Concept Cars
Report: Kia Considering Genesis Coupe Twin
Kia is considering getting into the entry-level rear-drive sports car game with a new model that would likely be based on the architecture of the Genesis Coupe from sister company Hyundai. In an interview with the U.K.’s AutoCar, Kia design boss Peter Schreyer said while the model isn’t in the company’s product plan for the…
Report: Audi E-Tron Will Be Priced Above R8, With Just 1,000 Units Available
Proving that the electric car revolution isn’t likely to happen over night, Audi has said that it will build just 1,000 versions of its E-Tron sports car, with pricing set above the R8. News comes from the U.K.’s AutoCar after an interview with Audi design boss Achim Badstubner. Considering Audi’s R8 with the 5.2-liter V10…
Report: Kia Design Team Pushing for Soul’ster Production Model
When Kia first unveiled the Soul-based Soul’ster concept at the Detroit Auto Show it almost seemed like a production certainty. But almost a full year since the car debuted and we’ve yet to hear anything more about the unconventional “convertible” version of the compact car/crossover. Now Kia’s design boss is putting his weight behind the…
Report: Kia K9 Concept Design Sketch Gives First Look at Genesis Sedan Sister Car
During a design conference last week in Seoul, Korea, Kia’s top designer showed the above sketch which is believed to be the company’s first full-fledged entry into the rear-drive luxury segment. Referred to as K9, this sketch is thought to foreshadow a concept car that will eventually make its way to production, based on the…
Rumor Mill: Is Volkswagen Planning a Toyota FT-86 Competitor?
Volkswagen is hell-bent on cracking the U.S. market and has decided to follow a production plan that will see it essentially follow in Toyota’s footsteps – for better or worse. Now that plan seems to include a possible entry-level sports car designed to compete against cars like the upcoming Toyota FT-86. In an interview with…
LA 2009: Lexus Continues to Gauge Interest in a Premium Hatchback for the U.S.
Lexus continues to probe the U.S. market to see if it is ready and willing to accept a premium hatchback model. At the LA Auto Show, Toyota’s luxury division is displaying the LF-Ch hybrid hatchback concept that the company first introduced at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Lexus has confirmed the model will inspire a production…
LA 2009: Mitsubishi Shows Off Hybrid Capability With PX-MiEV Crossover Concept
One of the few remaining Japanese automakers without a hybrid vehicle in its lineup, Mitsubishi brought its new Concept PX-MiEV to the LA Auto Show to let Californians know that it too has the capability and is considering its options. First unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show the PX-MiEV name combines the automakers “MiEV” nomenclature,…
LA 2009: Audi E-Tron North American Debut With Electric Orange Paint
Alongside its new flagship R8 Spyder sports car, Audi also unveiled the E-Tron Concept for the first time on U.S. soil at the LA Auto Show today. And we have to say, it looks much cooler in its new orange paint. Living up to its “Tron” name the oddly shaped E-Tron appears to be part…
LA 2009: Honda P-NUT (Personal-Neo Urban Transport) Foreshadows Future City Car
Honda has shown that it is thinking a great deal about a possible future mini car with the introduction of the Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Designed to be small but offer the functionality of a larger car, the P-NUT is a three-seater with a central driving position that…
 Foreshadows Future City Car. For more, click https://autoguide.dev.vscopedev.cloud/auto-news/2009/12/la-2009-honda-p-nut-personal-neo-urban-transport-foreshadows-future-city-car.html "Pin It"){kind=spacer}
LA 2009: Volkswagen Up! Lite Concept Gets 70 MPG, Could See Production
Volkswagen’s big news at the LA Auto Show was the world premiere of the Up! Lite Concept, a hybrid diesel based on the company’s upcoming small-car architecture – meaning it could very well see production. As a natural progression of the two-seater L1 concept that debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show, this four-seater offers practicality…
LA 2009: BMW’s Futuristic Turbo-Diesel Plug-in Hybrid Arrives in LA
Undoubtedly the focal point of BMW’s display at the LA Auto Show, the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept embodies the German automaker’s high efficiency philosophy and is being shown in LA for the first time since its word debut in Frankfurt. The Vision ED Concept is also a true BMW, offering impressive fuel economy while not sacrificing…
LA Preview: MINI Coupe and Roadster Concepts Ready for North American Debut in LA
MINI’s two new concept cars are slated to make an appearance at the LA Auto Show, giving Los Angeles residents and local media a first chance to see the two fun cars since their world premiere at the Frankfurt Auto Show. MINI has confirmed that the Coupe Concept will go into production along with another…
LA Preview: Volkswagen Bringing 170-MPG L1 Concept to LA Auto Show
As amazing as the 71-mpg Polo BlueMotion model is that Volkswagen plans to show at the LA Auto Show next week, the German automaker will also show another fuel-efficient vehicle that gets more than double that car’s mpg rating. Called the L1 Concept, this tiny two seater uses just 1.38 liters of diesel per 100…
LA Preview: Prius PHV Concept Set to Plug-In at Los Angeles Auto Show
After first debuting in Frankfurt and then traveling to Tokyo, the Prius Plug-In Hybrid Concept is set debut on U.S. soil for the first time at the LA Auto Show next week. Using Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive and lithium-ion batteries, Toyota says the Prius PHV will be able to reach highway speeds on pure electric…
Report: Lexus Considering a Premium Hatchback for the U.S. Market Says Company Exec
Rumors that a Lexus might bring a premium hatchback model to North America have been swirling since the automaker first introduced us to the LF-Ch concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show a few months back. Toyota’s luxury arm then stoked those flames by announcing that the premium hybrid hatchback concept would be shown at the…
Report: BMW’s Wild Turbo-Diesel Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car Headed to LA Auto Show
Along with a hybrid 7 Series and a hybrid X6, BMW will use the LA Auto Show as the venue to introduce North America to its Vision EfficientDynamics Concept. Built as a show-piece to display BMW’s fuel-efficiency expertise, the Vision ED Concept is also a true BMW, offering impressive fuel economy while not sacrificing performance….
LA Preview: Lexus Gets Serious About LF-Ch Hybrid for North America With Showing in Los Angeles
After initially announcing that the production version of the LF-Ch hybrid hatchback concept would be offered exclusively in Europe, Lexus has hinted that it may bring the model to other markets including North America. After creating a feedback page for the car on its website, Lexus has now made the biggest move towards an acknowledgment…
Report: Toyota Planning Larger Prius Variant
Toyota is preparing to launch a variant of the Prius and while the new hybrid would be a larger model, the exact type of vehicle is not known. According to a report in Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper, the new Prius variant would either be a crossover or a wagon. Back in 2007, Toyota did display a…
Breaking: GM Confirms Cadillac Converj Plug-In Hybrid Will See Production
First unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the seemingly futuristic Cadillac Converj is now well on its way to production. According to a report in The Detroit News, the Volt-like plug-in hybrid, has been given the green light, but won’t be offered for several more years. Similar in both look…
SEMA 2009: Chevy Silverado ZR2 Concept Gets Supercharged LS Engine, Carbon Fiber Body Parts
Inspired by Chevy’s highest performance vehicle, the Corvette ZR1, the Silverado ZR2 concept gets plenty of high performance options, like a supercharged LS motor and plenty of carbon fiber. Unveiled at the SEMA Show, this extended cab/short box truck also boasts a massive new front grille, carbon fiber fender flares, a four-inch suspension lift, a…
Report: BMW Builds One-Off M5 CSL With 580-hp
To celebrate 25 years since the creation of the M5, BMW has built a light weight, even higher performance version of the current E60 super saloon. But don’t get too excited, BMW only built one and there are no plans to bring this model to production. BMW M division R&D boss Albert Biermann described the…
Report: Toyota FT-86 Could be Next Celica or Scion tC
The rumors about the Toyota FT-86 Concept’s production name are as numerous as the theories, with reports pointing in all sorts of different directions. According to the folks at the U.K.’s AutoCar, the car is likely to be called the Celica. The name is apparently being considered because it has a long history and resonates…
Tokyo Preview: Nissan Qazana Concept to Inspire Future Compact Crossover
Nissan is continuing to gauge interest in a new design for an upcoming compact crossover by showing the Qazana Concept at the Tokyo Auto Show. First unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show last March, the Qazana may be a bit on the bizarre side but Nissan insists it will eventually lead to a pproduction crossover…
Report: Mitsubishi Lancer EVO XI Could Get Plug-In Hybrid Option Borrowed from PX-MiEV Concept
The next iteration of the amazing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution could be offered as a plug-in hybrid. Due out in 2013, the EVO XI model could use the all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid setup that will officially be unveiled on Wednesday October 21st at the Tokyo Auto Show, reports the U.K.’s AutoCar. For the show, however, Mitsubishi…
