car to ride: Concepts

Showing posts with label Concepts. Show all posts

Peugeot Le Mans Dealer Creates 208 Rallye Concept, Should the French Automaker Build it?

If you lived or grew up in Europe during the late 1980s through the early 2000s, you will no doubt remember the iconic Rallye series from Peugeot, which started out with the 205 supermini and continued with the 306 compact and the smaller 106.

The common denominator of the series was that the Rallye models were usually based on fast versions of their respective hatchback counterparts (i.e. the 106 XSi and 306 GTI) but did away with most luxury amenities such as electric windows and mirrors, the heavy seats and in some cases, even power assisted steering and airbags.

Peugeot's ultimate goal was to lower the cars' weight to improve performance and handling while also offering them at a lower price point – something that made the Rallye models extremely popular with driving enthusiasts on a budget.

Today, Peugeot is looking to re-enter the sports hatch segment with the new 208 GTi that is lighter at 1,160kg (2,557 pounds), smaller, and thanks to its new 197hp (200PS) 1.6-liter turbo engine, more powerful than the disappointing 206 and 207 GTi models.

With all the commotion surrounding this week's Paris Motor Show, it would be easy to overlook the 2012 edition of the SEMA Show, which will take place from October 30 to November 2 in Las Vegas.

Hyundai wants to remind us of the upcoming event by teasing one of the many tuned concept models it plans to unveil at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The European car market may be in trouble because of the financial crisis that’s been dragging on for a long time now, but carmakers are gearing up to display their latest models in the City of Light.

From September 29 until October 14, the Paris Expo at the Porte de Versailles will host some of this year’s most important world premieres.

The French automakers have chosen the 2012 Paris Auto Show to launch models like the all-new Renault Clio, the Peugeot 208 GTi and the Citroen DS3 Cabrio.

About a month ago, Bentley showed a Mulsanne Convertible Concept to a select few at the 2012 edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The automaker did not allow anyone to take pictures and simply told us about the special unveiling sharing a few sketches in the process.

The reason why Bentley is holding back remains a mystery but it may have something to do with all the negative press it received with the EXP 9 F SUV Concept.

The Fiat 500 is beloved subject for many professional and amateur designers to express their creativity and skills. The 500 concept studies bundled under the Bellavista moniker that you see pictured here are the work of the students from the Polytechnic of Milan and Madeindreams.

The students developed two similar prototypes based on the Abarth 500. The first is a two-seater roadster model with a regular windshield, beefed up wheel arches, a double canopy behind the headrests and re-styled front and rear bumpers.

Daihatsu's Indonesian subsidiary Astra Daihatsu Motor (ADM) has prepared a concept vehicle never seen before for visitors to this week's 20th Indonesia International Motor Show in Jakarta.

The brand new study is named UFC - and no, it doesn’t stand for Ultimate Fighting Championship but Ultra Functional Compact. ADM says it designed the crossover model after it "carefully studied customers’ needs in Indonesia".

The 20th Indonesia International Motor Show that takes place in the capital city of Jakarta from September 20 to 30, saw Toyota's subsidiary, Daihatsu displaying two concept roadsters at its stand.

The D-R and D-X, first seen at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, represent two different styles in the small roadster segment, with both cars based on the same chassis and powered by a 660cc (0.66-liters) two-cylinder turbocharged engine with direct-injection technology.

The public outside of Europe may not generally know it, but Peugeot has a long history in the motorcycle segment having introduced its first bike back towards the end of the 1800s and continues to do so today offering 14 different models including scooters, multi-gear bikes and mopeds with engine capacities from 50cc to 500cc (0.5-liters).

At next week's 2012 Paris Motor Show, the French company will present a new prototype three-wheeler named the Onyx Concept Scooter, and yes, as you may have guessed already, it was inspired by the 680HP diesel-electric Onyx Hybrid Supercar Concept.

After a world premiere at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show in January, the Nissan e-NV200 pure-electric concept is now being displayed at this week's 64th IAA Commercial Vehicle International Motor Show in Hanover, Germany.

Along with the regular concept finished in white, Nissan is also showcasing an example decorated with Nissan and FedEx graphics and logos as the two companies announced an expansion of their cooperative testing.

It’s been a long wait but after countless spy shots and teaser images, McLaren Automotive has finally taken the covers off the new design study named P1 less than two weeks before it makes its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show.

Previously referred to as the P12, the new P1 is essentially a pre-production version of the model that will succeed the famed F1. McLaren said that it would unwrap the final design next year and have it on sale within 12 months.

"The McLaren P1 will be the result of 50 years of racing and road car heritage," says McLaren Automotive Executive Chairman Ron Dennis. "Twenty years ago we said the supercar performance bar with the McLaren F1 and our goal with the McLaren P1 is to redefine it once again."

While the new TeRRA crossover concept will no doubt be the highpoint of Nissan's Paris Motor Show stand, the Japanese automaker will also bring several new production and prototype cars to the City of Light for their European premieres.

These include the subtly refreshed, 2013-specification 370Z Coupe and Roadster that receive a newly styled front fascia with vertical LED daytime running lights lights on both corners of the bumper along with new color options and wheel designs.

Mercedes-Benz has chosen the Paris Auto Show to showcase an all-electric version of its compact MPV in the form of the B-Class Electric Drive concept.

The B-Class study is one of the first to receive the “Electric Drive” designation, which from now on will adorn all electric passenger cars from Mercedes-Benz and Smart.

The brand-new DS3 Cabrio, the revamped C3 Picasso and the DS3 Electrum EV concept won’t be the only models Citroen will display at its Paris Motor Show stand. Far from it, the French carmaker is launching a full-on assault on both ends of the market.

On one hand, Citroen wants to be perceived as a bold and creative brand that is moving upmarket by means of its technological advances and unique styling through its DS lineup.

While the DS3 Cabrio may steal most glances at Citroen’s Paris Auto Show stand, the brand with the double chevron logo will also display another interesting version of its stylish hatchback.

The DS3 Electrum is an all-electric plug-in concept of the firm's chic supermini. Its drivetrain features two 65 kW (87HP) electric motors on the front axle and a Panasonic 17.5 kWh lithium-ion battery that can be charged via a socket hidden under the classic fuel cap.

The highlight of Suzuki's presence at the Paris Motor Show that runs from September 27 (for the public from September 29) to 14 October will be the S-CROSS concept.

In addition to a shadowy image of the study's front end and a more revealing sketch released by the Japanese carmaker back in August, Suzuki has now dropped a third teaser photo that gives us a look at the crossover model's…very SEAT-like… rear end.

At the upcoming Paris Auto Show, Toyota's luxury brand will bring a new concept coupe named the LF-CC that not only previews the styling language of the next generation of the IS but also a new addition to the range that will go heat-to-head with the BMW 4-Series and Audi A5 Coupes.

The Lexus LF-CC is more compact than the LF-LC concept and also looks more production-ready. It features a less steeply raked interpretation of the trademark Lexus “spindle” grille and its headlamps, while not as futuristic as those of the LF-LC, feature 3 LED projectors each and are set quite back compared to the grille creating what Lexus says is a “3D form”.

The proportions of the LF-CC are those of a typical front-engined, rear-wheel drive coupe, with a long front bonnet, a passenger cabin set rearwards and a stubby tail. In fact, its side profile sort of reminds us of the Toyota GT86/Scion FR-S coupes – or it could just be our blurry eyesight…

If you think about it, one of the few marques in Europe that has the dynamics, the name and history to truly compete against the dominant premium carmakers from Germany such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, in all categories and on a global scale, is Alfa Romeo. Which is probably why the VW Group has showed such an interest in the firm.

Too bad the Fiat Group never really allocated the sources or the time to rebuild and refocus the famed Italian brand as a real premium automaker.

In fact, last we heard, Sergio Marchionne has kicked the can down the road (again…) postponing Alfa Romeo's re-entry to the U.S. market and delaying many of its planned models like the 159 replacement.

But we're dragging away from our main story that is a design study from an old acquaintance of CarScoop, Italian designer Marco Procaccini, who sent us these renderings and a video of his newest project.

The new ForStars Concept will be Smart’s main attraction at the upcoming Paris Auto Show at the end of the month.

According to the company while instantly recognizable as a Smart, the ForStars, previews the design language of the next generation ForTwo while also hinting at possible new addition to the range.

Some notable styling elements include the design of the front and rear lights, which Smart says, “seem to push outwards like arrows – like drips on the cockpit window of an airplane as it takes off”.

These first official images of BMW's new Active Tourer Concept confirm our suspicions that the photo sourced from the cover of the next issue of Auto Bild magazine that we shared with you earlier today, did indeed show the real thing.

To answer the first question you are most likely to have about the Paris Motor Show-bound Active Tourer study, yes, it is intended for production - likely as a 1-Series model with the Gran Turismo moniker that is used by BMW on its more practical vehicles. One of its more direct rivals will be the Mercedes-Benz B-Class small MPV.

But that's not what makes the Active Tourer Concept really special, what does is its platform that will be shared with the next generation of Mini-branded cars and BMW's decision to break with tradition and enter the realm of front-wheel drive models.

Apparently, McLaren wants to keep us on our toes as it prepares for the presentation of a new model, which we believe to be the famed F1's successor either in concept or (less likely) final production form, at the Paris Motor Show on September 27.

The new teaser video and photos released by McLaren outline the shape of the car through a lightshow, providing some fresh details compared to the initial press image circulated around the internet earlier this month.

car to ride

Peugeot Le Mans Dealer Creates 208 Rallye Concept, Should the French Automaker Build it?

ARK Performance and Hyundai Preparing Genesis Coupe R-Spec Track Edition for 2012 SEMA Show

Carscoop’s A to Z Guide to the 2012 Paris Motor Show

Bentley Mulsanne Convertible Concept Realistically Imagined

Fiat 500 Bellavista Design Concepts for Stylish Speedster and Roadster Variants

New Daihatsu UFC Concept Doesn't Have a Fighting Chance to Enter Production Anytime Soon

Daihatsu Exhibits D-R and D-X Roadster Concepts at Indonesia International Motor Show

Peugeot Onyx Supercar Gets Scooter Concept Sibling, will Also Debut in Paris

Nissan Shows Off e-NV200 Study at IAA in Hanover, Expands Cooperative Testing with FedEx

New McLaren P1 Hypercar Design Study Reveals F1's Replacement, What do you Think?

Nissan's 370Z Facelift, Juke NISMO and NV200 Taxi to Make European Debuts in Paris

Mercedes-Benz to Display B-Class Electric Drive Concept in Paris, Production Model to Follow

For Richer or Poorer: Citroen to Bring Upmarket DS Models, Affordable Saloons at Paris Auto Show

Citroen to Unveil DS3 Electrum Concept at the Paris Motor Show

Suzuki Drops Another Dark Teaser of S-CROSS Concept

Lexus LF-CC Hybrid Concept Heads to Paris, Previews New IS Coupe

Alfa Romeo Orazio Satta Study Proposes a BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes CLS Challenger

Smart ForStars Concept Heads for Paris to Show us the Future of the Brand

New BMW Active Tourer Concept Previews the FWD 1-Series Gran Turismo [84 Photos & Videos]

What a Tease: New McLaren P12 Hypercar Outlined in Video and Photos