Tag Archives: concept
Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA gets official ahead of Shanghai
Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, China, Mercedes-Benz, Shanghai Motor Show, Design/Style, Luxury
Mercedes-Benz has something special planned for the Shanghai Motor Show – a new CUV concept that we first saw when it leaked on the internet yesterday. The GLA Concept compact crossover will hit the show stand with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque mated to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission and 4Matic all-wheel drive, and likely previews a new production model that we’ve already spotted testing.
That’s not news, but the laser-based headlamps with video-projecting capability certainly are. Mercedes-Benz says the array can project any image or video onto a screen, which is handy since there are a pair of HD cameras mounted to the roof rack. The cameras can be removed and taken with you on all sorts of adventures. The lamps also feature a visible cooling system comprised of a series of fans, and the system helps give the headlights their “sparkle” effect.
Step indoors and the GLA offers up the interior of a high-quality crossover, complete with contrasting leather and plenty of aluminum. The automaker says the cabin was inspired by saddle craftsmanship with “more than 65 feet of hand-stitched seams to hold the raw edges of the leather together.”
You can check out the full press release below for more information, and stay tuned for live photos direct from Shanghai later this week.
Continue reading Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA gets official ahead of Shanghai
Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA gets official ahead of Shanghai originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept crossover leaked ahead of Shanghai debut
Filed under: Concept Cars, China, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz, Shanghai Motor Show
With just a few days left before the start of the Shanghai Motor Show, images of the Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept compact crossover have emerged online. The little ‘ute is based on the small A-Class hatchback, and though it shares an identical wheelbase, is larger in every other dimension.
Looking like a rough-and-tumble five-door hatchback on the tippy toes of its 20-inch wheels, the GLA is most certainly destined for production in a toned down form that will borrow many bits and pieces from other cars based on this platform like the aforementioned A-Class and the CLA-Class sedan. Carscoop reports that the production version of the GLA will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September of this year, with sales to the public starting in 2014.
Since it’s based on the A-Class, we expect that the production GLA-Class will be powered by your choice of Mercedes’ 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine and a diesel or two, and will offer transmissions that include the company’s seven-speed DCT and perhaps a six-speed manual (at least in Europe). If the GLA follows the same path as the two cars before it, expect a GLA45 AMG producing over 300 horsepower, as well. As for what powers the GLA Concept, that just might remain a mystery until the vehicle is officially revealed in China.
Stay tuned to Autoblog this Friday night and Saturday for our live coverage of the Shanghai Motor Show.
Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept crossover leaked ahead of Shanghai debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
MG to unveil CS crossover concept in Shanghai
Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, China, Shanghai Motor Show, MISC
MG has a compact SUV concept coming to Shanghai Motor Show, and it wears the compact moniker “CS.” Beyond talking up its “sporting DNA,” “charisma” and “multi-faceted ‘shard’ structure” headlights, we only know one thing about it: The CS concept previews a production compact SUV from MG, the Sino-English brand anxious to hop into a rapidly growing and lucrative segment.
There’s a brief press release below along with a teaser image above (click to enlarge), and we’ll bring you the real thing in pictures when the Shanghai show opens next week.
Continue reading MG to unveil CS crossover concept in Shanghai
MG to unveil CS crossover concept in Shanghai originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Lamborghini Pregunta Paris concept offered at $2.1M [w/video]
Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Convertible, Performance, Etc., Videos, Lamborghini, Design/Style, Luxury
When the Lamborghini Veneno was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, there were those who connected dots from it to the Lamborghini Pregunta concept from 1998, and also to the Pagani Zonda that arrived one year later. Near the end of the turmoil that was Lamborghini’s ownership through the mid-nineties, an order was placed with the French Carrosserie Heuliez for a one-off concept car that was “new, original and impossible to confuse with any other car’s shapes,” that would be built on a Diablo chassis. The result was the Pregunta.
It was an aerospace-influenced supercar with carbon fiber bodywork, a 530-horsepower V12 and a claimed 207-mile-per-hour top speed. It employed rear-wheel drive instead of the Diablo’s all-wheel drive, was coated in the same paint used on the French military’s Dassault Rafale fighter jet and had fiber optic lighting, rear-view cameras and a GPS system. It was shown to the world at the 1998 Paris Motor Show, and again at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show.
Thought to be the last concept built on a Lamborghini body before Audi bought the company in 1998, AutoDrome, a French specialist in vintage exotics, has the Pregunta for sale for 1.6 million euros ($ 2.1M US). You can watch it hit the runway with a Rafale in the video below, then give AutoDrome a call if you’re interested.
Continue reading Lamborghini Pregunta Paris concept offered at $ 2.1M [w/video]
Lamborghini Pregunta Paris concept offered at $ 2.1M [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Citroën bringing Wild Rubis concept to Shanghai
Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, China, Europe, Crossover, Citroën, Shanghai Motor Show
Citroën announced that it will be bringing the “latest expression” of its DS lineup to the Shanghai Motor Show next week, with this aubergine-hued concept called Wild Rubis. For the record, “Rubis” is French for “Ruby” and alludes to that purple/red paint, as far as we can make out.
The French automaker tells us that the Wild Rubis foreshadows an upcoming DS SUV. The concept is going to be “full-hybrid, plug-in technology,” beyond that, however, details are quite sparse. We expect that we’ll receive a lot more in the way of detail about the Wild Rubis when Citroën rolls it out on the stage in China.
What the press release lacks in detail, however, Citroën has certainly made up for in imagery. It seems that before shipping the concept to Shanghai, the Wild Rubis was photographed extensively at the Cheval Blanc wine-growing estate in the Saint-Emilion area of France. The result is a massive image gallery for you to explore and enjoy.
Continue reading Citroën bringing Wild Rubis concept to Shanghai
Citroën bringing Wild Rubis concept to Shanghai originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Renault Twin’Z concept revealed, Twingo replacement takes shape [w/video]
Filed under: Concept Cars, Hatchback, Renault, Specialty, Design/Style, Electric
Renault teamed with Welsh designer Ross Lovegrove, known for his works inspired by nature, on the Twin’Z concept. The supermini city car is the fifth in Renault’s six-stage concept cycle modeled on human stages of life, after the DeZir (Love), Captur (Exploration), R-Space (Family) and Frendzy (Work). The Twin’Z is all about play and spaciousness, an all-electric powertrain allowing a unfettered cockpit and rear-wheel drive athletics.
Inspired by the heritage of the Renault 5 (which might also be returning in concept form) and the Twingo, it has been introduced at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano, the annual furniture design showcase in Italy. The Twin’Z brief is to conjoin “the world of furniture and the automobile.” On top of Renault’s bodwork design, Lovegrove and his associates detailed the bumpers, LED light patterns throughout, wheels and interior.
That cabin is probably the most striking aspect for there being so little to it. Instead of an instrument panel – and storage, it appears – there is a smartphone near the steering column that displays crucial data and a tablet on a pedestal between the front seats with supplemental diagnostics. Occupants sit on carbon fiber seats wrapped in a woven textile, those in the rear will find the seats emerge from the Twin’Z's bodyshell.
The boggling interior gets an equally interesting LED lightscape inside and out. Starting at the grille, twin-line lights give the Twin’Z a face before waving, curlicuing and climbing over the roof, on every interior surface and down the rear glass to the taillights. Even the wheels receive the illuminated due, a green hue mimicking “intelligent growth structures.”
There’s a huge gallery of the Twin’Z for your enjoyment, and a detailed press release below with lots of words to please your inner organic-inclined aesthete just below. As we saw with the Captur concept becoming the Captur production CUV, this little velveteen blue showcase could offer clues to the coming Twingo.
Continue reading Renault Twin’Z concept revealed, Twingo replacement takes shape [w/video]
Renault Twin’Z concept revealed, Twingo replacement takes shape [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
WRX Concept gets walkaround with Subaru design boss Osamu Namba
Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Subaru, Design/Style
The Subaru WRX Concept was the only concept car to be mentioned among our Editors’ Choice favorites for New York Auto Show debuts this year – snagging the No. 3 spot nonetheless – due to what it could mean to the future of Subaru if it indeed becomes a reality. Now that we’ve caught our breath from walking countless miles through the Javits Center, Subaru has released a brief video of design boss Osamu Namba describing some of the exterior styling elements of the sporty concept sedan.
While this video is just your basic walkaround that gives no mention of the concept’s inspiration or what we can expect from the next-generation WRX, it is still fun to watch Namba explain many of the car’s design elements including the more aggressive face, the quadruple exhaust outlets and the signature flared wheel arches and side outlet fender vents. If you liked the WRX Concept as much as we did, scroll down to watch this short video.
Continue reading WRX Concept gets walkaround with Subaru design boss Osamu Namba
WRX Concept gets walkaround with Subaru design boss Osamu Namba originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
BMW unveils Concept X4 Sports Activity Coupe design
BMW has unveiled the Concept X4, a sports activity coupe touted as being “the future of the BMW X family.” This snazzy-looking car is boasted as being a mixture of high performance/driving dynamics and eye-catching, with highly detailed design that is a mixture of sophisticated and beastly. Prduction is slated to start in early 2014, although no definite date was provided.
The BMW X4 will be manufactured at the BMW Plant Spartanburg, which is located in the United States. The car features 21-inch alloy wheels, round LED headlights, a kidney grille, and a high-gloss frame. The entire vehicle is designed to be highly dynamic, with carefully positioned air intake vents, milled bars, and chrome edges. This results in contrasts that work together to help form a complete design that is both appealing and functional.
The side of the BMW X4 shows off the vehicle’s long wheelbase and bonnet, as well as short overhangs and wedged-shaped flanks. The sweeping downward roof is designed to make the car seem long. BMW says the car’s “visual center of gravity” has been lowered over other vehicles in the line, something that gives it more of a sporty look. There are swage lines above a concave area to draw emphasis to the wheels.
And then, moving on to the rear of the Concept X4, the design puts emphasis on horizontal elements, which is amplified by slim LED lights pushed outwards towards the maximum edges of the car’s back, amplifying the sportscar look. Combinations of light/dark colors and horizontal design elements are meant to make the car seem shorter, and the most obvious, eye-catching feature is said to be the rear apron with two tailpipes and a swooping design fading out towards the tires.
Of course, a picture is worth a thousand words, so check out the gallery below.
[via BMW]
BMW unveils Concept X4 Sports Activity Coupe design is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
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BMW X4 Concept is no Shanghai surprise
Filed under: Concept Cars, Crossover, Hatchback, BMW, Design/Style, Luxury
“One in four new BMW cars is now a BMW SAV.” If you’re new to BMW parlance, SAV stands for Sports Activity Vehicle, a vehicle type most of us more commonly refer to as a crossover, and that statistic, which comes straight from the automaker itself, tells you all you need to know about why the X4 Concept you see above exists.
Like its larger X6 sibling, the BMW X4 Concept tries to shove a crossover in a mold shaped vaguely like a fastback coupe. Put another way, the X4 is likely to be a polarizing design, though perhaps not to the extent that the X6 divided opinions. As for us, we definitely prefer the styling of this X4 Concept, with its strong character lines and impressive wheel-to-bodyside ratio, over that of its bigger brother. That said, we’re sure the AMC Eagle comparisons will begin in earnest starting right about… now.
Dimensionally, it seems the most obvious machine with which to compare this X4 Concept is the 3 Series Wagon – we’re not sure if it will be as spacious inside as the 3 Series Gran Turismo. A two-inch stretch in the wheelbase ought to bring a commensurate improvement in legroom, and a body that’s nearly five inches longer should be a boon for cargo capacity. Of course, that fastback roofline will surely cut down on the car’s roominess inside, but we’ll have to wait for the final production model to judge its true capabilities.
BMW will build the production version of the X4 at its Spartanburg, SC plant here in the States, and it is expected to go on sale in 2014. Read the full press release below for all the details, but beware that most of it focuses on the X4 Concept’s unique styling, which you can see for yourself in our high-res image gallery above.
Continue reading BMW X4 Concept is no Shanghai surprise
BMW X4 Concept is no Shanghai surprise originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
BMW X4 Concept images leak ahead of Shanghai debut
Filed under: Concept Cars, China, Crossover, BMW, Shanghai Motor Show, Design/Style, Luxury
Last month, BMW confirmed that its long-awaited X4 crossover would debut next year, but other than imagining a smaller X6-shaped crossover, we really had no idea what the new niche model would look like. That is until a Russian website, Autowp, leaked a handful of embargoed images this morning showing the X4 Concept that will be unveiled in a couple of weeks at the Shanghai Motor Show.
From what we can see of this concept’s styling, there are more elements shared with current BMW models than not. The face of the concept is an attractive blend of the current 3 Series sedan and the X3, while the roofline has definitely plucked right from the X6. This thinly veiled concept should carry over almost untouched when it enters production with the exception of the door handles and the overly stylized fascias and side mirrors. According to CarScoops, it will measure the same length as the current X3 and use the same engine lineup as well. Stay tuned, as we’ll have more information on this concept shortly.
BMW X4 Concept images leak ahead of Shanghai debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
