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 any way, we just might have to mortgage our homes.

Click on the thumbnails below to view all our best live shots and a host of new press pics.

We knew that the new Audi S4 was due to be unveiled within the next six months, but CAR was able to confirm that the supercharged sled will make an official appearance at the Paris Motor Show this September. As previously reported, the new S4 will ditch its 4.2-liter V8 in favor of a new supercharged 3.0-liter V6 producing around 350 hp - a few ponies more than the current S4’s output.

CAR got the details about the new S4 while running the twin-clutch-equipped S5 through its paces, and is able to confirm that the S-badged sedan will benefit from the same seven-speed gearbox, with shifts taking place in 200 ms. Naturally, the S4 will be equipped with quattro all-wheel-drive, and sales will begin in the UK in early 2009, with wagon and convertible variants following thereafter.

As for the future of the RS4, Audi isn’t confirming any specs yet, but they’re confident that when the new M3-fighter hits the streets in 2010, the new S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox’s shifts will be reduced to around 140-150 ms.

[Source: CAR]

We’re all fidgety waiting for the arrival of the Cadillac CTS coupe, but GM has already axed a potentially popular variant of the two door entry-Caddy. Despite indications that GM’s turnaround plan is making headway, resources still need to be allocated carefully, so we’re guessing that an alfresco CTS Coupe didn’t make a good enough business case to justify the cost to bring it to market. While it certainly cost GM money to make the CTS a two-door, significant investment would have been necessary to engineer and fine-tune the reported retractable hardtop the convertible would have gotten. Convertible buyers are often a little different than hardcore coupe purchasers, opening up another sales niche. GM also misses out on another challenge to BMW, which offers a Skyliner-ized 3-series. If there’s enough clamor for a convertible CTS Coupe, GM may eventually commit to it as Cadillac takes aim at BMW with it’s awesomeized CTS.

[Source: Inside Line, Photo: Inside Line]

BMW’s supercar icon, the M1, blew out the candles at the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este this weekend. In honor of the car’s thirtieth birthday, BMW rolled out the new BMW M1 Hommage, a concept/design study that pays tribute to the original M1 and shows what could be possible if BMW were to produce a new mid-engined sports car. Follow the jump for the breakdown.
[Source: BMW]

The Scion Hako is one of the ugliest concept cars any of us have ever seen. Seriously, in New York, our watches stopped working in its presence. At the vehicle’s introduction, Scion called its orange-hued affront to the senses a “sporty version of a box” — a turn of phrase we’re still trying to wrap our brains around. What’s next? Record execs selling us the “easy-listening version of Slayer”? But we digress.

Our friends at Jalopnik were equally uninspired by Hako, so they asked their readers to build a better concept using the magic of Photoshop. They have winnowed down the entrants to a group of five finalists — a mail truck (above), a better coupe (shown at right), a hot rod, a Hako-mino, and a Deora-ish pickup. Follow the jump to see the latter three and then head over to Jalopnik to vote for your favorite. The winning ‘chopper will be announced tomorrow. His or her prize?

[Source: Jalopnik]

Last time we brought you photos of the 2009 Cadillac XLR it was hidden behind a forrest of trees. This time we’ve got a great shot of the new XLR roadster in the buff. The new XLR is basically a re-skinned Corvette that’s set to be unveiled to the public later this year, which may explain why it’s running around without any tape on. The Art & Science look is still in full effect though not quite as angry looking as the previous generation. You’ll notice the new grille and restyled fog lamps immediately, which help move the design forward. Spy report below the jump.

Well, it looks like Ford just got rolled by the 600 lb. gorilla of Edmunds on the spy photo of the 2010 Ford Taurus. They’ve decided to toss the Dearborn, MI-based automaker around like a toy doll, pasting the spy photo of the new Taurus we first showed you yesterday back up on top of the Inside Line, with not a care in the world for Ford’s threats of lawsuit or a “changed relationship with Ford” PR. We’re guessing…

…a site with a big consumer side like Edmunds’ Inside Line’s able to just beat back those big bullies and take those “big” threats and file them in the “idle” category. Sadly, all we’ve got is Gizmodo. Not that they’re anything to sneeze at, we’re just sayin.’ Anyway, we’re just happy to have blazed the trail for the consumer car sales-lead giant because if there’s one thing we can be sure of — that’s definitely the 2010 Ford Taurus.

The radical change could be the result of an overwhelmingly positive response to Ford’s Mondeo sedan, a midsize four-door sedan already on sale in Europe but too expensive to import to the U.S. It was penned by Ford’s European design group led by Martin Smith. Up to this point, a U.S. design group, currently led by Peter Horbury, has worked on U.S-specific models like the Taurus.

Expect to see this Taurus sporting a version of Ford’s new EcoBoost V6. The new turbocharged engine promises V8-like power with the efficiency of a four-cylinder. Big promises for sure, but even if it doesn’t quite meet those goals, the 2010 Taurus should be one of the more powerful sedans in its class without sacrificing too much in the way of fuel mileage.

Expect to see the official unveil of the 2010 Ford Taurus at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show next January. Sales should begin in the fall of 2009.

Anything you can do, I can do better. That’s pretty much been Lamborghini’s attitude towards arch-rival Ferrari since Ferrucio Lamborghini starting building sportscars to spite Enzo Ferrari. Fast forward 45 years and with both men gone, the idea remains the same: if Ferrari could create an exotic supercar and name it after its founder, so can Lamborghini. Only in this case, the heritage is carried on by independent designer Pule Magau of carrozzeria Magvisio.

What you see before you is the Lamborghini Ferruccio. Like the Reventon, the Ferruccio was conceived as an ultra-exclusive uber-exotic based on the Murcielago LP640. But while the Reventon had its production run upped to 100, the Ferruccio was planned for only 10 road-going examples: five coupes and five roadsters. Also like the Reventon, the Ferruccio was supposed to sell for Є1 million ($1.5 million), but it very well might have been the manifestation of the Reventon that stopped the Ferruccio project in its tracks, siphoning off potential customers to the factory’s own show-stopper.

The use of carbon fiber inside and out on the Ferruccio promised to undercut the Murcielago’s 0-60 time to three seconds flat en route to a claimed top speed of 230 mph, with 330mm ceramic discs and six-pot calipers to keep the speed in check. Couple that with razor-sharp styling to rival the Reventon, and you’ve got an interesting package, if only it didn’t cost so much. Magau, however, is reportedly working to reduce the costs. If those goals can be met and the deposits roll in, the Ferruccio project could turn from wet dream to startling reality. Thanks for the tip, Mike!

NOTE: Autoblog team is split 50/50 on whether this is actual news or a bit of chain yanking from the Brits. Nunez wants it categorically stated on record that he is 100% convinced this is an “elaborate BS festival”, noting that CAR’s link to Magvisio’s website is bogus. Noah, meanwhile, points out that there’s even a video rendering of the Ferruccio, which means it would be one very elaborate hoax if it weren’t the real deal. Alex fires back that the BBC was responsible for the most famous April Fools stunt ever. Your call

[Source: Car Magazine]

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Geneva Motor Show, Euro, Hatchbacks, Renault

Renault is known for doing hatchbacks, and it does them well, but that’s about it. Seeking to increase its market share, Renault’s range is rapidly expanding to include a more diversified line-up. Unveiled alongside the new Laguna GT and the Koleos crossover - both also divergent models from the company’s small hatch mainstream - the Megane Coupe Concept aims to show the way forward for Renault.

Although what you see here is not what will hit the road when the new Megane arrives, Renault insists that its “dynamic voluptuousness” is a direct indicator of the more fluid form its upcoming Golf-fighter will take. While everyone else was scrambling to come up with new ways to reinvent the wheel internal combustion engine, Renault’s new concept is powered by a regular old 2-liter turbocharged four with 200 horsepower, which frankly doesn’t seem that impressive considering that the Clio Renaultsport’s naturally-aspirated 2.0 produces just three negligible horsepower less. Fine, so notwithstanding its F1 cars, big impressive engines aren’t Renault’s thing. Meanwhile, the big gullwing doors are the most obvious element to get axed along the next Megane’s road to production, but if the road car bears even a passing resemblance to what could easily be labeled as Renault’s most engaging show car in years, European customers will have reason to celebrate and we’ll have one more entry on our list of cars we wish we could get Stateside.

Right up until its unveiling, Renault was highly secretive on the Megane Coupe Concept, revealing only that there would be a fourth model premiering in Geneva alongside the Koleos and Laguna GT. Now that the veil has been lifted, however, we’ve garnered all the details in the press release after the jump and Renault’s images, which join our own in the gallery below. Check ‘em out to learn more about Renault’s vision for the future of the automobile.

The changes made to the Lamborghini Gallardo as it evolves into the spectacular LP560-4. And while the name might not be exciting, the car sure is. New front and rear fascias, as detailed here, give the “baby” Lambo a menacing new look that’s backed up by an upgraded 5.2L V10 that reportedly dishes out 560 PS/ 552 HP while tipping the scales at 44 lbs. less than the Gallardo. That’s what fast is made of. We’ll continue to update the photo gallery and post the official specs as soon as they’re released.

You can do compare the LP560-4 to the the pre-facelift bodystyle, here’s a gallery of the current Gallardo Superleggera.

Gallery: Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4