2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid – Road Test Review – By Ben Lewis

A friend just asked about buying a Diesel-engine car. Diesel? Really? It seems like that boat has sailed a while ago, with VW’s diesel-gate putting the powertrain on the chopping block for most passenger cars. Hybrids and EV’s are where it’s going – for their combination of low or zero emissions, hefty government subsidies (ok, those may go away) and driving fun. Yes, driving fun. And one of the most interesting of these vehicles is the new Honda Clarity. A new way to roll Well, the Honda Clarity actually gives you three ways to roll – if you’re on the …

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2017 RenaultSport RS2027 Concept – Photo Comparo with F1 and e.dams

Updated 5.13.17 RenaultSport had center stage for the mainstream Renault range in Shanghai this year.  The dancers and sense of occassion certainly made the new purple Espace’s debut a bit cooler. No mind.  The star of the show soon rolled on stage.  World debut of the RS2027 Vision concept.  A look at what ultimate racecars will look like in a decade. Who is RenaultSport to make the prediction? THey are the only manufacturer with top billing in F1 and Formula E, as far as we can recall.  The convergence of shouty gas turbos and buzzy electrics seems unavoidable in ten …

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2017 RenaultSport RS2027 Vision – Active-Aero F1 Prototype

What would F1 cars be without their giant wings?  Faster and more futuristic, if the RS2027 Vision is any indication! The latest RenaultSport concept takes a look at where F1 will be in a decade from now.  The result is a gorgeous expression of the open-wheeled racecar.  The future-tech is nose-to-tail, with intriguing details being the side-hinged driver canopy, open-mesh cockpit walls and the streamlined tail with integrated rising wing.  Not as wild about the idea of a transparent helmet for the drivers, or the web-connected and public telemetry data the RS2027 shares with fans in realtime. The RS2027 looks at …

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CES 2017 – Top 10 Big Reveals + Showfloor Gallery

Many semi-cool reveals at CES this year.  And thankfully, they are not all wearing the same shade of Apple-knockoff white plastic for bodywork! Oh wait, all the cars are the same silver this year?  Delightful. This biggest headlines were undoubtedly for the Faraday Future FF91, a Tesla Model X rival that actually seems super smart and innovative.  If not exactly sexy, the design is certainly unique and practical.  This FF91 flagship is production-bound with a direct-to-consumer sales model that also takes great inspiration from Tesla. The Toyota Concept I is silly fun, while the Chrysler Portal is slightly more serious.  The …

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2017 BMW i Inside Future Sculpture Previews HoloActive Gesture Controls

Has BMW i just gone off the deep end entirely?  The iPerformance range in the 3 series (330e) and X5 40e is smooth and creamy — literally — on the road.  Yet the plugin hybrid electrics do drive like normal, high-speed BMWs. But my word.  Getting past the clutter of the “BMW i” language and descriptors, not to mention their designs and prices, mean these new innovations are definitely still in their infancy. Case in point? The below press release, which is virtually unintelligible.  It is so up its own a** that you have a hard time knowing the CARS …

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Hardtop Jannarelly JD1 Headlines Upcoming RISE: Race The Future Console Game

  Our lovefest with the Jannarelly JD1 continues today with a look at the car as a hardtop racer versus a street-legal roadster.  Similar to how the car would be specced for an FIA GT3 or GT4 race class, this preview is of both the car and the game!  RISE: Race The Future is set for release in a few months. Now, the only question is… shall we call this the JD2?  Or JD1 Hardtop?  JD1 Daytona?!     2017 Jannarelly JD1 Hardtop   RISE: Race The Future is the upcoming video game from the studio VD-DEV renown for their …

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Gran Turismo Red Bull X2014 Fan Car – Genius Racer… Now in 4D, Desktop Size

Red Bull’s prototype racecars for Gran Turismo are some of the most influential looks at the future of racing, and have been since the X2010 and X2014 challenges.  A four-pack of concept vehicles was the result of those efforts, with the machines raceable in the game. Because GT5 and GT6 have such intense details in their physics simulator algorithms, you really can get a sense of each vehicle’s strengths and weaknesses on track.  You become extremely familiar with their behavior at the limit — like a true racing scenario.  It sounds like a cliche to say, but GT6 is that …

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2016 Pininfarina H2 Speed – Monaco Palace Intro to EV Champion Prince Albert

The stunning Pininfarina H2 Speed just scored one of the highest honors in automobiledom: a royal invite to the palace of Monaco! HSH Prince Albert was the honorable host for this glittery and exclusive look at a 503-horsepower exotic that runs on pure hydrogen.  It combines the massive thrust of eAWD via potent electric motors, plus the rapid-refill potential of hydrogen.  Not quite an open-road dream versus gasoline’s ubiquitous availability, but the H2 Speed does show promise for an all-day blast around a racetrack.  This is something that no full EV can promise, as their batteries go dead in about an hour …

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MANIFESTO Wins Ferrari Top Design Challenge 2015

Ferrari crowned the winner of its latest Top Design Challenge recently… and it is not the one you would think! Nor the one with the most votes online.  The popular vote went to deEsfera, but the unanimous jury selection — MANIFESTO — came in fourth online.     MANIFESTO by ISD-RUBIKA out of France was the absolute winner of the challenge.  The judges loved its fully-developed powertrain, cabin packaging and innovative inside-out appearance for the floating rear canopy.  This giant space between the rear wheels and the inner chassis/engine compartment appears to have been the defining design element adored by …

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Design Talent Showcase – Alfa Romeo AW30 by Olcay Tuncay Karabulut

  Some fantastic, out-of-this-world designs to feature today from Turkey! Olcay Karabulut’s Alfa Romeo AW30 design takes a look into the future of renewable-powered racecars.  And not just coal-fired EVs… this AW30 hopes to hit 200-mph around the world’s racetracks thanks to two constants: sun and wind. The solar component is intended as the solution under 100-mph, after which it synthesizes energy via dedicated turbines.  This might sound far-fetched, but is certainly worth exploring.  If only for the unique design solutions it inspired. The proportions take a radical shift: much longer and lower than current F1 cars.  Next, the intakes …

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Inside the Dream Factory – McLaren Track22 Product Roadmap

McLaren Automotive is a clear favorite in the supercar world.  Just look at the rocket-like launch trajectory of the firm in just six years!  It is causing serious pain to rivals Ferrari and Lamborghini, all while delivering great pleasure to its growing owner base.  The launches come fast and furious from Woking, however, and it can be confusing.  Or, just irritating… depending on how recently your new McLaren was superseded by an even newer, hotter model. So it is good to hear that there is method to the rapid product rollouts, ultra-short model cycles of McLaren Cars. Track22 is what McLaren …

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Top 10 SUPRA-Tastic Design Details – Toyota FT-1 Concept + 88 NEW Photos

NEW FT-1 photos?  Yes ALL NEW…? Sortof. We posted these originally on laptop in Santa Cruz, and the results were iffy.  So we went back to the originals, starting again and bringing the FT-1’s details to high-res glory! The most striking things about the FT-1 in person are its captivating beauty, extremely long-hooded proportions, and intense aero detailing. A stunning car. Let’s appreciate its top 10 design details from up close. The design of the FT-1 is visibly alive.  Functional ventwort in a dozen places around all side brings the wild, swooping fenders and hood into sharp relief.  The aero cuts and ground-effect details make …

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2017 BMW i8 Spyder Teased Via BMW i Vision Future Interaction + ConnectedRide HUD Cycle Helmets

  BMW debuted a half-dozen new tech innovations at CES this year, including gesture control and mirror-less exteriors. But the real eye-catcher?  The BMW i Vision Future Interaction — a near-production 2017 BMW i8 Spyder. Sans two critical pieces, of course. Yes, the production car will have doors.  At first we thought the BMW i VFI Concept hid its doors in the side sills, a la the BMW Technik Z1 model sold in Europe briefly in the early 1990s. Alas, the lack of doors is just to give full view of the new cockpit controls and layouts.  This new user …

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2016 Faraday Future FFZERO1 Concept Throws Down Gauntlet – Now or Never, Laggards

Well, this is it!  Nearly 24 hours after the leaks began, and a full 12 since the press conference in Vegas last night, the Faraday Future concept car for CES is now in clear focus. Before you get too excited about a full reveal — with the normal specs, pricing and a production roadmap —it is best to temper expectations. This fantasy concept from Faraday Future is not headed for the road. Nor is it really headed for any race series. But racetracks? That is another story.  The quad-motor, AWD EV promises 1000+ horsepower and a 200-mph-plus top speed.  The electric motors are …

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2017 BMW i6 Is Hiding in Plain Sight: 2009 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Teased LWB i8

Here is an interesting one, simply because it shows an upcoming machine hiding in plain sight. What car is that? The BMW i6, we predict. This exceptionally advanced concept seemed extremely unfeasible when it was revealed under the EfficientDynamics moniker in 2009. Look at those skinny tires! And Clear doors with a carbon-fiber chassis?  Silly! But they the BMW i8 concepts started appearing, with a 2+2 PHEV supercar BMW announced for production just a year after this first concept.  That car would materialize for 2014 as the i8 and i3 we know now as the real thing. Where the eventual …

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Exclusive Animated Renderings – 2017 Lexus RX-L Is LWB 7-Seat Variant

The new Lexus RX is already flying off showroom floors — with its devoted owner-base loving its all-new cabin inside, design outside and eight model variants.  With F Sports and Hybrids all available with or without AWD, the RX350 and RX450h are looking at a huge sales year in 2016. One thing Lexus mentioned at the launch of the new RX is that owners did not want the next-gen model to grow.  To that end, the new RX and its chopped roofline adds second row legroom over the 2015 models (plus powerfold and recline controls).  But the new RX is …

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Ferrari Design Challenge 2015 – Vote Your Future Hypercar Style!

Ferrari has been crowd-sourcing design ideas and talent since at least 2005 — with many of the ideas for the eventual LaFerrari sharing at least something with the design-student scale models and renders. This was after Ferrari pulled the marquee hypercar design contract back in-house from Pininfarina. ‘Crowd-sourcing’ is not really a fair description of this Design Challenge effort, though. Why? These entries are not ‘loser-generated-content’ from the public — but near-finished and highly thought-through prototypes.  So more of a creative shootout than simply hive-mind idea cultivation. For the 2015 contest, Ferrari switched the script in a few ways. Ferrari …

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2015 DATSUN Go-Cross Concept Previews High-Ride, Low-Price Future Crossover

The Datsun brand’s revival is still at full speed, with a variety of models for sale in launch markets around India and Asia. Now we have a look at the brand’s next stage, a high-riding crossover. This preview shows us two things, both pretty impressive for a design concept: — the Datsun face and overall design style translate well onto an SUV shape — while this Go-Cross is dripping with swanky LEDs and gloss-black detailing, the parts underneath appear production-ready in most places. Datsun will certainly be producing this car, by the way. No coyness about that from the Nissan …

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2015 Subaru Impreza 5-Door Concept, WRX S207 NBR Challenge Join Packed Tokyo Showstand

Subaru is really growing in leaps and bounds! No better evidence than a frankly packed Tokyo stand from the once-humble maker of AWD mountain cars. Joining the all-new VIZIV Future Concept on the stands is the also-new Impreza 5-Door Concept. While the new WRX still feels very fresh, it is always good to take a sneak peek at the next-gen design vision for the product. Since the WRX and Impreza lineups were formally divorced in this generation in the US, the XV Crosstrek has taken on a bit of an entry-level role in the Subaru range. But this is traditionally …

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2015 RenaultSport RS01 Blasts Around Jerez Circuit in New Video and Photoset

Fresh videos and photos of the Renault RS01 racecars blasting around Circuit Jerez this week in Spain! And crucially, a look under the hood of this mid-engine stunner — confirming the well-known rumors that the 3.8-liter engine under that back canopy has GT-R origins. [Actually, Renault confirmed this right from the start: see tech specs included below video.] What a prospect. Imagine not just a true mid-engine racing GT-R, but actually a pure speed-demon with bespoke CF chassis and bodywork, racing suspension and all that power to just the back wheels! Just the thought of such a machine is enough …

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Subaru Tokyo 2015 – All-New VIZIV Future Concept and Impreza 5-Door Concept

Subaru has a new flagship design concept for the Tokyo Auto Show in early November. And despite its familiar VIZIV name, this masculine and high-tech design theme is very fresh. This third VIZIV Concept Future is an interesting preview of a future LWB Outback with seven seats. The powertrain and seating layout are much more Forester size for this sporty concept car, but the intention is a three-row variant of the large Outback platform, versus the smaller Impreza/Forester footprint.  Or perhaps just a super-lux future Forester. The cabin is shockingly advanced, as is the powertrain. A next-generation hybrid is paired …

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2015 RenaultSport R.S. 01 Racecar Headlines World Series Renault at Silverstone Next Month

Renaultsport is revving up its fanbase this month ahead of the World Series of Renault race weekend extravaganza at Silverstone in early September. F1 cars, Clio Cup cars and 115 years of Renaultsport racing legends will be proudly attending this petrolhead woodstock. The UK debut of the RS01 racecar is perhaps the most exciting new detail for this fun event: the global racing series is part branding, part driver development and part technical R&D. The RS01 features in 30 or so new photos ahead of the big race — shown below along with details on the $12 tickets to join …

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Future Classics – 1993-1995 Mazda RX-7 Now Within Reach For Around $18k

The timeless beauty of the third-gen Mazda RX-7 is instantly visible even today, a full 20 years since the car was last sold in the United States. See one on the road and you will instantly be in love again. Low, lithe, curvy but sleek, pure and organic — there is a real star quality to this 1.3-liter Wankel twin turbo. Comparing the car back to back with the Supra Turbo, Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 or Nissan 300ZX in 2015 makes it instantly clear: this Mazda is the future classic of the bunch. The Supra Turbo might have packed more heat …

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2015 Nissan SWAY Concept Shows Future Golf and Focus-Fighter

This new Nissan SWAY Concept is a really stylish and handsome design study. From the nose and tail, it is low and wide and seriously cool-looking. The contrasting copper accents are a nice detail in the lower bumpers and sills, while also forming a nice floating roof. This copper section becomes a horseshoe around the clear glass roofline in a very premium and advanced way. In profile, the Sway falls a bit from its cool perch. Clearly a front-drive hatchback with an oddly short but tall hood, the Sway hopes to hide these humdrum details with hugely flowing surfaces. The …

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Update2 – 40 New Photos – 2015 Bentley EXP10 Speed6 Concept

The long-rumored Porsche 928 might have just shown its face for the first time….. as a Bentley!? The first Panamera Coupe is indeed looking like a Bentley, thanks to the just-revealed Exp 10 Speed6. EXP10 for Bentley-speak as the 10th concept car, and Speed 6 as a reference to the likely turbocharged V6 behind that all-new face. Low, lean and light are design themes instantly visible on this two-seater – with hollowed-out spaces, organic form flow and an overall lowness that is far sportier than any Continental GT.   2015 Bentley EXP10 Speed6 Concept EXP 10 SPEED 6 – A …

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2015 Lexus LF-SA Concept Explores Mini Crossover Coupe of the Future

  Exciting day in Geneva today! Just around the corner from Lexus’s ED2 design studio, the Geneva show is hosting an exciting Lexus concept car this week. Dubbed the LF-SA, this two-door crossover combines ultra-compact and city-friendly dimensions with go-anywhere ride height, cutting-edge tech and highly advanced design. Sharing rough dimensions with the iQ from Toyota, the LF-SA is most notable for its fascinating design ideas throughout. An all-new take on the Lexus spindle grille is now much deeper, with a double layer of surfacing around the lower edges. In profile, the LF-SA wears giant fender flares and contrast-color and …

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2015 Bentley EXP10 Speed6 Concept Previews Future 2-Seater Based on Panamera Platform

The long-rumored Porsche 928 might have just shown its face for the first time….. as a Bentley!? The first Panamera Coupe is indeed looking like a Bentley, thanks to the just-revealed Exp 10 Speed6. EXP10 for Bentley-speak as the 10th concept car, and Speed 6 as a reference to the likely turbocharged V6 behind that all-new face. Low, lean and light are design themes instantly visible on this two-seater – with hollowed-out spaces, organic form flow and an overall lowness that is far sportier than any Continental GT.   2015 Bentley EXP10 Speed6 Concept EXP 10 SPEED 6 – A …

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2015 Buick Avenir Concept Shows Design of Future RWD Flagship Limo

This is a tricky design to love at first sight. The sketches whisper ‘chic’ the real car’s nose and profile shouts ‘eek.’ Even so, it is a promising look at a future Buick flagship limo.    2015 Buick Avenir Concept         Avenir’s Design-driven Global Collaboration Buick concept developed via collaboration of GM’s Australia, Michigan studios 2015-01-11 DETROIT – The Buick Avenir concept announced today ahead of the North American International Auto Show represents a collaboration of General Motors’ global designers and fabricators, who worked between studios in Australia and the United States to develop the striking design …

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Bugatti SUV Design Concept by Ondrej Jirec

In the original article toward the bottom of this page, we explore an online rendering of a Bugatti Veyron-style SUV, plus created our own janky lift of the official Galibier concept from Bugatti. But neither of the below ideas is really as avant-garde as Bugatti would seek for any Super SUV with its EB logos attached. College of Art Center of Design student Ondrej Jirec has a very cool idea for a Bugatti SUV. Grand style, grand pace, and the name? The Grand Colombier. A nod to the explorer Cristobol Colon — who we Americans know as Christopher Columbus — …

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Future SUV Renderings – 2017 Audi Q6 and Audi Q8

  With gasoline prices in the US now below $2.00 again in a few spots, you can bet that any large SUV idea is seeming brilliant in Germany. The Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class and BMW X7 are two key segments where Audi is not competing with its fierce rivals. The GLE-Class Coupe and the BMW X6 is another huge market opportunity where Audi’s lack of large SUVs makes it a non-competitor. Not matching Mercedes and BMW for every model in the cheaper price ranges might make sense for Audi. But these giant SUVs have the fattest profit margins in the car business, …

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Future SUV Renderings – 2016 Audi SQ7

Here is an exclusive look at how the new Audi Q7 might look as an S or even an RS Q7. Despite the current Q7 S-line being the sportiest trim offered, the strong rumor is that this generation of Q7 will have performance upgrades in the trim structure. This will make sense to battle the Mercedes GLS63 AMG, formerly called the GL-Class — as well as the BMW X7 M Sport. We’ve prepared two angles to review, plus a few grille trims to see how the new Q7’s style takes to the latest gloss-black themes. Overall, the appearance of a …

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Sneak Peak! 2016 GLE550 Coupe and C400 Coupe in Mercedes-Benz Detroit Teasers

Updated 11.27.14 Mercedes-AMG has revealed a teaser for the Detroit auto show in January: some sweet new AMG Sport and AMG Performance trims for the C-Class Coupe and GLE Coupe. The AMG Sport is a returning trim level for the C-Class, while AMG Performance is a new feature that has C63-style lower detailing that is dark-colored and very convincing. The new GLE will wear a full revised from bumper design — but this sneak peak indicates a full redesign may be a year or more into the future. Actually, after taking a look at the roofline of this preview more …

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Best of 2014 Awards – Toyota FT-1 Concept Is Stunning Design Triumph

Update 3 11.27.14 Has there been another concept with the impact of the FT-1? We cannot think of another vehicle this year that has created more buzz. Of course, the FT-1 is just the leading edge of what many hope will become a showroom supercar in the next few years under the vaulted Supra badge. Toyota’s collaboration with BMW on a future sports-car appears to indicate the eventual Supra will be based of a version of the BMW Z4’s chassis, albeit highly modified for a possible production debut of a hybrid-R electric boost setup. Primary power is expected to come …

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Speculative Rendering – 2016 Lexus ES350 F Design

The latest Lexus ES is an all-star for the company – and time in the seat tells you why. The car is simply astounding in how comfortable and smooth it makes even the worst roads, or the most tedious errands. Lexus is not likely to mess with the core competency of this perennial best-seller, but the ES could use an exterior refresh these days. Its xenon low-beams and halogen high-beams were once slim, but now look gaping and too-large versus the coolest cars out there. And what are these cool cars? Many of them are right in the Lexus showroom …

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Concept Flashback – Part Two – 2011 Land Rover DC100 Sport

PART TWO: The DC 100 Sport Let’s start this one off with a look back – at the Defender’s roots as the Land Rover Series I and later the Series II. Here is Winston Churchill with his.       PREVIOUS In Land Rover’s medium-term product plans, the lineup is broken apart into three main groups: Range Rovers, Discoveries and Defenders. Each will bloom into a sub-brand into its own right, as we have seen with the Range Rover, RRS and RR Evoque so far, and the current Discovery Sport replacement for the LR2 in 2015. This leaves the rough-and-tumble …

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Concept Flashback – 2011 Land Rover DC100 in 5 Colors and 67 Photos

In Land Rover’s medium-term product plans, the lineup is broken apart into three main groups: Range Rovers, Discoveries and Defenders. Each will bloom into a sub-brand into its own right, as we have seen with the Range Rover, RRS and RR Evoque so far, and the current Discovery Sport replacement for the LR2 in 2015. This leaves the rough-and-tumble Defender family as the main unseen item in production form. The best idea of where Land Rover is heading is shown in the DC100 and DC100 Sport cabrio concepts from 2011. As image-builders, the Defenders at present are terrific at bringing …

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Future Classic Feature – 1999 Saab 9-3 VIGGEN Is Thunderbolt Legend – And This One Is For Sale!

The SAAB 9-3 Viggen is a legend of a car. Named after the Thunderbolt fighter jet, the Viggen celebrated all that made the Saab 9-3 the firm’s most-successful model throughout the marque’s storied history. Front-drive, mad power and turbo antics were all paramount with the Viggen — but in typical Saab fashion, this was not a badge and stickers job. The upgrades list over the standard 9-3 Aero is absolutely huge — with what amounts to an all-new, direct-injected engine just the start of the custom elements in the Viggen.   EXHAUST NOTE VIDEO INTRO The 225-horsepower and 258-pound-feet of …

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Concept Flashback – Lexus LF-LC in 77 High-Res Photos – Future LF-C?

When looking closely at the 2011 and 2012 Lexus LF-LC concepts, you see clear influences all around toward the latest RC. You also see the design from these advanced studies throughout the Lexus line for 2015 – with everything from the GX to the ES and LS wearing a giant spindle frame grille and arrowhead lighting elements. There is more to these beauties than just the nose, however: they share the exact proportions and hard-points with the vaunted LF-A supercar. Are these designs intended as a second-generation LF-A? Something like an LF-C with hybrid power from the Toyota TS040 LeMans …

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Speculative Renderings – 2016 Volvo S80 and 2017 Volvo S60

The new Volvo XC90’s style is being very warmly received across almost all of the seven-seat SUVs major markets. This all-new platform brings a stunningly-luxurious cabin and a high-tech PHEV hybrid drivetrain with T6 and T8 engine choices. But the secret behind those badges and the T8 moniker? They are both turbocharged four-cylinder engines, with varying levels of electric assistance. So how will the new XC90 influence the rest of the Volvo lineup, both under the skin and in the exterior designs? The answer to both, we predict, is heavily. The tech of this new chassis is set to roll …

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4.3s, 400HP 2015 VENTURI America EV SUV Reaches Limited-Production!

Exciting news from Venturi in Paris this week! The well-resolved America dune-buggy has a redesigned powertrain and will now grow past concept and prototype stages. Limited-production of the EV off-roader begins in early 2015 — but there is a catch. Only 25 initial copies of this innovative and stylish crossover will be made. Performance stats are looking very impressive, however, and the carbon-kevlar tub will make this thing unstoppable on the rough stuff. And likely a fun canyon-carver on hard surfaces or, gasp, tarmac! TECHNICAL MASTERPIECE   (Sorry for the watermark.) SPECIFICATIONS Like the Local Motors Rally Fighter and many …

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Design Talent Showcase – 2020 Lamborghini Minotauro by Andrei Avarvarii

This Lamborghini Minotauro can really catch your eye in all the right ways. Designed as part of a student portfolio by Andrei Avarvarii of Spain, this is not merely a Photochop like many of the renderings seen online. Avarvarii designed out the electric EV prototype five phases, with detailed planning for the interior and exterior volumes, with a level of mechanical engineering thoroughness built in as well. The prototype is was set to explore a softer, rounder Lamborghini for the 2020 model year.   In-wheel motor/generators allow an unusual amount of freedom in the proportions of the Minotauro,and the car …

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Mercedes-Benz FT2025 Is New Daimler Trucks Flagship

Why care about the brand-new Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2015 concept shown in Hanover this week for the first time? A few reasons: — The vast majority of S-Class-level active safety and automated driving tech is all-new to the long-haul truck segment — Daimler Trucks is the top-selling medium and heavy truck supplier worldwide, so these ideas will populate everything from future Unimogs to the new Damiler India brand BharatBenz in the coming years — Germans take concepts seriously: these ideas are all totally feasible and likely already headed to full production in the next five years — The active safety …

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2011 Volkswagen Cross Coupe SUV Concept is Future MQB-Sized BMW X4 Competitor

Volkswagen has been flirting with an expanded large SUV line for more than five years, with this 2011 Cross Coupe concept a sportier Touareg variant. Since then, we have seen the CrossBlue Concept and the CrossBlue Coupe Concept, but both are believed to carry underpinnings from the US-market Passat. This extra-wide machine is clearly from another family altogether — despite its quoted MQB (Golf) underpinnings. VW CrossBlue concept VW CrossBlue Coupe concept The look of the car shown here is quite interesting, but may or may not be en route to production. Volkswagen’s adventures in the Phaeton-land have established a …

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Toyota FT-1 Vision GT Now Playable in Gran Turismo! 100 New Dynamic Photos

Updated 9.16.14 Art Imitates Life. Life Imitates Art. Such a truism is very valid in the case of the FT-1 – which Toyota has just teased in its next form as a hard-core (virtual) racing special. The FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo differs from the road-going version of the car in many standard race-ready ways. Starting from the front: there is a much deeper aero package and chin spoiler, easy-off hood panels with racing latches, upgrades brakes and tires and huge fender-top slats to reduce any trapped air from the wheels. These slats drastically reduce under-hood temps as well as being …

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Updated USA Debut – 2014 BMW Vision Future Luxury Concept – Design Analysis

Updated 8.27.14 The fact that the BMW Vision Future Luxury concept headed to Beijing this Spring instead of to the concurrent New York show says quite a bit about its market-makers. This machine needs to be successful in China. Period. As the biggest growth opportunity, China represents perhaps the only non-American and non-German (domestic) volume market for ultra-luxury sedans in the coming decade. But while the Chinese limo shopper has whole-heartedly adopted the Audi brand, BMW and Mercedes-Benz find themselves playing second fiddle. At the same time, the VFL concept needs to revive the unpopular current 7 series in the …

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RenaultSport R.S. 01 Racecar Runs GT-R Engine In Mid-Ship Carbon Chassis

Created for the brand-new Sport Trophy track racing series, the new RS01 from Renaultsport is set to be track-ready for everything from the WEC Le Mans 24-hour race to Super GT in Japan. A promising start! The tech specs are below, and there is more than a little suspicion that the RS01 is a mid-engine Nissan GT-R. After all, it does run a NISMO 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V6 producing over 500-horsepower. Sharing is no bad thing. In fact, it is an amazing development on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s strengths. Stay tuned for more details as they become available. RenaultSport R.S. 01 Racecar …

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Toyota FT-1 Concept Version Two – World Debut at Pebble Beach in 99 High-Res Photos

UPDATED with 99 high-res, real-life photos 8.17.14 The most striking things about the FT-1 in person are its captivating beauty, extremely long-hooded proportions, and intense aero detailing. The headlight units themselves are exposed LED laser lenses, while the lower radiator fans are event more prominent on version two of the car versus version one. Another striking observation that we missed on the red Detroit debut car? The FT-1 is a 2+2!  There are rear seats and a rear strut-tower brace visible on this Pebble Beach car — which is one of the most popular on the concept lawns that also …

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Toyota FT-1 Version Two Brings Sexy Gloss Grey, Aero Tweaks and Near-Production Cabin

Just when the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo is building buzz – Toyota has doubled down on the future Supra joy with version two of this miraculous concept. The new color makes it much easier to enjoy and appreciate the FT-1;s huge panel swoops and shaping – with extra tweaks to the design from extensive time in the wind tunnels. All this bodes very, very well for the next Supra road car – which is widely believed to be in development with the FT-1 detailing at perhaps 95-percent of the final product. One thing…. ? We can’t help but notice that …

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Toyota FT-1 Vision GT is Hardcore Racing Upgrade of Road-Going FT-1 Concept

Art Imitates Life. Life Imitates Art. Such a truism is very valid in the case of the FT-1 – which Toyota has just teased in its next form as a hard-core (virtual) racing special. The FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo differs from the road-going version of the car in many standard race-ready ways. Starting from the front: there is a much deeper aero package and chin spoiler, easy-off hood panels with racing latches, upgrades brakes and tires and huge fender-top slats to reduce any trapped air from the wheels. These slats drastically reduce under-hood temps as well as being a serious …

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Car-Revs-Daily

RENDERED RUMORS: Bugatti Galibier Back in Pipeline – As 2017 Super SUV!

It might make you chuckle on first thought: a Bugatti SUV. But take a step back and think about sales trends and Buagtti’s next steps. Sure, a SUperVeyron is very likely in 2016 or so as the current model finishes production by January 2015. And sure, a limo with a front-engine setup would be a logical next step. But here is the thing with limo’s versus SUVs and supercars: they are a hard sell. The car would have to be something quite spectacular indeed for people to stump up about 5X the $500,000 cost of a new Rolls-Royce Phantom. Similarly, …

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Design Talent Showcase – Jan Rosenthal 2023 Rolls-Royce Concept Wins Official RCA Contest

This is an oldie but a goodie. Not so old – 2012 — and previewing a Rolls-Royce for 2023. So it is a bit of Days of Future Past. Forgiveness Please if you have seen this already! Royal College of Art students submitted ideas for a 2023 Rolls-Royce back in 2012, with the winning design selected by Rolls-Royce executive leadership and designers themselves. The winning study is shown here in all its magnificence. Jan Rosenthal is the artist and elegantly combines many disparate ideas into one glamor-soaked luxury car. It is a four-door coupe with a SUV ride height. Very …

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QOROS Design Analysis – Qoros9 and Flagship Concepts Preview Exciting Future Models

QOROS is the German-led Chinese car firm that could change global perceptions about Chinese vehicles through sheer strength of engineering. The firm aims to deliver the best of European safety, handling, styling and quality standards to an affordable-produced model for the first time. Headed by Gert Hildebrand as design chief, Qoros is on firm footing to bring his MINI Cooper design expertise to all sorts of new segments. Here is Hildebrand with the Qoros Flagship model discussed below. QOROS Design Analysis – Qoros9 and Flagship Concepts Preview Exciting Future Models After many false starts by other brands, the Qoros 3 …

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Past and Future Perfect – Rolls-Royce Is Evergreen in 111 RARE Photos + 2017 RR ALPINE RENDERING

Past and Future Perfect – Rolls-Royce Is Evergreen – 111 RARE Photos Celebrate 111-Year History FUTURE PERFECT? Yes, this tense in language certainly applies to Rolls-Royce in the coming years. Here is (one of) Lutz Valdeig‘s artist renderings of a 2017 Rolls-Royce Alpine SUV – with a name borrowed from RR’s Apline Trial glory.   Rolls-Royce is more successful than anyone might have guessed 15 or 30 years ago. At that time, the whisper was that The Best Car in the World might be losing its touch with modern times. BMW’s guiding principles of quality and advanced driving characteristics have …

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PART TWO: 2016 Audi S Q3 Rendering – Future 4.9-second Sport Compact Crossover

 2016 Audi S Q3 PART TWO… Mercedes-Benz seems relatively confident with the GLA45 AMG as the one engine upgrade to the GLA250 series, and the GLA45 AMG will make its way well past $55,000 with a few options packages. So what is the Audi of America counter-strategy? Not the full-blown RS Q3, but a car with nearly all the affordable performance and speed enhancements, but with the S Q3 label instead. This is a great alternative. Simply boosting the power levels of the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine in the top Q3 and adding standard quattro AWD will work wonders for the …

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Montreal Designer Maxime de Keiser Envisions Future Audi R10

Maxime de Keiser has some amazing ideas up his sleeve, and a vision to match. A futuristic, low and somewhat brutal aesthetic rules his style – which you might know from his DeTomaso Mangusta Legacy. He dubs this concept the Audi C8 and notes its inspiration from the Audi Type C of the 1930s, which is totally valid. But the interest for these eyes is two-fold: — we have no idea what the next R8 will look like; only that it is coming soon. Perhaps at Paris this Fall. — Truly, Mr. De Keisers’ ideas for this car seem like …

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FT-1 Digital Colorizer – 150 Shades of 2016 TOYOTA SUPRA TURBO

Toyota FT-1 Digital Colorizer The FT-1 Concept is the next Supra. It just is. Toyota has commissioned a second prototype in a new color, so we’ve helped render the stunning Detroit 2014 FT-1 concept in 100-plus other shades to help them pick. Sure, some are better than others. But totally changing the color of a car is not an easy thing to do! Nor is it a standard set of commands, even. Every photo is different in its needs. Surprising is the black – which looks amazing!  This is the color most of the final-gen Supra’s ended up after years …

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Aston Martin Zings Up Goodwood Hill (to its AMG Future) in Vantage S, Rapide S and Vanquish

Aston Martin is on firm footing for the first time in over a decade: with the Mercedes-Benz AMG partnership signed and sealed, the company is poised for an exciting next chapter. We are thrilled to see the resulting sportscars – they will bring the best of both worlds to Aston showrooms very soon indeed. It is a mutually-beneficial gig all around – this is no charity write-off for Mercedes-Benz. First and foremost, it will allow Daimler to increase its average transaction price overnight – which is a somewhat silly metric for success that is nonetheless highly considered by the influential …

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Future Truck Rendering – 2016 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Expected To Adopt Beijing Concept Coupe SUV Nose and Tail

 2016 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Rendering While on a mad Photoshop bender today, here is another interpretation of a future Mercedes-Benz SUV – the upcoming M-Class refresh. The current ML63 AMG and the ML350 4Matic have fallen flat in the marketplace versus the evergreen sales of the BMW X5 and even the Audi Q7. With the arrival of the Porsche Macan and BMW X4 and X6 in the same year as the new X5 — the heat is really on the ML to pull its own weight. The ideas for a totally new Mercedes SUV nose and tail were quite prominent …

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Future Truck Rendering – 2016 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG Black Series

The G-Class Mercedes-Benz must be made until 2017 at the earliest to meet a contract with the German goverment and military. After that, the fate of this big beast is unknown and likely uncertain. So let’s send everyone’s favorite posh SUV workhorse out in style! A lowered roof, altered windowline, chopped tail section and lower ride height round out the changes in profile. Oh, and the spare tire is now inside the cabin. 2016 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG Black Series – rendering 2014 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG In front, a similar lower/wider strategy is utilized — with wider rubber and fender flares …

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2017 Aston Martin ELV8 Crossover, SUV and AWD Sedan Renderings

 2017 Aston Martin ELV8 Crossover, SUV and AWD Sedan Renderings SUV adaptions by Car-Revs-Daily.com staff Original Artwork by Lutz Valdeig – Atelier Valdeig PART TWO: ASTON GOES AWD All the previous article applies to this SUV idea even more. Aston Martin could sell alot of SUVs or crossovers with access to the 4Matic-ready platforms of Mercedes-Benz. 2017 Aston Martin CROSSOVER RENDERING 2017 Aston Martin SUV 4×4 RENDERING   2017 Aston Martin AWD SEDAN RENDERING ASTON MARTIN REACHES INFLECTION POINT   Big changes at Aston Martin – 2013 and 2014 have finally seen the big apex point in the company’s resurgent …

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Exclusive! Future Car Rendering – 2016 Aston Martin LV8 – Lagonda Vignale by Lutz Valdeig

Original Artwork by Lutz Valdeig Atelier Valdeig ASTON MARTIN REACHES INFLECTION POINT Big changes at Aston Martin – 2013 and 2014 have finally seen the big apex point in the company’s resurgent modern history. Ulrich Bez has stepped aside from some of his all-controlling ways, huge chunks of equity have been sold to investment firms, and a broad partnership with Daimler Benz means Aston finally has some big-company resources to utilize once again. For as much-maligned as Ford was during their stewardship of the brand, Ford was a wonderfully generous partner to Aston-Martin during the many, many years that it …

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Concept Flashback, Part Two – 2011 BMW Vision ConnectedDrive is Future-Themed 2016 BMW Z4 Testbed

PART TWO: First Part is here. And also included at bottom of page below. http://www.car-revs-daily.com/2014/06/20/2011-bmw-328-hommage/ 2011 BMW Vision ConnectedDrive In the previous 328 Hommage article, we outlined all the reasons the current Z4 is struggling to find a sexy new direction for its next-gen model, expected in 2015 or 2016. This pair of concepts from 2011 explore two different paths to luring buyers back into the two-door BMW roadster fold. Let us begin on a positive note: we love the tail of both cars, and like the doors in the Vision Connected Drive. We animated them here sinking into the …

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Future Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow Racer Pairs Open Wheels with Closed Cockpit

Renderings done by students are sometimes the most exciting new ideas out there. Phil Berger is one such visionary first-year mechanical engineering student. He is an active participant in the Local Motors Forge project, which is a co-creation community and a bit of a gathering place for dreamers. Mechanical dreamers! The tricky part of student, or any renderings, for that matter: brand names and logos. All this company IP is fiercely protected, especially in a bold new age of shameless counterfeiting. But there are other concerns besides factories running mystery “ghost shifts,” or the adage of a complete twin factory …

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Future Car Rendering – 2016 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet Ready for A1A and Ocean Drive

Remember the 2007 Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive Concept? It was a lightly-veiled look at the S-Class refresh for the following year, but there were serious rumblings that Mercedes loved the buyer response. So much that they started suggesting a four-door cabrio S-Class might be possible in the future. But those clever executives. They knew the S-Class Coupe would be replacing the bulbous CL-Class as the top of the Mercedes-Benz luxury line — so their hints about Ocean Drive now make much more sense. Why not a four-seat cabrio? Two words: rigidity and safety. A four-door drop-top is almost never produced because …

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Car-Revs-Daily

Future SUV Rendering – 2016 GMC Denali VIP Concept – Black Trim, Wheels + Extra LED Lighting

If you read the glowing review of the 2015 GMC Yukon Denali this morning, you know we are big fans of this big truck. It is everything the Tahoe has, and almost everything the Escalade brings to the table — but with extra under-the-radar coolness as standard. The Escalade is a pop-culture phenom at this point – which is great news for resurgent Cadillac. But the Escalade being the ride of choice for young Hollywood does not universally enhance its appeal.What about those seeking ultimate style without the Cadillac badge? Is the Denali the price ceiling for GMC? Our hunch …

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Aston Martin V12 Zagato – Future Classic Showcase in 5 Flawless Color Turntables

THE WHO Like many small British brands who shall not be named, Aston can feel a victim to its own design success, at times. The DB7 kick-started this modern styling vogue, which led smoothly to the 2000s Vanquish and DB9 and the modern range. But sometimes what is needed is not evolution, but revolution. This latest safe-design kick is the blowback from Aston-Martin’s aggressive design flirtations in the 1970s and 1980s — cars like the Lagonda sedan and the Bulldog wedge concept were so ‘out there’ that they nearly bankrupted the company of customers and ideas. All while making the …

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VENTURI Taking its Visionary EV Future-Tech to Bonneville and Formula E Racetracks

PART ONE: INTRO TO BRILLIANT CONCEPTS You cannot fault Venturi Automobiles for their ambition – here is a company with the power to envision and make concept cars that might even fail the Rinspeed or ItalDesign “reality check” test. Wild ideas like a solar streamliner for commuters, the Antarctic shuttle on treads, and the America off-road cabrio concept are certainly enticing for their rarity and bold vision. The Volage concept is perhaps the most feasible as a sale-able vehicle — with unique ideas present even six years since its first look as a concept in 2008.   PART TWO: HARSH …

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Future Car Renderings – 2016 BMW i4 Imagined as Much-Lower, Much-Cooler Machine

Today is the third or fourth time we have tried to get on-board with the BMW i3 via the online builder and the mechanical specifications. The i3 is a fantastically-interesting, futuristic, and brilliant solution to low-emissions motoring: priced from $41,000 as the pure EV model, the premium for the Range-Extender gasoline option up front is just a few thousand extra – well worth it in my opinion. But the style!? Where is the style of the future? In the past? We hope not. But my word – this i3 makes the Prius look sexy and slinky. It is best compared …

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5.2s to 60mph, 148MPG Plug-in Hybrid AWD! Audi TT Offroad Concept – A Sure Thing As Future Q2 (or Q4?)

The big three German luxury brands are infamous in charting each-others new models rigorously. When the Mercedes-Benz R-Class emerged to shocked faces across the globe, BMW was not far behind with the 5 series GT in a slight tweak on the theme. Once one of the big players has established a market, it is widely seen as almost a sure-fire new segment that all must either join or be left out of completely. The rationale is often more than a little flawed – as the R-Class seven-seater and five-seater minivan/wagon trend failed to spark much interest. But one clear segment …

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BMW Vision Future Luxury Concept for Beijing 2014 – Previews Low-Roof 8 Series Gran Coupe?

This BMW Concept limousine for Beijing just broke cover, and is a huge and desirable rolling art form – a sculpture on wheels. This is what will set BMW’s future luxury sedans apart from the more ubiquitous and less-exclusive competing brands — all of whom are clamoring for Chinese and global limo shoppers. But volume and cache are mutually exclusive in most areas of the ultra-lux market. Anything that is mass-market is immediately disqualified – even the S-Class might share a bit too much with the the C-Class for these types of high-fashion clients. Coach doors are hinged at the …

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Nissan Taps Skyline Bloodlines for Future IDx Rear-Drive Compact Range

Originally: Published on: Dec 31, 2013 @ 21:39     All hail, the IDx NISMO Concept. Along with its Freeflow sibling, these twins reclaim some of Nissan’s proudest – and most stylish – historical moments. Just a brief thumb through the Nissan Heritage archives shows the huge strides made by Nissan between 1965 and 1975. The cars went from down-sized, durable and cute bubbles into sedan shapes with much blockier lines. The BMW M Division, AMG or NISMO strategy is long-established with the Skyline range, which has come in all flavors: from luke-warm four-doors all the way to extreme fastback …

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2015 Acura NSX Set for Goodwood Debut — REAL Pre-Production Model — Plus! Dream Colorizer — 150 Shades of Hybrid Supercar

The NSX Concept is still making the rounds in near-production form — but there is big news on near-term horizon. Our prediction? The New NSX will debut in production form this summer’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in England in late June of this year. While the debut is only confirmed so far as the “prototype,” we have reason to believe this prototype is actually the real pre-production car. Why is this our prediction? Some inside info or a hot tip? I wish. No — we are working on a hunch. Informed by just historical data, careful analysis of the wording …

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Speculative Renderings – Future Corvette Z51 Speedster and Z06 Spyder

INTRODUCTORY CAVEAT: I hope these do not irk General Motors too much. They are all labeled as ‘speculative renderings’ — in case the dismal quality of these Photo”Chops” did not make that clear already to everyone. It is harder than it seems to achieve anything like photo-real results. To avoid any confusion among buyers is my goal in labeling everything as renders, but also to explore these ideas visually. A separate (and amazing!) article coming in a few hours will be a thorough, real-life buyers guide to the 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible’s trims, wheels, colors and options later this afternoon. …

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carrevsdaily

Engineering Student Envisions Future W154 Silver Arrow Racer (Open-Wheel, Closed-Cockpit!)

Renderings done by students are sometimes the most exciting new ideas out there. Phil Berger is one such visionary first-year mechanical engineering student. He is an active participant in the Local Motors Forge project, which is a co-creation community and a bit of a gathering place for dreamers. Mechanical dreamers! The tricky part of student, or any renderings, for that matter: brand names and logos. All this company IP is fiercely protected, especially in a bold new age of shameless counterfeiting. But there are other concerns besides factories running mystery “ghost shifts,” or the adage of a complete twin factory …

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2014 Hyundai PassoCorto Is Torino Design Vision Come to Life!

 2014 Hyundai PassoCorto There are many features of the Hyundai PassoCorto Concept that really excite the eye — in ways that the similarly-sized Alfa-Romeo 4C simply does not. A few favorites include the LED lighting in back, which forms a solid light bar the nearly the entire width of the machine. This rear lightbar also forms a (nearly) free-form plane of the Hyundai rearward — improving aerodynamics dramatically. There are numerous other semi-overlapping sheer planes in the PassoCorto design, with near-flat surfacing that appears aero-optimized, clean-cut and also exceptionally-modern. The PassoCorto’s fused-layering is quite unique and innovative. The overall sheer …

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The Inimitable Future-Tech 2015 BMW i8 — Feeling Chummy with Concept M4 and 1980 BMW M1 — Fleming Flashbacks

Did you guys ever read the James Bond continuation books? There have been dozens and dozens of writers who keep the series going — since the late 1970s, I believe, the publisher has been cranking out new James Bond adventures in print.. Do they pack the F-you-too-then-Sir swagger of Fleming chain-smoking at his typewriter? No, they generally do not. But they do capture the fast-cars/legal-outlaw image that Mr. Bond so embodies.   Sidebar: I read all 22 (or whatever) of the original Bond books in a lightning-flash of perhaps five weeks. It was summer 1995 at the Hinsdale Public Library …

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Porsche LMP1 Car Snags 919 Nameplate for Geneva Reveal — A Huge Vote of Confidence from Past Heroes in Future Glory

The Porsche Motorsport story for 2014 is moving ahead at the usual blisteringly-rapid Porsche pace. No one knows what it under most of the 919’s racecar livery – but expect these photos of the 919 at Geneva to be some of the best. Once racing, the 919 this car will be moving fast enough to seem blurry – even when in focus.   Past Glories Porsche 2014 Drivers & Key Personnel 2014 Porsche 911 RSR It was the news that motorsport fans around the world had been waiting for: Porsche returns to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours and the …

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VIDEO + Renders of 8 Future Hot-Rods From German Special Customs — Which Is Your Favorite?

GSC is broadening their scope. They are now applying their trademark upgrade style to brands beyond the Mercedes-Benz star. The latest future projects from German Special Customs work in a hot-to-trot new Range Rover and even an Aventador-from-Hell called the Estatura GXX. Using the names of brands by GSC is a bit touchy, so GSC has these future mock-ups under simplified working titles. Estatura GXX   McLaren P1 Night Glow by German Special Customs   Which do you like best? My choice is probably the E-Class, but I am open to debate! Hey, if you’re not having fun on the …

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Future Design Talent Showcase: Angelo Granata and His Lancia Delta Integrale Concept

It will take some stunning design ideas to shock Lancia back to fighting form of the 037 and Delta HF days. So here they are. And from an Italian local, no less! Sometimes passion for a brand gets so brittle that designers have no option but to try and DIY it. Angelo Granata‘s Delta Integrale is very promising, because it appears to crack a design riddle that still flummoxes Fiat and Alfa-Romeo. What is the Fiat design issue? Execution. They need Angelo Granata‘s help. Beautiful concepts, hideous production cars. Chopped front overhangs grow and grow like Pinocchio’s nose during crash …

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CarRe vsDaily

Update1 – Future Taxi Faceoff: Ford Transit Connect vs. NissanT4L vs. Current TX4

The London taxi market is heating up this winter, with companies eager to step in for the polluting, unsafe, unreliable and undignified British Manganese TX4. The Nissan NV200 – what I affectionately call the NissanTaxi4London – is a much better long-term solution to healthy, quiet and safe urban streets than any TX4.   Update: All the below critiques are aimed at the old, classic “London Cab” and not the Nissan. Yes, yes. Nobody likes the TX4 on any rational level. But they have grown accustomed… to its face.   Why so hard on the old TX4 claptraps? This is a …

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Future Nissan Maxima Concept — 3.5-in Lower Roof — 2.1-in Wider Stance — Official Debut

Update1: Just updated this article with all the 2015 4DSC concept photos; sans the previous burnt photo error =] i think all the designers use Macs — and all the rest of us use PCs… ? ANYWAY Next Maxima is set to be just 0.3-inches taller than the GT-R. But will a manual box join the fun? With the Z06 hitting eight cogs as a manual, or the GT-R running its precious-metals DCT ….. might the next Maxima get a six-speed manual? I think it would help get people in the doors — even if they ultimately buy the V-spec …

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CarRevsDaily

Future VW SuperBeetle Options May Finally Entice More Dudes

A fifth and sixth Beetle featured on CarRevsDaily today? The 2012 SEMA SuperBeetle Concept, and the 2013 Beetle R Concept. 2012 SEMA – VWVortex.com SuperBeetle Concept 2013 Beetle R Concept A seventh Beetle featured on CarRevsDaily? Yes, the seventh is an extremely tough Dude Beetle, if there ever was one:the ABT Sportsline. 2011-2014 Volkswagen Beetle by ABT Sportsline – Exterior Upgrades —  ABT BEETLE: FRONT SPOILER —  ABT BEETLE: HEADLIGHT COVERS —  ABT BEETLE: REAR SKIRT SET —  ABT BEETLE: LICENCE PLATE INSERT —  ABT BEETLE: TAIL LIGHT COVERS —  ABT BEETLE: VALVE CAPS —  ABT BEETLE: SUSPENSION SPRINGS   …

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1961 MINI Drops 54 Years in 60 Seconds

Timelapse Video: 1961 MINI Drops 54 Years at Past/Future Dutch MINI Factory

A charming, *exclusive* time-lapse of a 1961 model’s rebirth from MINI, just as the firm debuts its hottest 2014 JCW Concept and the all-new Hardtops are officially official. Long pre-amble: Short video. Enjoy this ’61 Mini’s rebirth. This 1961 Austin Seven was originally built in the Netherlands after Mini fever swept Britain and wider Europe by storm. Similar tides these days, as Mini has signed up to build cars again in the Netherlands starting in Summer 2014. While this is not a fully Mini plant, the Dutch crew is giving it all of their love. A team of – no …

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Latest Toyota FCV Concept Shows Design of Future SuperPrius

The Toyota FCV runs on Hydrogen-powered batteries, but looks like it could also convert squirrels or road debris into energy via its lower air scoops… This car has some really, really awkward angles. Even as a concept only, the FCV’s styling and design leaves much to be desired. From the initial sketches, this car loses the plot completely – with another tall roof and seriously unattractive nose. Perhaps for aerodynamic reasons, the fender tops do not quite reach the hood of the FCV. For style, aero, or cooling? It is believable that the latest water-operated fuel cell design could have …

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2015 Toyota Supra Turbo: Hiding in Plain Sight? Evolution + Renderings

Has the upcoming 2015 Toyota Supra Turbo been hiding in plain sight this whole time? In the decade since the last Supra, the speculation has never stopped. The latest buzz indicates Toyota may be bringing a near-production example of the Supra to the Detroit show next month. This is exciting – even if the name starts with FT — Toyota-speak for wild concepts. Over the past few years, dozens of speculative renderings have appeared all across the car guys universe. All of these are hopelessly dated, however, and do not seem like a Future Toyota – to us at least. …

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Mega Galleries + Future Renderings – Bentley Mulsanne Mulliner Spec

The Bentley Mulsanne lives a charmed life. It its glamour photos, the Mulsanne whooshes around between palaces, castles and state capitols. This is a car that lives the globe-trotting life we all dream about. It will hit 180-plus-mph between the safety chicanes that break up its namesake straight-away at LeMans. Everything is supremely luxurious, well-executed, and most of all: memorably fun to drive. This big bruiser has 10 VW’s worth of power under that massive hood, and rear-drive dynamics ensure old-school Bentley Boys thrills around any damp corner. But there is a wide-eyed elephant in the room. The Mulsanne is …

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IDx NISMO

Nissan Taps Skyline Bloodlines for Future IDx Rear-Drive Compact Range

All hail, the IDx NISMO Concept. Along with its Freeflow sibling, these twins reclaim some of Nissan’s proudest – and most stylish – historical moments. Just a brief thumb through the Nissan Heritage archives shows the huge strides made by Nissan between 1965 and 1975. The cars went from down-sized, durable and cute bubbles into sedan shapes with much blockier lines. The BMW M Division, AMG or NISMO strategy is long-established with the Skyline range, which has come in all flavors: from luke-warm four-doors all the way to extreme fastback coupes. But in the Nissan back catalog, there is a …

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When In Doubt: Porsche. LMP1 Glory Past, Present and Future

Porsche will fly twin missions under the Volkswagen Group. But only four letters really matter: LMP1 As the production cars division spreads the 911 ethos across a wide variety of new body styles over the next decade, vehicles with a Porsche badge will come in all sorts of new shapes and prices. Along with this proliferation of bad-ass sports cars? Winning the world’s toughest and most-respected race of any kind. Swimming laps? No. Running laps? No. No Olympic athletes are asked to perform for 24 hours in a row. The reason? Ostensibly, it cannot be done. Many have said the …

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