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Filed under: Concept Cars , Sedans/Saloons , China , Misc. Auto Shows Click image for a gallery of the Geely TX4 LTC Geely builds the LTI TX4 under license, and naturally, it's showing off the popular London Taxi at its display in Beijing. The standard TX4's kind of vanilla though, so to grab showgoers' attention, the automaker has also plopped an electric blue "hot rod" version called the TX4 LTC in its display, as well. It might more appropriately described as a " not rod", since the TX4's stock 2.4L Euro IV-compliant diesel remains underhood. For maximum visual effect, Geely appears to have raided the Chinese equivalent of a Pep Boys, adding a faux dual exhaust, bolting on truck running boards and fitting six-spoke wheels that might be just a smidge oversized. Call us crazy, but it looks like turning could become a bit of an adventure. Inside, the passenger compartment gets a white interior and possibly some stereo upgrades along with a nice photo...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , China , Hatchbacks , Misc. Auto Shows Click above for high-res gallery of the Geely CE Ok, the Geely car parade at Beijing is officially in full swing. One of the good-looking renderings we posted during the runup to the show was of the CE concept , a small hatchback that looked like it could just as easily be an Acura that's slumming in the entry-level class. In the metal, it looks pretty much exactly like the rendering -- a well-styled little Acura 5-door hatch. Only that's the Geely badge on that shield-shaped grille. It It is better-looking than any of Geely's current market offerings, and that's about all there is to say, because we have neither interior shots nor technical details to flesh things out any further. As such, we'll treat it as a styling exercise that's likely got Honda/Acura designers grumbling under their breath, and Chinese showgoers and (potential car-buyers) nodding approvingly. Gallery: Geely CE Concept [Source...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , China , Etc. , Mazda So you're a customs officer in Beijing, and out of the trailer you're inspecting is hauled a... a what? The Japanese people who have accompanied it, who claim to be from Mazda, also claim that it's a concept car. Frankly, it could also be a submarine, or it might eat people -- or it could be an elaborate ruse for hauling drugs or bombs. So the officials at Beijing airport let the dogs out to sniff for, well, probably everything. Finding nothing, the Taiki was allowed to roll on to the Beijing Auto Show. Nothing in there but coffee grounds, sir, just coffee... [Source: The Tycho ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , China , Hatchbacks , Misc. Auto Shows Click above for a high-res gallery of the Linian concept Last Summer, we told you how Guangzhou Honda planned to develop a separate, China-only brand . Today in Beijing, the first step in that direction is on display in the form of the Linian concept. Specifics are hard to come by, but according to Autoblog Chinese, the car here is representative of what we can expect to see when the new spinoff brand launches in 2010. Look for a full range of vehicles, likely including something very much like the 5-door you see here. In terms of styling, the Linian is extremely reminiscent of Ford Europe's "kinetic design" philosophy, but its "gaping maw" grille is even bigger than the Ford Verve's . While the nose might not be to everyone's tastes, the rest of the car's a solid-looking effort with a nice stance to it. And it's likely on its way to the Chinese market, backed by all the know-how Guangzhou...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Sedans/Saloons , China , Buick , Misc. Auto Shows Click above for high-res gallery of the Buick Invicta Concept Buick has dusted off the Invicta name, which hasn't been used by the brand since 1959, for its newest concept that debuted today at the Beijing Motor Show. The mid-size sedan previews the look of what U.S. customers will get with the next redesign of the LaCrosse sedan, and draws much of its design inspiration from Buick's most recent concepts like the Riviera and Velite. The Invicta features traditional Buick design cues like its waterfall grille and portholes, relocated on this car to the hood rather than the front fenders, but the rest of its styling is modern and fresh in a decidedly un-Buick way. The high beltline is a common element in many auto designs today, and is used well on the Invicta to give the concept a big presence for a mid-size car. We particular the shape of the lower air intake up front and the "sweepspear" character...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Sedans/Saloons , China , Buick , Misc. Auto Shows General Motors has been enjoying some serious success in China with its range of Buick models, and it hopes to continue that trend with the unveiling of the Invicta concept at the Auto China show in Beijing. We've already seen one teaser shot of the Invicta in profile and this newest image (on the right) gives a faint hint of the front end. We messed with the image in Photoshop to draw out some of the fascia's details, but the only thing that's really obvious is the swooping, Saab-esque headlamps and the kinked beltline originally seen in the profile shot above. The Auto China show is right around the corner, so look for a full report in just over a week's time. Hit the jump to view the unmolested teaser. [Source: GM via Carscoop ] Continue reading Buick releases second Invicta Concept teaser Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Spy Photos , China , Chevrolet , GM We saw the Chevy Beat concept unveiled a year ago, and now a camouflaged mule has been caught testing in China, fueling speculation that the Beat will succeed the Spark in that market. The Beat is certainly far less dowdy than the Spark, which is also sold, sometimes gratuitously , as the Matiz in other markets. When the Beat debuted as one in a trio of concepts , it was the sportiest of the three and described as a "tuner car" offering substantial levels of customization at the retail level, much like a Scion. That rhetoric may not be for world-wide consumption, however, and the Beat could wind up looking sharp on the outside and offering you roll-your-own windows and milk jug-quality plastics in the cabin. Of course, GM could pull a Ford and deliver a deliciously stylish small car everywhere but the United States, just as our fuel costs skyrocket ever further. Thanks for the tip, Kevin! [Source: China Car Times...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Economy , China , Hatchbacks , Misc. Auto Shows Click image for a photo gallery of the Geely CE concept Via Autoblog Chinese, the parade of Beijing-bound debuts continues. Today we've got another one from Geely, which seems to be working to establish itself as a style leader in a sea of Chinese cars, the looks of which range from the vanilla to the bizarre. The renderings you see here show the Geely CE concept, a compact 5-door hatch that easily has the looks to appeal to shoppers outside of Geely's home market. If Geeley is able to bring this car to production and make it safe enough to meet Western crash test standards (something we have yet to see on anything remotely resembling a consistent basis from the Chinese manufacturers), it is going to make a lot of noise, particularly in Europe where a low-priced, stylish, compact hatch like this would sell like french fries at McDonalds. From what we've seen so far, Geely's 18-car Beijing parade...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , China , Hatchbacks , Misc. Auto Shows , Citroen Click above for photo gallery of the Dongfeng Citroën C2 Kappa Dongfeng Citroën will reportedly show a pair of cars adorned with graphics inspired by soccer/sport apparel manufacturer, Kappa. From what we can gather, a trio of Dongfeng Citroën C2s will be on hand, one in the red-and-white motif you see above, and two more sporting the automotive equivalents of the official Team Italia uniform. If the sketches are any indication, the cars will be given a dressed-up, rally-car look as well, with updated fascias, wheels, and the like. Whether a Citroën/Kappa trim package model is in the works for China is not clear, but at the very least, these show cars ought to be interesting to see when they're unveiled. Gallery: Dongfeng Citroen C2 Kappa Editions [Sources: Autoblog Chinese , FoMoCo News ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupes , Sports/GTs , China , Misc. Auto Shows Click above for a gallery of the Geeley GT concept The 2008 Beijing Motor Show will play host to the usual assortment of real automakers' wares, direct knock-offs of said automakers' wares, and a few concepts and production vehicles of genuine interest beyond comedic value. We'll count the Geely GT among that last group. Details are sparse at the moment -- we have no clue what the proposed powertrain consists of, for example -- but Geely's coupe concept this year looks to be substantially more ambitious and voluptuous than the Mybo II 2-door show car it displayed last year in Shanghai. The Mybo II didn't have a whole lot going on in the looks department except a peculiar face that had us expecting it to transform into a giant robot at any moment. The Geely GT mashes up a variety of looks -- we see some Maybach Exceleo, Ferrari 612, Nissan GT-R, and assorted Peugeot in there. The end result is...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Spy Photos , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Buick , GM click above for more live shots of the Riviera Concept from Detroit When the Buick Riviera concept debuted at the Shanghai Motor Show last summer, many didn't give the car a second glance because, while imminently snazzy, no one though it would have much impact on the U.S. market. We all may have been wrong, according to TheCarConnection, which is reporting that the Riviera Concept offers a sneak peek at what the next-gen Buick LaCrosse will look like. We've seen the next LaCrosse in spy shots and can maybe find a few similarities between the two, but otherwise we don't really see the resemblance. Aside from the obvious discrepancy in door count, you can see the grilles are markedly different, with the Riviera's upturned into a smile and the LaCrosse prototype's turned down in a frown. The Riviera also has three air intakes below the front bumper, while the spy shot shows...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , China , Euro , Plants/Manufacturing , Volkswagen The Skoda Fabia (not sold in America) is pretty small. It's based on the Volkswagen Polo platform (also not sold in America). But Skoda chairman Reinhard Jung wants an even smaller car based on the upcoming production version of the VW up! concept, and that also won't be sold here in all likelihood. Where it will, however, is in Russia, India and China. These rapidly growing markets where Western automakers have been undertaking an equally rapid expansion via joint ventures with local companies are where Skoda wants to expand production. Currently the Czech subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group produces about 60,000 vehicles each year between the three enormous countries, which it plans to double to 120,000 units annually over the course of 2008. But by 2010, Skoda is targeting annual production of 350,000 in those markets. Volkswagen has shown several concepts that preview a small car range, including the...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Sedans/Saloons , China , Ford , Mazda , Misc. Auto Shows click either image to view high-res galleries The ever increasing importance of the Chinese auto market is on full display this week at the 2007 Guangzhou Motor Show, and fortunately we have the Autoblog Chinese crew pounding the show floor as we speak. You can check out their coverage here (translated courtesy of Google), although for those not fluent in Chinese (like us) you'll have settle for looking at all the pretty pictures. Yesterday we told you about the debut of both the Mazda2 sedan and Ford Verve Sedan Concept at the Guangzhou show, and today we have live shots from the show floor courtesy of Autoblog Chinese. Technically these two cars are very much related, as the Verve concept is expected to inspire a production car of the same name that will be sold in the U.S. and markets abroad. That new small car will be based on the same platform as the Mazda2, and after the strong showing of four...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , China , Ford , Misc. Auto Shows Click image for photo gallery The Mazda2 sedan isn't the only new notchback on display at the Guangzhou Motor Show. It's got some company in the form of its Ford-branded cousin, the Verve. Parked onstage along with the 3-door unveiled in Europe earlier this year, the Verve notchback sedan sheds its predecessor's rear hatch and gains two doors and a trunk. The new rear treatment is extremely evocative of the Mondeo, and that's a good thing. In fact, the Verve (in this particular Autoblogger's opinion, at least) is better-looking than the similar Mazda2 4-door that also made its debut today. The Verve trifecta will be completed at the Detroit Auto Show in January, where we'll see the Americanized version in concept form. After looking at the 2008 Ford Focus , we fully expect every cool Ford Europe kinetic design feature to be jettisoned in favor of a ham-handed implementation of...
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