Sports Cars

January 12, 2006 Exotic four seater sportscars have not exactly been plentiful in the history of automotive evolution, though there’s a definite trend towards four berths in recent times with the Maserati Quattroporte, Porsche Panamera and now Aston Martin has shown a 4-seat concept car at the 2006 Detroit Motorshow. To be known as the Rapide, the 6.0-liter V12, 480 hp coupe is the work of Aston Martin Design Director Marek Reichman, in conjunction with CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. P The Aston Martin Rapide concept is a four-door, high performance coupé of remarkable grace and poise. Based on Aston Martin's unique VH (Vertical/Horizontal) architecture, the Rapide combines the company's commitment to power, beauty and soul with space and practicality for every eventuality. It stands for stylistic excellence, market innovation and flexible manufacturing. The Rapide is the epitome of Aston Martin’s low-volume, high-technology approach, the synergy of modern methods and materials with traditional skills to create a new form of craftsmanship for the 21st century.  Read More

January 8, 2006 Research shows Mazda has one of the youngest new-car buyer groups (average age 41 years) in North America. Based on this research, the latest Mazda concept car is designed to enhance its appeal to Generation-Y buyers, who are several steps ahead of the latest trends and constantly on the lookout for affordable possessions that satisfy their hunger for stylish, insightful and spirited designs. The Kabura design concept ventures beyond the compact sports coupe norm to support youthful lifestyles and explore several fresh ideas that could appear in future production models, with one of the most interesting aspects being the interior versatility. Replacing the typical 2+2 layout is a clever 3+1 arrangement which establishes a new interior concept giving greater passenger comfort versus a traditional coupe without increasing weight or size. Obliging spur-of-the-moment adventures and shopping sprees, all passenger seats fold flat to make way for snow boards, shopping bags and all the tools of an active life.  Read More

January 8, 2006 Hyundai Motor America’s stand at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit will today see the world debut of the new HCD9 Talus concept, a car which the company describes as for the person who “has grown accustomed to the needs and benefits of an SUV, but desires the emotional gratification of sports car styling and performance."  Read More

December 30, 2005 The “Echo Boomer” generation was born between roughly 1976 and 1996. The offspring of the “baby boomers”, the generation is a demographic echo of the post-war baby boom and will become the largest generation of young people since their famous trend-setting parents. Like their parents, they will have massive impact on entire segments of the economy as they age, and will become the next dominant generation. The “echo boomers” make up roughly a third of the US population, and numbers and mindset of this generation are currently being evaluated as they mature into full-blown consumers. It’s the first generation to have spent its entire life playing video games, and it is just about to take to the roads. By 2012, nearly all 87 million of them will be of driving age and they will be looking for much more from a car than simple transportation – entertainment, a social space, personalisation and flexibility. It seems fitting that one of the key sources of inspiration for the dramatic new Nissan URGE concept, a spare, technology-heavy, performance-oriented sports car design exercise, would be found online – in the results of an Internet survey of approximately 2,000 young car and gaming enthusiasts. Asked what they would ideally want in a car, the top responses were “performance” and “technology”.  Read More

October 24, 2005 Mazda's SENKU concept vehicle debuted to the public at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show opening last Saturday and the carbon-fibre coloured machine turned out to be even more appealing in reality than it does in photos. The SENKU concept is billed as a “four-seater rotary sports car for adults” and offers a radical new departure in satisfying the desires, the pursuit of dreams and confident self-expression of mature drivers. The features include an ultra long wheelbase, minimal overhangs, a unique “floating” appearance supported by large tires, a smoothly dignified shape devoid of all ornamentation, and large "flying wing" electric powered sliding doors. These elements come together in a coupe form that is both dynamic and elegant. In the cabin, personal space was designed to give priority to the people seated in the front seats, and interior trim was executed in supple, high quality leather.  Read More

October 6, 2005 The Tokyo Motor Show is home ground for the Japanese manufacturers and Honda has indicated its intention to create a massive impression of technological progress at this year’s show due to open in a fortnight. The Concept Vehicle Zone will showcase some new ideas in concept vehicles such as the next-generation, 4-door Sports 4 Concept, designed to make sure everyone in the vehicle shares the exhilaration of the drive; the W.O.W Concept, which offers a more enjoyable, dog-friendly mobile lifestyle; and the FCX Concept, a next-generation premium fuel-cell sedan featuring advanced intelligent technologies, a low-floor, low-center-of-gravity platform and a full-sized cabin.  Read More

September 26, 2005 The undeniable trend in world automotive sales over the last few decades has been the rise of the SUV, and in particular, the luxury SUV. The luxury SUV market offers the spaciousness, comfort, technology and customer services of a luxury car without the same price and value-for-money is just one of the reasons why luxury SUVs are increasingly taking the place of the family car. Another key trend of recent times that is gaining strength is the cabriolet – the ability to take the top off a car and drive with the wind in your hair is something people are increasingly prepared to pay for. So why not combine the two trends. German automotive specialist Karmann, best known for the Karmann Ghia Volkswagen, has done just that, and its research suggests the category could be huge within the decade. We agree. We also speak with Jorg Steuernagel, Chief Stylist at Karmann who explains how the idea came about and why the prospects are so bright.  Read More

September 23, 2005 A wholly British partnership yesterday unveiled plans to develop the world’s first environmentally clean sports car, powered by a fuel cell which converts hydrogen into electricity. The partnership is made up of legendary British sports car manufacturer, the Morgan Motor Company, QinetiQ, Cranfield and Oxford Universities, BOC and OSCar. The new vehicle, known as LIFECar, will be ultra quiet and its exhaust systems will produce only water vapour. It promises a clean vehicle combined with sound motoring performance and stylish good looks.  Read More

August 28, 2005 Jaguar has revealed details of its eagerly anticipated new sports car – the all-new 2007 Jaguar XK. Making its world premiere next month at the Frankfurt International Auto Show in Germany, the all-new Jaguar XK will go on sale in North America next spring as a 2007 model year product. The light and agile XK is the first of a new generation of cars. It accelerates faster and stops quicker than the previous generation, steel-bodied XK8 and has exceptional dynamic abilities. Traditional Jaguar craftsmanship elements have been retained on the all-new Jaguar XK, but it's the use of aerospace technologies that have resulted in the most technically advanced Jaguar production car ever created.  Read More