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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Supercars Click above for a gallery of the Frem F1 The desire to take on Ferrari has birthed at least one iconic car (GT40) and launched an entire brand (Lamborghini), and for David Frem, a 25-year-old Lebanese design student, the ambition to chase after Italy's prancing horse has created this: the Frem F1. After three years of design and fabrication, Frem has created the F1 prototype as a steppingstone to the production version, aptly titled the F2, which is slated to appear at the Detroit Auto Show this January. The F1 is currently powered by a Volkswagen-sourced 2.0-liter four-pot and mated to an Audi gearbox (DSG?), good for a claimed top speed of 124 mph -- assuming it doesn't undress itself in the process. But if the world's first Lebanese supercar has any chance of catching up to Italy's finest, it had better be packing twice as many cylinders and a bit more refinement. Needless to say, the styling and build quality...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , SUVs , Geneva Motor Show , Land Rover Click above for high-res gallery of the Land Rover LRX from Geneva We've big fans of the Land Rover LRX concept's styling, which looked as good in black ( unveiled in Geneva ) as it did in the original white ( unveiled in Detroit ). So we're suitably pleased by reports that Land Rover is preparing to build the vehicle, which could get the nameplate Freelander Sport in keeping with the nomenclature already set in place by the Range Rover Sport. The production LRX would target the likes of the upcoming BMW X1 and Audi Q5 (and potentially the Porsche Roxster), while offering a range of eco-friendly engine options that help Land Rover reduce its overall environmental impact. Such powertrain possibilities could include a 2.2-liter diesel and 3.2-liter gasoline inline-six with the potential for start-stop technology and even a hybrid system. Although the Freelander Sport would be oriented towards...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Sedans/Saloons , Etc. , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Cadillac , Chevrolet , Honda , Saturn Click image for a gallery of the Saturn Flextreme At its annual dealer meeting in San Francisco, what's described as having been a "passing remark" seems to be generating some buzz. Automotive News reports that a GM spokesperson said that the Chevy Volt's underlying technology could make its way into offerings from the automaker's other brands. While the report describes an excited dealer's reaction, the idea of shared E-Flex itself is hardly surprising. For instance, we've seen E-Flex concepts for Saturn/ Opel (Flextreme) and Cadillac ( Provoq ) already, and sharing the tech makes sense when you consider that consumer interest will probably be high whenever the Volt is ultimately produced, and spreading the wealth gives GM multiple avenues (and price points) at which it can cash in on the investment. The General already shares...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Convertibles , Coupes , Sports/GTs , Etc. , Crossovers/CUVs , Supercars , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GMC , HUMMER , Saturn , Celebrities Last Saturday night before the Press Days began for the 2008 edition of the Detroit Auto Show, the 2nd annual GM Style event took place in a huge tent set up in a parking lot near the Renaissance Center headquarters of General Motors. Like last year's event, this runway show featured cars and fashions, but the feel of it was a bit different this year. This time last year, GM had yet to make its big design comeback breakthrough, for instance. Also, the cars were almost secondary to the celebrities last January. This time around, a year after the CTS, Malibu and Volt debuted in the days following the first GM Style event, the red carpet was gone and the fashions were worn by anonymous models, with musical accompaniment from Mary J Blige, Maroon 5 and Kid Rock. For 2008, the cars were the real stars...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , BMW , Cadillac , Chrysler click above to view more high-res live shots of the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept One bit of news we passed over on the way out the door of COBO Hall on Tuesday was the winners of this year's EyesOn Design Awards at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. There are four awards given away each year, including Best Concept and Production Car and Best Concept and Production Truck. Cadillac sweeped the car side of things with the CTS-V being honored as Best Production Car and the CTS Coupe Concept named as the Best Concept Car. The BMW X6 , meanwhile, was named Best Production Truck and the Chrysler ecoVoyager Concept nabbed the Best Concept Truck award. The EyesOn Design awards are sponsored by the Detroit Institute of Opthamology and judged by a panel of automotive designers including ex-VP of Design for GM Wayne Cherry, Chrysler's Senior VP of Design Trevor Creed, the renowned Henrik Fisker, GM's VP of Global Design Ed...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , SUVs , HUMMER Click the HX for a high-res gallery at the GM Design Dome Much to the consternation of the communications staff at General Motors the press photos and story on the new HUMMER HX concept got published a few days earlier than planned last week. Thankfully for us the company didn't rescind their invitation to come down to the Design Dome at the Warren Tech Center to see the new vehicle and talk to the design managers before the chaos of the scrum after the official reveal at Cobo Hall for the Detroit Auto Show. Interior Designer Stuart Norris and HUMMER Design director Carl Zipfel spent a few minutes talking to us about the new Wrangler challenger. You can get an uninterrupted look at the HX in our gallery and check out video with Stuart and Carl after the jump. [Source: HUMMER] Gallery: Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX in the design studio Continue reading HUMMER HX Design Managers talk about their new concept Permalink | Email this...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show Click image for high res gallery of the competitors. Michelin hosts its annual Michelin Challenge Design (design challenge?) to help young designers and their hot designs get some recognition. The emphasis is on innovative thinking, both on the technical and style side. While the challenge doesn't have any direct link to tires, per se, Michelin uses the forum to help push the boundaries throughout the automotive field and get people thinking outside the box. The NAIAS contest focuses on making "smaller vehicles safer particularly in urban environments." One can make the argument that producing smaller, more efficient cars has a direct impact on tire design and tread wear, but we hardly care about Michelin's motivation here and just enjoy looking at futuristic concepts. This year's entries ranged from the practically plausible to way-out-there wild as you'll see in our gallery below. The full press release and the winners...
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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 , Detroit Auto Show , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , Sports/GTs , SUVs , Green , Chrysler , Dodge , Jeep Click image for a hi-res gallery of Chrysler's concepts We're back from the Chrysler press conference that saw the Detroit Auto Show debuts of the Jeep Renegade , Dodge ZEO , and Chrysler ecoVoyager . As we have mentioned already, each is born out of the automaker's ENVI program, the focus of which is on new, environmentally-friendly electric propulsion. As such, all the concepts share the same 200 kw (268 hp equivalent) electric motor powered by a currently nonexistent lithium-ion battery pack and augmented by a secondary "range-extender" in the Renegade and ecoVoyager. That includes a vaporware fuel-cell in the latter. It's all okay, though, because as Chrysler's Frank Klegon pointed out, these are "pure concepts." He then went on to say that these "pure concepts" would be seen "in future production vehicles...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Cadillac click above for more live high-res images of the Cadillac Provoq Concept We've already covered Cadillac's Provoq E-Flex fuel-cell vehicle during its first public appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show last week, but GM also rolled it across the stage here in Detroit. There were no additional technical details or hints towards production plans (either for the E-Flex powertrain or the BRX crossover that this design represents), but we at least got to spend a few minutes up close and personal with the concept to snap some shots of the whiter-than-the-pure-driven-snow interior . Also note the chromed cowl vent . Oh, and the Provoq wears what has to be the skinniest tires we've seen on a concept car in recent memory. Gallery: Detroit 2008: Cadillac Provoq concept - Live Reveal Gallery: Detroit 2008: Cadillac Provoq concept - Live Reveal Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Green Click either image above for more high-res pics of the Fisker Karma. var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/environment/Volt_Prius_Nahh_Live_reveal_of_the_Fisker_Karma_PICS'; Fisker's premium hybrid sports sedan finally has a name: Karma. It is particularly apt since the coach builder's aim is to give customers a luxury sports sedan about which they can feel proud for what it does, or doesn't do, to the environment. The Karma is powered by what's being called Q-DRIVE, a system developed by Quantum Technologies that combines a four-cylinder engine sending power to a generator to propel the four-door sedan. Fisker claims that the Karma can run from zero to sixty in 5.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 125 mph. There are two different modes available to drivers; the first, dubbed "Stealth Drive" is a pure electric mode which should allow the Karma to run off the lithium ion battery pack for...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Sedans/Saloons , Maybach , Lifestyle click above for more high-res images of the Maybach Lanaulet If you'd rather be driven by a chauffeur than get behind the wheel yourself, you might want to check out the Maybach Landaulet that made its North American debut in Detroit this week. The half sedan/half convertible allows for the driver's compartment to be completely closed while the passengers in the rear can enjoy open top motoring. The sky isn't the only luxury available - passengers are treated to supple white leather seating and a full entertainment system with a DVD player 6-disc CD changer, dual television screens, and even a compartment to hold a bottle of champagne and goblets. The rear seats also recline, meaning you can lie back, listen to some tunes, and enjoy the fresh air while you sip on your drink. We'd love a test drive ride, but in some place a little warmer than Detroit. Gallery: Maybach Landaulet Continue reading...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Coupes , Cadillac , GM click above for more high-res live shots of the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Cadillac_reveals_CTS_COUPE_PICS'; The grand finale of GM's Cadillac press conference was the moment everyone had been waiting for. After a brief introduction from Bob Lutz, who ziplined in from his secret lair in the RenCen, the hotly anticipated Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept rolled onstage, with design head Ed Welburn riding 'gun. The Coupe blends the CTS sedan's face with a new, wedge-shaped 2-door body that finishes off with what Ed described as a "hint of Cadillac fin" in the arrangement of the taillamps. The concept's rear had a single central exhaust outlet whose shape is a nod to the chevrons used to dress up the current CTS interior. Speaking of the interior, the CTS was dressed in black with maize-colored sueded accents and contrast stitching. In another departure from...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Crossovers/CUVs , Lincoln click above for more high-res live shots of the Lincoln MKT var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Lincoln_unveils_MKT_Bedazzler_s_stock_jumps_two_points'; Lincoln's next iteration of its "Bow-wave" grille comes in the form of the MKT concept; essentially a low riding CUV that might hint at an MKX replacement. What Peter Horbury is describing as a new take on the Grand Tourer, the MKT aims to be a long-distance cruiser with enough amenities to keep four urban adults comfortable and isolated from the world around them. The MKT's styling picks up a few of MKZ-inspired cues, particularly the krill grille and sharp crease in the hood. The few elements that stand out (there aren't many) are the Lincoln emblem embedded behind the front wheels that strafes off into a character line, the chunky C-pillar and the steep slope of the hatch. The MKT carries some of the exterior's swoop inside,...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Minivans/MPVs , Dodge click above for more images of the Dodge Caraven R/T Concept var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Dodge_Caravan_R_T_sport_minivan_spotted_at_Detroit_Auto_Show'; Tucked away among its more pedestrian brethren was Dodge's Caravan R/T concept. We have no details on the powertrain or what else may lie beneath its skin, but the appearance changes are rather obvious. Sporting 20" forged Alcoa wheels and 245/45-20 Goodyear Eagle RS-A rubber, the fast family hauler sits just a bit lower to the ground, as well (we suggest telling your significant other that this feature makes it easier for the kids to get in and out of the vehicle). A scooped hood feeds air to whatever powerplant resides underneath, and a dual exhaust out back facilitates the removal of spent combustion gases. Inside, white-faced gages communicate information to the driver, and each occupant gets two-tone leather buckets with bright-red stitching...
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