivalent of the E-Class wagon although its not quite as innovative as this new wagon-meets-hatchback design is already being popularized by…
ERA Electric Car from Finland is a Technological Wonder… and it Looks Hot Too
What could be better than your readers being involved in a groundbreaking automotive project? That’s exactly what happened to our friend Ben at Bespoke Ventures, who had a reader named Janne thank him for a post about rear mounted radiators…then attach a few photos. Above is the finished product, the ERA (Electric Race About) electric…
Voltec-Powered Chevy Orlando Concept to Debut at Beijing Auto Show
Chevrolet will unveil a new Orlando-based concept car at the Beijing Auto Show, powered by an adapted version of the powerplant found in the Chevy Volt. The team at GMInsideNews has provided us with a patent sketch for the vehicle, which was filed in August of 2009, but made available just yesterday. Associated with the…
New Porsche Videos Highlight Hybrids, From 918 Spyder to GT3 R
Porsche has just released two new videos outlining the technology, development and capabilities of both the 918 Spyder Concept and GT3 R Hybrid race car – the two models that stole the show at the Geneva Auto Show in March. Calling the 918 Spyder, “The future of motorsport and series production” it would seems as…
Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon Confirmed for Production As Caddy Shows Concept Ahead of NY Auto Show Debut
It’s finally here! Almost. Cadillac has just released full details and several enticing photos of a CTS-V Sport Wagon concept that will debut at the New York Auto Show later this week. The production version has also been confirmed with sales beginning later this year in North America. Cadillac will then offer the car in…
Report: Cadillac XTS Headed to Production, Mostly Unchanged from Concept
Cadillac will move ahead with production plans for its new flagship XTS luxury sedan, with the vehicle remaining mostly unchanged from from the concept car shown at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year. Slated to replace both the STS and DTS, the XTS won’t quite compete head-to-head with the Lexus LS, BMW 7 Series…
Cadillac Converj Won’t See Production, Says Lutz
Cadillac’s beautiful plug-in hybrid concept car will remain a great idea, but nothing more. According to a report by Automotive News, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz wrote in a text message that the Converj, first shown at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009 and well-received by the media, won’t be headed for production. Lutz wrote…
