Geneva Motor Show
Geneva Motor Show, Latest Automobiles News, Trucks Ranking, Worldwide Cars Review
Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, China, Specialty
The Nuccio concept, showed off by Bertone as a rolling model at the Geneva Motor Show and then as a road-ready car at the Beijing Motor Show is in talks to be sold. An update on the Lancia Stratos Zero concept from the seventies and powered by a 4.3-liter Ferrari V8 with 480 horsepower, the Nuccio was a 15,000-hour exercise in what the company's historical language could look like today.
A Chinese collector was so taken with it that, according to a report in Automotive News, he is in discussions with Bertone to drop €2 million ($2.7 million) to take it home. If the deal is closed, he won't get to take it home until after Pebble Beach weekend, where Bertone plans to again display the Nuccio.
Bertone may sell Nuccio Concept to collector for $2.65M originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Minivan/Van, Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Work, Mini, Specialty
Color us unsurprised. Car and Driver reports that Mini officials have confirmed a production version of the company's Clubvan concept first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March. We expected as much - after all, parent BMW has demonstrated real adeptness at building a myriad of derivatives from the basic Mini Cooper architecture, and the boutique brand already markets more spinoffs than Law & Order, so what's one more?
Essentially a panel van version of the Clubman, C/D says the Clubvan will appear in U.S. showrooms this September as a 2013 model. It isn't immediately clear if the model will offer both the standard 121-horsepower four and the Clubman S' 181-horsepower turbo, but C/D says we shouldn't expect a John Cooper Works version.
Interestingly, it doesn't appear that Mini will weld in sheet steel where the Clubman's rear side windows normally go - instead, C/D reports the company will employ body-color foil on the outside and plastic and safety foil liners inside. Other changes will include a trimmed-out cargo hold with power sockets and tie-downs. As with the concept, a stainless-steel grille will be fitted to keep cargo from intruding on the passenger compartment.
No word yet on whether the loss of rear seats will make the Clubvan any lighter, but Mini says the vehicle will offer more cargo capacity than its passenger-minded brethren. No guidance yet on pricing, either, but we're guessing that like other Mini models, boutiques and delivery services will have to shell out a pretty penny to get their hands on this dutch-door cutie. Our only question now is... how long will it take for Mini to come out with a panelized version of its Countryman softroader?
Mini Clubvan concept gets green light, headed for U.S. showrooms originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Geneva Motor Show
Nobody packs it in like the Geneva Motor Show. Every spring, the exposition boasts more debuts than we could count on all the fingers on all our hands combined.
It's a mind-boggling venture to cover it all, but with this year's show now behind us, it's time to look back on all there was. And for that reason, CarBuzz.com has put together this nifty infographic that catalogs all the new cars unveiled at the Swiss expo this year and arranges them all by color. This year's predominant colors? Silver and white. Check out the rainbow in all its colorful, expandable glory after the jump.
Continue reading Infographic colorizes the Geneva Motor Show
Infographic colorizes the Geneva Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, China, Bentley, Beijing Motor Show, Luxury
Automotive News reports Bentley is staying the course with the company's EXP 9 F SUV Concept. The ultra-luxury automaker plans to bring the vehicle to the Beijing Motor Show exactly as it appeared at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, despite the fact that the concept didn't exactly debut to resounding acclaim. Critics described the design as awkward and unbecoming of nameplate like Bentley, but the automaker says it wants to vet the design in as many markets as possible before finalizing the exterior. Here's hoping the crowds in China are as repulsed as those in Switzerland.
The EXP 9 F has already been green-lit for production, and while we have no qualm with the thought of a high-riding luxury brute with a twin-turbo 12-cylinder engine under the hood, we'd like to see something a little less muddled outside. Bentley says an SUV will give the company a leg up in markets like the Middle East and China, where luxury SUVs remain king. Through the first two months of this year, the company's sales are up 66 percent in China, putting the country ahead of the United States as the largest market for Bentley products.
Bentley to show SUV concept unaltered in Beijing originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Spy Photos, Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class wowed us at the Geneva Motor Show with its handsome styling and luxe interior fitment, so much so that we wondered aloud if this is the new family of small cars that Daimler has promised the U.S. market for 2013. According to a firsthand tip, the A-Class has already made a trip to Hollywood for a close-up. Taking advantage of the well-established motion picture industry, Mercedes-Benz sent its small wonder to Los Angeles for a 5-day working vacation to shoot a commercial.
Camera department pro Nic Restrepo tells Autoblog:
"This is such an awesome car! WAY nicer and better looking than its competition (A3...). This AMG-badged model had all the big Benz amenities; Self Park assist, lane departure, blind spot warning, Alcantara covered racing seats, dual clutch trans etc. The interior on this thing is head and shoulders above ANY compact I've ever worked with. The dash has this beautiful carbon fiber cloth that's soft to the touch like suede, and it's layed on like a fabric, feels like a pillow...a carbon fiber pillow."
It looked great while being chased around by the Pursuit Systems ML63, and the A-Class made a good impression with the driver hired to fling the car around for the shoot. All who laid eyes upon the car seem to agree with our impression from the show floor, that there's a lot of big-Benz nice packed into an exciting small package. Disappointingly, though, the little Benz's corporate minders told the crew that the car is not headed to the U.S. Whether that's a ruse or the truth, we'll soon find out as Mercedes still has a couple tricks up its sleeve as the auto show season winds down.Mercedes-Benz A-Class comes to Hollywood, but not to stay originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Mar 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Lamborghini, Design/Style, Luxury
This year's Geneva Motor Show served up a scintillating buffet of vehicles, but the Lamborghini Aventador J may very well have been our favorite. With no roof, no windshield and all of the insane running gear of the standard Aventador, the roadster is the embodiment of exotic. But according to Top Gear, the car went from design sketch to reality in record time. Designer Filippo Perini told TG he first sketched up the Aventador J in mid-January after CEO Stephan Winkelmann asked his crew to to come up with something special for Geneva.
Despite the apparent similarities between the Aventador and the new Aventador J, the two models share only a handful of body components, including the front hood, fenders, headlights and rear fenders. Everything else is bespoke just for the concept.
If you like what you see as much as we do and want to take one home, too bad. The world's only Aventador J is already sold to an unnamed collector for the lofty sum of $2.74 million at current conversion rates.
Lamborghini Aventador J Geneva star conceived, built in six weeks originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Podcasts, Geneva Motor Show, BMW, Honda, Hyundai
Geneva Motor Show Recap
Episode #273 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan hosts and is joined by Autoblog Executive Editor Chris Paukert and Zach Bowman. Topics range far and wide around our recap of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #273:
Geneva Motor Show recap In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Hyundai Accent
2012 Honda Civic Hybrid
2012 BMW 740i
Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Zach Bowman
Runtime: 01:21:01
Get the podcast[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly
Feedback
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Review the show in iTunes
Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #273
Autoblog Podcast #273 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Geneva Motor Show, Etc.
We record Episode #273 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and we'll be recapping the huge Geneva Motor Show, which just wrapped up. You can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below, check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #273
Geneva Motor Show recap [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
var vhm_widget_settings = { eventId: 1920456, colorScheme: 'redblack', width: 628, height: 550, sizeClass: 3};Can't see the EventBox? Click Here.Voices Heard Media
Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #273 LIVE originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Budget, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Japan, Hatchback, Honda
The Honda Fit (Jazz in most other markets) has been a decent success here in the States. It's economical, somewhat fun to drive and not painful to look at. But it just seems to lack something. Oh, right, sportiness and a bright red Si badge!
To earn the Si designation, the versatile econocar was given new dampers, a larger front anti-roll bar, and modifications to the electric power steering system. Then Honda went nuts and dropped in the 3.0 liter V6 from the Accord... No, not really. In fact, the Jazz Si retains the Eurospec 1.4-liter four-cylinder with 98 hp. Seems hardly worthy of an anti-roll bar of any size.
Helping auto enthusiasts distinguish the Jazz Si is a new body kit, 16-inch wheels with low profile "tyres" and various upgrade interior trim pieces.
If Honda intends to sell a Fit Si here, they better have some plans for a jazzed-up engine to go with those "stylish" side skirts and LED reading lights.
Continue reading Honda fits Jazz Si debut onto Geneva stand
Honda fits Jazz Si debut onto Geneva stand originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Sedan, Geneva Motor Show, Rolls-Royce, Design/Style, Luxury
For the first time in the life of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, the company is offering a two-tone color scheme as a "bespoke" factory option. This comes as a surprise to us because we didn't know there was something you couldn't get on a Ghost.
The company's stand at the Geneva Motor Show was used to display the first two examples: one with Infinity Black topped by Cassiopeia Silver and another in Baynunah Brown capped by Arizona Sun, with a gold-plated hood ornament and a gold double coach-line (read: pinstripes). The Infinity Black model carries the contrast to the interior, with black leather offset by a seashell headliner and steel pinstripes set into black ash veneer.
If this is why you've been holding back on a Ghost purchase, first admire the handiwork in the photo gallery, and then pick up your phone: your local dealer is waiting on line two.
Continue reading Rolls-Royce debuts two-tone bespoke Ghost
Rolls-Royce debuts two-tone bespoke Ghost originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Mar 2012 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, Bentley, Design/Style
Guess we called this one from the outset. Looking like a Mulsanne that just ate a Continental Flying Spur for breakfast and a GT for lunch, the Bentley EXP 9 F concept was the biggest disappointment - and we mean that literally - of the Geneva Motor Show. Apparently, Bentley must have agreed with our headline, because it's working on a new design for it's first production SUV, according to Britain's What Car? magazine.
According to the report, Bentley officials have admitted that the design was "heavy handed" and have promised to tone it down, as the SUV heads toward a likely 2015 on-sale date. Potential changes include "slightly smaller" headlights, and "more traditional SUV proportions," according to the magazine's source.
We hope Bentley goes a bit further and just starts from scratch, dumping the sedan-ified SUV look entirely. If Bentley is bound and determined to sell an SUV, it should come up with something distinctive for the brand that doesn't just ape the classic look of its car line.
That Didn't Take Long: Bentley SUV redesign already in the works originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Geneva Motor Show
When we say we're obsessive, we mean it. The list below of 90 vehicles that Autoblog covered at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show is proof positive that we stand behind our tagline.
The Geneva Motor Show is always the biggest international auto show of the year in terms of vehicle debuts, whether they're production cars, forward-thinking concepts or outrageous tuner vehicles. This year we got super-sized helpings of all three.
Special thanks go to our crew of five who were on the ground in Geneva, as well as the large support staff here at home who backed them up. We love covering auto shows, and after so many years doing it, we think we've gotten pretty darn good. Look below and you'll see why.
PRODUCTION VEHICLES
Lamborghini Aventador J
Veyron Gran Sport Vitesse
2012 Ferarri F12 Berlinetta
Jaguar XF Sportbrake
2013 Porsche Boxster
2012 Ford Fiesta ST
2013 Audi RS4 Avant
2013 Audi A3
2013 Audi TT RS Plus
2012 Volvo V40
2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class
2012 Fiat 500L
2013 Lexus RX
2013 Mini Countryman JCW
2013 Mitsubishi Outlander
2012 Kia Cee'd
2012 Ford B-Max
2012 Chevy Cruze Wagon
2013 Ferrari California
Aston Martin V12 Zagato
Gumpert Apollo Enraged
2012 GTA Spano
Pagani Huayra Carbon
Koenigsegg Agera R
2012 VW Golf GTI Cabriolet
2013 Hyundai i30 Wagon
2012 Fiat 500 America
2012 VW Polo Blue GT
2012 Toyota Yaris Hybrid
Smart Fortwo Brabus EV
2012 Mercedes-Benz CL Grand Edition
2012 Jaguar XKR Artisan
Bentley Mulsanne Mulliner
Artega GT Pano
Morgan Plus E
2012 Peugeot 208
Roding Roadster 23
Wiesmann MF3 Final Edition
Lotus Exige S Roadster
BMW M Performance Parts
2012 BMW M3 DTM
Lotus Evora GTE F1
2013 BMW M6
2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG
2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
2012 BMW M550d xDrive
2012 BMW X6 M50d
2012 BMW 6 Gran Coupe
2013 Audi A6 Allroad
2012 Maserati GranTurismo Sport
Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II
Lotus Lola LMP2
Citroen DS3 Racing SL
2012 Dacia Lodgy
2012 Citroen C4 Aircross
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE VIEWING CONCEPT AND TUNER VEHICLES....
Continue reading We obsessively covered the 2012 Geneva Motor Show
We obsessively covered the 2012 Geneva Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Electric
There are a lot of ways to describe the Valmet Dawn you see pictured above, but our favorite could be mouthed by Keanu Reeves: Whoa. And then we would expand it to WTF? As in, "Whoa the F?"
That's because Valmet Automotive - the makers of the Fisker Karma, among other vehicles - has wrapped its electric vehicle engineering chops in what is perhaps the most impractical and odd-looking concept vehicle we've ever seen. The Dawn concept is meant to show that Valmet can both research and develop EV components like drivetrains and batteries and put them together into a vehicle, a two-prong approach that Valmet says is a new strategic focus area for the company. With that in mind, perhaps it not a total surprise that Valmet hasn't released any sort of information about the range, power or really any real-world details about the Dawn. Like, for example, what's that blue disc in front? An inductive charger? A 21st Century cow catcher? An Identity Disc?
Valmet says this test bed vehicle "integrates both the component developer and integrator roles. Displaying the battery pack, drivetrain, control unit and charging options, it also shows what ultimately can be achieved in the world of electric mobility, by integrating solutions in an innovative fashion." Innovative. Yeah, that's the word.
Continue reading Valmet Dawn gets its Tron on in Geneva
Valmet Dawn gets its Tron on in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Citroën, Specialty
Among the numerous renditions of its DS line unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, Citroën went a step further with the introduction of the DS3 Racing S. Loeb. Taking advantage of the ridiculous success it has had with the DS4 WRC piloted by Sebastien Loeb, the DS3 Racing S. Loeb is for those who want a cuter brute than the DS4 Racing Concept.
Even better, you can actually buy this one: Citroën is making 200 examples, all of them numbered and signed. Citroën was mum on any power upgrade, but we do know the hatch comes "cloaked" in a textured matte black hue with red accents and will come standard with the company's MyWay nav system.
Citroën was also mum on the price, but we're sure there'll be a premium. Look below for more info on the models it showed off at Geneva, and there's a high-res gallery from the show floor plus a couple of stock images of the car with the man himself, and his DS3 WRC car.
Continue reading 2012 Citroën DS3 Racing Sebastien Loeb Edition is the darkest of horses
2012 Citroën DS3 Racing Sebastien Loeb Edition is the darkest of horses originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFiled under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Geneva Motor Show, Technology, Specialty, Design/Style
Among all the automakers unveiling their new wares in Geneva every year are a handful of independent designers and schools that aim to change the way we think about the automobile. They range from mainstream design houses like Pininfarina and Bertone to the zany obscurity of the IED Torino and - most especially - Sbarro.
Not to be confused with the Italian fast-food chain, Franco Sbarro has a history of creating off-the-wall show cars for the Geneva show. But while we were expecting to find the F1for3 concept created for Delphi, instead we found the vehicle you see above.
Called the Intencity, this vehicle is less a design of Franco himself and more that of his students at the Espera Sbarro school in Montbéliard, France. Details are few and far between, but what we can tell you is that the innovative design packs an electric powertrain into a 1+1 body-style with a giant front-hinged canopy.
Power (whether theoretical or otherwise) comes from a 100-kilowatt electric motor fueled by a 96-cell lithium-phosphate battery good for about 180 kilometers fitted in a tubular frame chassis for a package that weighs a lithe 980 kg overall. OZ provides the wheels and Recaro the seats, and you can check out the whole package in our high-resolution live images from the show floor.
Sbarro surprises Geneva with Intencity Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments