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Filed under: Concept Cars , Time Warp , Convertibles , Geneva Motor Show , BMW Click above for hi-res gallery of the '89 BMW M5 cabrio These days BMW's M division is pretty busy, cranking out all manner of sport-tuned models in every form. You can get an M3 as a coupe, convertible or sedan, the M5 in sedan or wagon form, and the M6 as either a coupe or a convertible, in addition to M versions of the Z4. But back in the late '80s, the selection of M cars was much more limited. Not that the engineers in the sporting division weren't trying, though. Case in point is this M5 cabrio prototype that almost made it into production, but was canceled at the last minute. Starting with an E34-generation M5 sedan, engineers in Munich chopped off the roof, strengthened the chassis and replaced the four doors with two longer ones. (If you think the idea is entirely absurd, just look at the Audi A4 cabrio and its quattro GmbH-tuned versions.) The resulting M5 convertible prototype was actually...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Hybrids/Alternative , Geneva Motor Show , Green , BMW , Mercedes Benz The Magna MILA Alpin concept car shown in Geneva has gotten the attention of both Mercedes and BMW. The button-cute 4-wheeler rode on a flexible platform, could utilize a variety of fuel sources, climb 45-degree angles, and get up to 120 mph. Those capabilities, and the ability to be easily rebodied and cost-effectively manufactured, have the two premium brands looking at ways to bolster their lineups and enviro-credentials. Mercedes is known to be working on developing a 4-wheel-drive A-Class sedan . While the sandwich floors in the A-Class and B-Class cars were specifically created to allow flexible drivetrains, it is open to exploring options with BMW. Those other Bavarians in blue and white appear to be even more serious, having engaged Magna to discuss strategy and market demand. The MILA could provide a sound platform for BMW's electric car rumblings , as well as cost-effective, outsourced...
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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 , Sports/GTs , Geneva Motor Show , Supercars , AMG Click above to see more of the Bertone BAT 11 concept Bertone's future continues to hang in the balance as three court-appointed bankruptcy commissioners move forward with trying to secure a new owner for the 96-year-old design house and coachbuilder. The commissioners have just presented a 132-page initial report to the court outlining their findings, but while sources suggest that as many as seven potential buyers have stepped forward, the commissioners have thus far only met with the lawyers and bankers representing those companies. While the courts try to determine the carrozzeria's fate, a selection of crude images have surfaced of the BAT 11 design study that Bertone unveiled in Geneva at a location away from the motor show. Check them out in the gallery below. Gallery: Bertone BAT 11 concept [Source: Italiaspeed ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , New York Auto Show , Podcasts , Geneva Motor Show , Euro It's time for Autoblog Podcast #89. Of course we run over what's been in the garage lately - you'll know what reviews to anticipate. Our big item this week is recapping what we saw in Geneva and what might actually wind up in the US. Talk of Geneva moves us to anticipatory chatter about New York, mere days away. Thanks for your 49 minutes! SUBSCRIBE to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes ADD the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator DOWNLOAD the show now Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Convertibles , Geneva Motor Show , Japan Click above for a gallery of the K.O. 7 and 8. When we make the trek to Switzerland each year, there always seems to be one particular car that stands out. It's generally something unexpected from an independent automaker far removed from the spotlight. This year, tucked away in a corner cubicle of the Geneva Motor Show's basement, was the K.O. 7 Spider, a concept hailing from Japan that attempts to strike a balance between bespoke supercar and track-day terror. There were actually two vehicles on display at the Ken Okuyama Design booth: the K.0. 8 coupe, an E.V. that's decidedly less attractive and strictly a design exercise, and the K.O. 7, a production model that will be on sale sometime in 2008. Hit the jump for all the details. Gallery: K.O. 7 and K.O. 8 Continue reading Geneva 2008: Japanese ambition, the K07 Spyder Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Economy , Minivans/MPVs , Geneva Motor Show , Hatchbacks , Saturn , Opel Click above for a high-res gallery of the Opel Meriva concept. The Opel Meriva concept's high belt-line and hatchback shape looks like it could double as a Pontiac Vibe of the future, but recent history tells us it could one day find its way into a Saturn dealership. Automotive News quotes unnamed GM execs saying that the next generation Meriva is "being considered" for the U.S. market. The dreaded "business case" has to be made in order for the little MPV to land stateside, but the Meriva, already successful in Europe, has plenty going for it. The concept that previews the next production model was built with parts from two of GM's small car architectures that will be shared with other vehicles, and the Meriva's turbocharged 1.4L engine also rested under the hood of the Saab 9-X concept . The Meriva would also supply Saturn with a fuel-efficient family hauler...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Hybrids/Alternative , Geneva Motor Show , Green Click above for high-res gallery of the Italdesign Giugiaro Quaranta concept Beauty may be in the eye of the proverbial beholder and all that, but the Italdesign Quaranta wasn't quite the beauty of the Geneva ball. And while Giorgetto Giugiaro, the celebrated designer at the studio's helm, has more iconic designs to his name than we could possibly list here, his latest was not his best, easily outclassed by the Giugiaro Mustang concept with which we fell so deeply in love and the Ferrari GG50 he built for himself. The Quaranta concept was built to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Italdesign Giugiaro, and features the Lexus RX400h's mid-mounted hybrid 3.3-liter V6 powerplant driving all four wheels through a CVT and supported by a solar panel on the unfortunately styled nose. Think of archrival Pininfarina's Maserati Birdcage concept crossed with Robocop 3 and you're beginning to get the picture...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , LA Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Geneva Motor Show Click above to view the Pininfarina Sintesi concept in hi-res Pininfarina. Just the name evokes thoughts of sheet-metal rendered into curvaceous works of art. And at Geneva this year, Pininfarina did not disappoint, unveiling one of the most achingly beautiful four-door concepts we've seen to date. In fact, we were so taken with it, we had to bring you more after our own Jonathon Ramsey brought you the first live pics yesterday. The Sintesi, whose slow reveal we brought you incrementally as the studio released details week by week in the wind-up to this year's Geneva Motor Show, takes the notion of a four-door coupe, crumples it up and ever so elegantly throws it in the face of just about every passenger vehicle that has come before it, including Pininfarina's own Maserati Quattroporte. Come to think of it, the QP is due for a replacement, and if the Sintesi previews the next Trident sedan in...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Geneva Motor Show , Motorcycles Last October, when Yamaha showed off its Tesseract concept, we had trouble deciding how to classify the vehicle other than as extremely awesome. We are left scratching our heads yet again as Swiss automobile and motorcycle customizing company Sbarro unleashes its Pendolauto concept. Like the Tesseract, the Pendolauto leans into turns like a motorcycle would, yet features four wheels, like a car or a quad. With most of the excitement of a motorcycle, the machine would certainly be a blast to ride, but perhaps a bit more stable due to the addition of the two extra contact patches. Piaggio has seen a great deal of success with its MP3 scooter , but that machine features three wheels and is classified as a motorcycle. Because the Tesseract and Pendolauto have four wheels, nothing quite like them will be available in the U.S. any time soon. Unfortunately, the powers-that-be have yet to understand that a machine like the Pendolauto can...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Sports/GTs , Geneva Motor Show , Euro , Maserati Click above to view high-res gallery of the IED Maserati Chicane concept Geneva has been good to Maserati. Last year the company unveiled the GranTurismo to thunderous applause, and followed up this year with the more powerful GranTurismo S . Meanwhile, the students of the Instituto Europeo di Design unveiled their Maserati Chicane concept , which won out over rival designs to win sponsorship and a spot under the bright lights of the Geneva Motor Show to show their talent to the world. We caught up with the IED graduate design students and found our cameras snapping away at the striking concept. Although certain details aren't likely to find their way onto a production Trident, with the design chiefs from Maserati and Fiat AG on the selecting jury, we wouldn't be all that surprised to see some similarities when Maserati eventually unleashes its anticipated new sportscar. Check out the video in our previous...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Geneva Motor Show , Etc. Click above for a high-res gallery of the Rinspeed sQuba concept. While the Geneva Motor Show provides its own brand of ridiculousness, the Rinspeed crew takes the cake in Switzerland. We've already seen the pics, the prosperously pompous video and have attempted to rationalize the Rinspeed sQuba concept, but until we saw it in person, we just couldn't cope with the realization that a perfectly good Lotus Elise could be made into a pseudo-submarine. Well, we saw it. We shot it. And our necks are sore from shaking our heads. Our previous post on the sQuba concept tells the whole tale and we've assembled a gallery of live shots to prove that where there's an ill-advised will, there's a way. Gallery: Rinspeed sQuba Concept Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Geneva Motor Show , Euro , Alfa Romeo Bertone's not officially exhibiting at Geneva this year, as the company is going through some upheaval, but it still made a splash in Switzerland. The B.A.T. 11 , paying direct homage to the original B.A.T. concepts, was unveiled in Geneva at the AutoDesignNight event. The car was commissioned by Gary Kaberle, and you'd never know that there's an Alfa Romeo 8C hiding under the sheetmetal that's strongly evocative of the 1955 B.A.T. 5. Tapered fins and faired in wheels follow the design fundamentals laid down 50-plus years ago by Nuccio Bertone and Franco Scaglione, and the unique wheels with two layers of spokes are a 21st-century interpretation of the classic Borrani wires. Surfaces with a mix of soft and crisp forms and details still look futuristic, even while paying homage to the past. Financial woes or not, Bertone is still one of the world's premiere houses of automotive haute couture, and the B...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Minivans/MPVs , Geneva Motor Show , Crossovers/CUVs , GM , Opel Click above for a high-res gallery of the Opel Meriva concept. We finally wound our way over to Opel's booth to check out the newest take on the compact MPV concept. The Meriva's small footprint would lend itself well to the urban confines Opel expects the majority of buyers to be based out of, and the FlexDoors, a modern take on the suicide doors of yore, should make ingress and egress easier for the kiddies and anyone else banished to the back of the mini-bus. Opel wanted to maintain the stylistic edge of a high belt-line, which normally impedes rearward visibility, but the slopping rear windows and D-pillar might make blind spots a bit more bearable when some version of the Meriva makes it to production around the turn of the decade. You can read up on all the details about the Opel Meriva concept in the press release after the jump. Gallery: Opel Meriva Concept Continue reading Geneva...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sports/GTs , Geneva Motor Show Click the image above for a hi-res gallery of the Morgan LifeCar For a company that still makes cars out of wood, Morgan knows not only how to hang in there, but to come up with some really neat stuff. The LifeCar divides a line that reaches well into the past and well into the future. Its lines are retro modern -- or is that modern retro? -- with all the traditional early-20th-century coupe cues done in aluminum. The hydrogen powerplant is theoretically good for a 200-mile range and "sporting" British performance. Check out the press release for the full details, and be sure to look at the gallery of hi-res images below. Gallery: Morgan LifeCar concept Continue reading Geneva 2008: Morgan LifeCar Permalink | Email this | Comments
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