Articles tagged with "Concept Cars"
Dodge Demon Roadster Concept
February 14, 2007 To be shown for the first time at the 77th International Motor Show in Geneva next month, the Dodge Demon concept is a compact, nimble “roadster with an attitude,” a balance of classic sports car proportion and simplicity blended with modern design and performance. Pitched as an attainable dream car, the Dodge Demon is powered by a 2.4 litre 172 bhp engine driving through a six-speed manual transmission. (read more...)
Mazda Hakaze Concept Car: 4-seat coupe-style compact crossover SUV
February 8, 2007 Mazda will showcase its new Hakaze design concept at the 77th annual Geneva International Motor Show (Salon International de l’Auto de Geneve) next month, continuing its ‘Nagare’ design language lineage onwards from the Mazda Nagare and Mazda Ryuga which were revealed earlier this motor show season. Even when standing still, Hakaze seems to be effortlessly cutting through the air. The Hakaze is a four-seat coupe-style compact crossover SUV designed at Mazda’s European Design Centre and aimed at people in their thirties and forties who lead active, adventurous lifestyles. (read more...)
The EDAG Luxury Utility Vehicle (LUV) concept car for Geneva Motor Show
January 25, 2007 The latest concept car from EDAG Engineering + Design AG, has a distinct nautical flair, with oiled teak used on the bonnet, inside as the floor covering , and again on the elegant loading platform behind the five seat cabin which gives it the air of a quarterdeck. Conceived as a niche vehicle, the Luxury Utility Vehicle (LUV) presents a maritime appearance from its bows to its stern, and is targeted at customers who are not looking for just an ordinary car, and who appreciate something more distinctive. The dimensions of the vehcile are also imposing - an impressive overall length of 5.7 metres, over 2 metres wide and 1.8 metres high, the EDAG LUV is a real eye-catcher which will be seen for the first time in public at the Geneva Motor Show on March 7, 2007. (read more...)
Suzuki’s Flix Concept - Movie-theater-style concept vehicle
January 19, 2007 One of the concept vehicles at NAIAS which somehow seemed to slip below the radar was the silver-screen-inspired XL7 Flix concept. The Flix concept offers film enthusiasts the ultimate mobile movie experience, being outfitted with an in-vehicle movie system. After parking at the optimal film-viewing destination, Flix’s clamshell roof can be opened, revealing a maximum-size moonroof that serves as a 40-inch movie screen. Additionally, the XL7 concept’s front roof panel vents, giving way to a high-density digital projection system to display a family’s movie of choice. For those who prefer the traditional drive-in movie experience, Flix’s projection system can be positioned to display movies nearly anywhere – the side of a building, a billboard or almost any wall. (read more...)
Kia Kue crossover concept vehicle
January 10, 2007 Kia showed a new concept, the Kue crossover concept vehicle, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit yesterday. The all-wheel drive Kue is designed to deliver an exhilarating drive, both on- and off-road and is powered by a 400 hp 4.6-litre, supercharged V8 petrol engine producing 400 lbft (542 Nm) of torque. A technology-driven interface designed to adjust to driver and passenger preference is the focus of the interior functions. Touch pad and motion-sensing controls are used to adjust systems such as audio and climate control. The entire touch-pad set up is programmable so that one surface may activate the stereo for one driver and temperature for another. Rear passengers have their own, separate interface. (read more...)
Jeep Trailhawk open-air concept
January 9, 2007 The Jeep Trailhawk concept, unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show overnight, merges the spectrum of the Jeep brand by combining the core off-road features of the four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with the refined sophistication of an all-new on-road open-air concept vehicle, providing a unique and fresh expression for Jeep. Built off the new Wrangler platform, the Jeep Trailhawk is a more refined highway cruiser without sacrificing any of Jeep’s legendary off-road capabilities. (read more...)
Mazda Ryuga Concept captures the spirit of motion
January 9, 2007 As we’ve previously mentioned, Mazda does great show cars, and the promise of the Nagare concept was more than fulfilled when the metallic manifestation of those sketches we previewed became a reality. The word Nagare is one of a hundred or more Japanese words that describe the embodiment of motion – such as how wind shapes desert sand, the way currents stir the ocean’s floor or the way waves lap at the shores of a lake. van den Acker explains, “Nagare is purposely emotional and expressive. Anyone who sees it is drawn for a closer look; they’re moved to caress surfaces inspired by nature, to understand how they could work on an automobile. (read more...)
Acura “Advanced Sports Car Concept” - Next Generation Exotic
January 7, 2007 Honda’s next generation exotic sports car was previewed for the first time last night, when the Japanese giant showed the Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept at the 2007 North American International Auto Show. The concept provides a preview of the design direction for the successor to the Acura NSX and some quite granular detail, with a front-mounted V-10 engine and a new high-performance, rear-wheel-drive based version of Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). (read more...)
Ford Airstream Concept – the Crossover model of the future
January 7, 2007 The crossover vehicle is growing rapidly in popularity in most world markets, particularly in the United States where the market segment is projected to top three million units annually by the end of the decade. Accordingly, Ford staked a claim for market leadership in the green end of the segment today at NAIAS when it showed its plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cell Airstream Concept. The drivetrain – called HySeries Drive – operates under electric power at all times. This advanced fuel cell system is half the weight and cost of today’s fuel cells and can even operate when the mercury dips below freezing. (read more...)
Chevrolet Volt Concept Electric Vehicle
January 7, 2007 The Chevrolet Volt concept sedan, powered by the E-flex System – GM’s next-generation electric propulsion system – could nearly eliminate trips to the gas station. The Chevrolet Volt is a battery-powered, four-passenger electric vehicle that uses a gas engine to create additional electricity to extend its range. The Volt draws from GM’s previous experience in the form of the EV1 in 1996. The Volt can be fully charged by plugging it into a 110-volt outlet for approximately six hours a day. When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the Volt can deliver 40 city miles of pure electric vehicle range. When the battery is depleted, a 1.0 litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine spins at constant rpm to create electricity and replenish the battery. (read more...)
Chevrolet Camaro Convertible concept
January 6, 2007 The Chevrolet Camaro concept was one of the stars of the 2006 auto show season, so it’s not such a stretch to understand where the Camaro convertible concept came from. The original Camaro was introduced to the Baby Boomer generation in 1966, offering this large individualistic group access to an affordable sports cars for the first time. As Boomers transitioned into larger vehicles to accommodate growing families, younger drivers embraced used Camaros as their first cars, and third- and fourth-generations of the Camaro continued to deliver affordable fun and performance to a new generation of enthusiasts. Indeed, hundreds of thousands of owners of all walks of life have found driving fun in a Camaro during the past 40 years. The new concept will be shown for the first time at the NAIAS Show which starts Monday. (read more...)
Toyota's 400 bhp FT-HS Hybrid Sports Car Concept
January 12, 2007 UPDATED PHOTO GALLERY Toyota’s FT-HS hybrid sports concept to be shown at the 2007 North American International Auto Show next week seems to have a lot more of the real world in it than your normal concept car. Sporting hybrids are coming to mainstream consumer land very soon, if we’re reading the signs correctly. The two-plus-two concept is a front-engine, rear-drive sports car with a projected 0-62mph acceleration in the four-second range. A powerful V6, 3.5L-engine is coupled with a sports hybrid system for a total of 400 bhp. The press release specifically prices the FT-HS in a mid-priced market position, making it a truly attainable exotic should it be produced. The Japanese company will achieve it’s Everest this year when it will become the world’s top selling automobile manufacturer – our bet is that this baby will be in the 2008 model range. (read more...)
Jaguar C-XF - more than a concept car
January 3, 2007 Jaguar will be hosting the global debut of its new C-XF concept car at Detroit Auto Show this coming Sunday and is clear that the car signals the onset of a new era for the marque. The four-door sports saloon concept blends design purity with unmistakable dynamism, and the company is making sure that everyone knows that it’s way more than just another concept car - the C-XF is a clear indication of the design direction that the next generations of Jaguar saloons will take. Designed by the same teams that produced the award-winning Jaguar XK sports GT range in 2005 – headed by Jaguar Director of Design Ian Callum and Head of Advanced Design Julian Thomson – the C-XF concept is a precursor to cars that “will become recognised for their ground-breaking exterior looks and innovative interiors.” "Great Jaguars turn heads in the street,” according to Callum. “They make people stop and pay attention. They evoke instant desire. That’s what the C-XF does and that’s what the next generation of Jaguars will do.” (read more...)
Vantastic Ford Transit Concepts
January 3, 2007 Though Ford’s Transit Van has now been around since 1965, it’s very much like Grandpa’s axe, in that the head has been replaced many times and the handle many more than that. With the seventh complete redesign of the classic workhorse, Ford picked up the International Van of the Year 2007 and the euphoria of the win seems to have inspired some remarkable custom engineering from Ford Europe's Commercial Vehicle development team. Two stunning new Transit-based concepts have resulted: one is the Transit XXL, a stretched Transit Tourneo passenger vehicle and the other is the Transit X-Press, a modified version of the normally sedate Connect model fitted with the power train, suspension and brakes of Ford’s high-performance Focus RS. Remarkably, neither are planned for production, though we’d warrant the queue would stretch further than the XXL. Perhaps lobbying your local Ford dealer might help convince them that their engineers are indeed not bonkers, but have identified a lucrative niche market. (read more...)
Lincoln MKR Concept
January 2, 2007 Lincoln is pulling the wraps off a new concept car at the North American International Auto Show next week, signaling its design strategy for the next-generation of premium American vehicles and launching a new engine family. The Lincoln MKR concept introduces the company’s new “elegant simplicity” design language on a four-door coupe that also features environmentally friendly amenities and fuel-saving technology, including its TwinForce engine. The concept’s 3.5-liter gasoline twin-turbocharged direct-injection V-6 performs comparably or better than V-8 engines, delivering 415 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque on renewable E-85 ethanol. (read more...)
EFIJY Concept to make North American Show Debut
December 20, 2006 Australia’s General Motors subsidiary Holden had a worldwide hit with its one-off 21st Century hot rod, EFIJY, at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney in October 2005, making news everywhere cars were the topic and a lot of places they weren’t. Remarkably, the acclaimed concept car will be shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month – the first time it has been seen outside Australia. EFIJY is a contemporary reincarnation of an iconic Australian-made 1953 Holden FJ sedan, restyled as a low-slung hot rod with a supercharged six-litre V8 engine. The car has been featured in magazines, websites and television programs around the world. Its most critical acclaim came from the United States when it was named Hot Rod of the Year by the influential Hot Rod magazine. (read more...)
Original Dodge Firearrow concepts to be auctioned
December 19, 2006 The only two Dodge Firearrow convertible s in the world will be going under the hammer in mid-January, giving someone a unique opportunity to own a piece of history. In an effort to create consumer excitement during 1953 and 1954, Chrysler produced four cars under the Dodge nameplate, naming them Firearrows. Each penned by Virgil Exner, the dream cars were built in a series from Firearrow I to Firearrow IV. Barrett-Jackson will feature the Firearrow II and IV models, representing the instrumental progression of the classic concept vehicle. This reprint from Special Interest Autos has the full story on the Firearrows and how they eventually went into very limited production as America's first four passenger sports car, the Dual Ghia. In their day, they were very sought after, with owners including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Debbie Reynolds and big band leader Hoagy Carmichael. One of the original four Firearrows was used by stuntperson and model Betty Skelton to set a Women’s Closed-Course World Speed Record of 143.44 mph in 1954, so you can rest assured that the Firearrows won't get left behind at the traffic lights. (read more...)
Rinspeed’s Transparent eXasis Concept
December 19, 2006 We just luuuuv Rinspeed – every year the Swiss engineering futurists produce one or more remarkable automotive ideas which we feature and they never fail to produce something stimulating and thought-provoking about the future of transportation. The 2007 installment is the fully transparent creation eXasis. The insect-like body and even the floor pan of the seemingly “glass” concept car actually consist of a transparent high-tech plastic with a tinge of pale yellow. The eXasis has open wheels, a cigar-shaped body with fore and aft tandem seating, and has elements of the legendary Auto Union race cars from the first half of the last century combined with a modern Baja-1000 off-road vehicle. The car will be shown for the first time at the Geneva Auto Show next March. (read more...)
Mitsubishi Prototype-X concept
December 18, 2006 Mitsubishi will unveil the Prototype X concept for a next-generation high-performance 4WD sport sedan at the 2007 North American International Auto Show (Detroit Motor Show) on January 7. The Prototype-X concept is an advance development model for the new Lancer Evolution due to be launched in 2007. Prototype-X features styling based on the current Lancer but was developed to project a visibly higher performance image. The concept model is fitted with Mitsubishi's S-AWC*1 (Super All-Wheel Control) vehicle dynamics system and handling control together with a new turbocharged MIVEC2 engine with an aluminium cylinder block and a 6-speed manual transmission. (read more...)
The Volvo XC60 Concept - a glimpse of the next XC
December 15, 2006 Volvo’s XC60 Concept is very much a car for the future. It not only offers the world a sneak preview of the next XC model to come from the Volvo Cars, it is also full of design innovation and reveals several design elements that will be part of future Volvos. Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin and his team have designed the XC60 Concept while keeping their eyes firmly focused on one clear goal. “With more expressive, emotive shapes, it will be a magnet for the viewer’s eyes. If you say that you recognise a Volvo from 50 metres today, I want to get to the point where you will instantly spot it from twice that distance in the future.” (read more...)
Kia reveals sketch of Kue driver's vehicle concept
December 15, 2006 Like many of the world’s manufacturers do when a major motor show is imminent, Kia has released a preview sketch of one of its stars of the show. The all-new Kue crossover concept car will make its world premiere at the upcoming North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in early January. The Kia Kue concept employs a different approach to the crossover utility vehicle segment by taking the CUV to a new level with performance. While possessing SUV characteristics and capabilities, the Kia Kue focuses more on giving the driver an exhilarating driving experience on the way to the home improvement centre, than on how much it can haul. (read more...)
Mazda to debut Ryuga Design Concept and New Tribute HEV at 2007 NAIAS
December 12, 2006 Mazda will unveil an all-new concept car, Mazda Ryuga, and its all-new Mazda Tribute Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) at the 2007 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) on January 8, 2007. The Ryuga builds on Mazda’s concept of flow. The remarkable Nagare – Japanese for “flow” - concept vehicle debuted at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show and introduced the company’s new design future. Ryuga – Japanese for “gracious flow,” and the next generation of this exciting concept – will reflect a higher level of sophistication achieved through the use of rich fabrics, engineered fits and hidden details. Mazda Ryuga is elegant and refined, but with spirit and edge, portraying unique Japanese beauty. (read more...)
Honda Accord Coupe Concept for NAIS
December 6, 2006 Honda will be debuting a bold new look for the next-generation Honda Accord Coupe at the January 2007 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The Accord Coupe Concept will convey exterior styling cues and design features that provide a first look at the direction the next-generation Accord will take and the company promises to set a new benchmark for Accord and for the segment. (read more...)
Mazda Adrenaline Concept
December 6, 2006 Blurring the lines between a sport-utility vehicle and a sports car, Mazda’s Adrenaline Concept is based on a more powerful, more aggressive CX-7 SUV. Designed and built by Mazda Design North America, the 300 horsepower Adrenaline is a truly high-performance sport-crossover vehicle designed to promote the “Emotion of Motion.” To give the SUV a true sports car feel, the CX-7’s stock six-speed automatic transmission was changed for a six-speed manual, and the driveline dropped in from a MAZDASPEED6. Renowned rally driver and drifter Rhys Millen, pushed the Adrenaline engine out to more than 300 horsepower, and ... (read more...)
HUMMER 02 Concept with phototropic body shell
December 3, 2006 GM Advanced Design has won the Los Angeles Auto Show’s Design Challenge for the second year in a row. This year’s winning entry is a two-dimensional rendering of a 2015 Blue Sky Concept that addresses environmental sustainability. Called the HUMMER 02, the design was created to demonstrate that daily use of a vehicle could result in a net gain for the environment. The HUMMER 02 Concept features a phototropic body shell that produces pure oxygen throughout the life of the vehicle. Algae-filled body panels transform carbon dioxide into pure oxygen that is subsequently released back into the environment and inside the vehicle. (read more...)
