Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'new model'.
-
When you have what it takes (and by that, I mean the money), there's no need to worry whether or not you will get what you want, even from such a world class automaker as Koenigsegg. At least, this is what happens in China. The Swedish automaker has built a stunning gold-plated Koenigsegg Agera R, and gives it the name Zijin, most likely specifically by request. The car seems to suit its name really well. It's painted with brilliant purple on the outside - a one-off finish which will really catch your eyes - and features gold on the inside. Just for your information, 'Zijin' is a Chinese word meaning 'purple gold'. However, don't be mistaken as not the entire interior is made of gold. The interior components that are gold plated include the centre console, air vent surrounds, steering wheel trim, and also a wide array of knobs and buttons. Well, to be honest with you, even if I had the money, there's no way I would have decorated my hypercar with the precious metal, although the metal did make the car look nice somehow. One problem I would be worried about is the added weight of the vehicle. Nevertheless, this doesn't seem to be a problem whatsoever in this case. To overcome the weight problem of this particularly made-for-Chinese car, Koenigsegg has decided to make use of its 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine which is capable of delivering 1040bhp. Check out the images to witness the Koenigsegg Agera R Zijin.
-
Volkswagen Up! goes to School of Rock - graduates with Fender audio system
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Volkswagen will be offering two new special edition versions of the award winning Volkswagen Up! in Europe and it will be a treat for fans of rock genre of music and small city cars. Dubbed the Groove Up! and Rock Up!, both vehicles are based on the top-specification High Up! model, each bringing its own unique twist. In the cabin the Groove Up! comes with a rock friendly Fender sound system (the above picture refers to a similar system from the Beetle), complete with six speakers, a subwoofer and a 300-Watt amplifier. Additionally, the Maps & More personal infotainment device is offered as standard which along with touchscreen satellite navigation provides Bluetooth phone connectivity and music streaming -
Toyota officially appoints Indonesia as Yaris production base
RchLuvSlly posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
After the on-and-off rumours circulating around the web for some time about the latest Yaris being produced in Indonesia, I now know for sure what will actually happen. The world renowned Japanese automaker, Toyota, is finally about to officially appoint Indonesia as the production base for the latest Yaris. Toyota's headquarters, the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), will announce its decision to make use of the second plant of PT Toyota Motors Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) which is situated in Karawang, West Java, to manufacture the aforementioned hatchback variant within the next two months. As of today, the plant is only manufacturing the automaker's Etios Valco, which is an economical car, up to 70-80 thousand units per month. The production capacity of the plant itself is actually higher than that and totals up to 140 thousand units per month. As such, it seems wise for Toyota to choose this plant to produce its next model. Judging from the Japanese car manufacturer's decision to switch the production of the Yaris to Indonesia, it seems that the company doesn't want to depend too much on a single country anymore, especially after having to suffer from considerable losses due to the recent flood disaster in Thailand. For your information, Toyota also switched the production of the Fortuner to Indonesia from another country last year. Toyota's decision to manufacture the Yaris in Indonesia also further emphasises its commitment to invest in this developing country. As of the end of the fiscal year 2012, President, Director and CEO of TMC, Akio Toyoda, announced that the Toyota Group was well prepared to spend a total investment value of Rp 26 billion(S$3.3 million) in Indonesia until 2020. For starters, the company had already spent up to Rp 13 billion (S$1.6 million) for the next five years and the investment was spread across six companies, the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) itself, Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd. (TAB), Denso Corp., Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (AS), Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TT), and the Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. (DMC). To support its long term plan in Karawang, West Java, Toyota has also prepared a site measuring 150 hectares. Plan is, the site will be used to establish a new engine plant and the third Toyota plant in Indonesia, provided the company's car sales keep on showing a positive trend. Well, it seems that Indonesia may finally be developing for real, indeed. -
Bentley to expand presence in Eastern Europe by opening new dealership in Minsk
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
U.K. luxury automaker - Bentley - will open a new showroom in the land locked country of Belarus to expand its presence in the fast-growing Eastern Europe region later this year. Belarus or officially known as - The Republic of Belarus - is bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. The capital city is called Minsk, and apparently over forty percent of its land mass is forested, and its strongest economic sectors are service industries and manufacturing. I'm not sure how many affluent people are there but I guess the economy is pretty good. Sounds like a mini-Canada doesn't it? Anyway, Bentley's new dealership will be located in the heart of the capital - Bentley Minsk - will open in Summer 2013. Naturally the dealership will offer sales and aftersales services to customers of the luxury British marque. Bentley Minsk will present the full range of exclusive Bentley cars - from the powerful and elegant Continental GT and GT Convertible V8 and W12 models, to the refined Flying Spur and the Mulsanne luxury flagship. In keeping with the Bentley tradition, each model offers an unrivalled blend of effortless performance, peerless refinement, and hand-crafted contemporary luxury. More details pertaining to the showroom will be released soon. -
The all new Toyota Vios has finally been launched in Indonesia. The launch took place at the Ballroom of the Djakarta Theatre on Tuesday, 7th May 2013. Speaking of this latest generation Toyota Vios, do you remember I once said it's not likely to become a taxi? Well, it seems that I may be wrong as Toyota seems to be thinking differently. I once said the latest Toyota Vios wasn't likely to become a taxi not without a reason. This third generation sedan from Toyota comes with various high end features and modern, if not futuristic, styling cues. Projector headlamps and combination taillights are just a few to name. Not to mention that Toyota is also sticking quite a high price tag for the model, around Rp 242,500,000 (S$30,555) for the manual transmission in Indonesia. That's about Rp 20-25 million (S$2,500-S$3,000) more expensive than its predecessor. Toyota offers two trims - E and G - for its latest generation small sedan. As usual, E is the base trim. However, this time, customers can opt for an automatic transmission while purchasing the base trim. This automatic transmission variant will cost them Rp 252,000,000 (S$31,750). As for the G trim, it comes with either manual or automatic transmission, priced at Rp 259,900,000 (S$32,747) and Rp 272,500,000 (S$34,335) each, respectively. As you can see from the prices alone, it doesn't really make sense for Toyota to convert the All New Vios into a taxi. However, according to Toyota, there will be some adjustments to the features and the exterior design for the taxi version of the model. What's been revealed so far is that the rims and front grille will be different from those of the non-taxi version. Power windows - which are available on the non-taxi version - will also be disposed of. The adjustments have been confirmed by Johnny Darmawan, President and Director, PT Toyota Astra Motor (authorised Toyota distributor in Indonesia). "Yes, we'll keep on using the all new Vios as the development base for the Toyota Limo taxi, but it'll be different with a few adjustments, considering the latest generation has been equipped with classy features and the price is already high, too high to be converted directly into a taxi," said Johnny. He also added that there are already three huge taxi operators in Indonesia which are interested in using the Toyota Limo as their taxi fleets. According to him, the taxi operators are interested in the Toyota Limo thanks to the comfort, efficiency, reliability, and the roomy cabin the model has to offer. Now I understand why Toyota persists in converting its latest sedan model into a taxi. Without the adjustments, it will certainly ruin the image of the all new Toyota Vios as a small size premium sedan. As a result, there will be less people interested in spending their dime on the newly released sedan model.
-
Fresh details have emerged on the 2014 Mazda MX-5 and its sister car, the Alfa Romeo Spider. Although an agreement has been reached for Mazda to build the Alfa Romeo roadster on the next MX-5 platform, both cars will be offered with its own set of engines. Mazda plans to fit the upcoming MX-5 with a new naturally aspirated 1.6-litre SkyACTIV engine with an output of approximately 130bhp. Mazda is insistent that the new MX-5 will not go the force-fed route although there were turbocharged versions of previous generation MX-5. For the Spider, it will probably use Alfa's turbocharged 1.4-litre 'TB' engine rated at around 120bhp. The more powerful 1750 TBi may also be offered with output of up to 296bhp. Both cars will probably come fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard but a six-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters could also be offered. Mazda intends to keep the size of the new MX-5 the same as the original version. New material and design will aid in the weight reduction while meeting the current crash regulations. The Hiroshima-based automaker hopes to achieve a curb weight of just 800kg.
-
Just to refresh your memory, at the 2009 Detroit Motor Show, the German automaker Volkswagen (VW) displayed its BlueSport roadster concept. Unfortunately, not long afterwards, VW postponed the project. Some early reports mentioned that the reason production of the roadster was postponed was because the German automaker didn't see a business opportunity for the model while I would say otherwise. The car looks attractive and that, alone, should be able to attract quite a few customers already. Add that with quite an affordable price tag for a roadster, you may be surprised by the number of people interested in spending their cash on the model. Yet, rumours have been swirling on the internet with some still believing that the roadster will finally come to life. I, for one, would like to see the open-top model comes into production. Despite the various rumours on the World Wide Web, there's now a bigger chance that the VW BlueSport will actually hit our showrooms within the near future. At least, this seems to be what Walter de Silva is trying to tell us, although not so explicitly. The VW Design Chief told AMS, "I'm not the only one in our company who is convinced that a small roadster wouldn't be the worst thing for Volkswagen. This is a vehicle that we particularly like, and we always have in mind." Well, I agree with you, de Silva, I like the open-top very much, too. Therefore, it's nice to know that there're still some insiders in VW that would like to move on with this particular project. Moreover, it was confirmed by one of the German automaker's spokesperson. Just in case you can't really recall, the VW BlueSport roadster concept carried a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine when it debuted at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The engine is good enough to spit out 177bhp in addition to 349Nm of torque. Volkswagen claimed that the fuel consumption of the roadster could reach 23.2km/L, which is quite efficient in my opinion. The company also mentioned that the car would need only 6.6 seconds to reach 100km/h from a complete standstill. Also, expect no less than 225km/h when it comes to the top speed of the car. Given its model and engine specifications, I'd say the BlueSport concept may well be slotted under such brands as Porsche and Audi. Yet again, perhaps it doesn't really matter as both the brands belong to VW as well. Now that the VW BlueSport roadster may finally come to life, here's hoping that VW won't forget to ship the model to the showrooms here in Singapore as well. By the way, the roadster is estimated to cost around USD$30,000 (around S$37,000). As I said earlier, it's quite affordable for a roadster, isn't it? The only drawback so far that I can think of about this roadster is probably its roof. I think it would have been better if VW applied a hardtop, but perhaps, the softtop is a better solution for the current estimated price tag of the roadster.
-
Infiniti Q50 awarded 'Best Chinese Premiere' at 2013 Shanghai Motor Show
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
The Infiniti Q50 sedan has been awarded the 'Best Chinese Premiere' by the organising committee of the Shanghai International Motor Show in conjunction with sohu.com, one of China's leading online magazine. The award was presented to the Managing Director of Infiniti China, Daniel Kirchert. "We are honoured and very proud that our new premium Q50 sedan received this much respected award. This is a kickstart for the Q50 in China. We are looking forward to the market launch in spring 2014 with much confidence," said Kirchert. Infiniti fronted the Shanghai Motor show with the Q50 Hybrid variant, making its debut in Asia. The car is powered by a 3.5-litre petrol V6 featuring electric motor assistance. The hybrid system's nett power is approximately 354bhp, providing strong acceleration and lean fuel economy. The engine is matched with a seven-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode and steering-mounted magnesium paddle shifters. The Q50 is available in both rear-wheel drive and an Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. Last year, Infiniti moved its global headquarters to Hong Kong where it can serve the Chinese market better. At the Shanghai Motor Show, Infiniti announced the long wheel base versions of the Q50 and QX50, both of which are specifically developed for the Chinese market. They will be built in the Xiangyang plant which is operated by Infiniti's partner in China, Dongfeng Motors. -
Cars might be getting smarter, more efficient and environmentally friendly over the years but one aspect that hasn't changed in the face of motoring - fuel prices. The Volkswagen Group are among numeral carmakers that are actively pursuing ways to manufacture cars that are environmentally friendly and fuel efficient. Audi is no stranger to this formula and the premium German marque aims to bring it one step further - from saving fuel to saving money on fuel through a nifty online feature. Aptly dubbed the new Fuel Prices service
-
Infiniti is the luxury car division under the Japanese automaker Nissan and as of Tuesday, 30th April 2013, Hong Kong citizens, especially those Infiniti fans out there, could be grateful as Infiniti has officially opened its first showroom in the country. Known as the Infinity Gallery, the showroom was officially opened by Johan de Nysschen, President, Infiniti Motor Company Ltd., and Donald Yip, CEO, Dah Chong Hong Limited. Dah Chong Hong Limited is a local dealership that Infiniti has partnered in Hong Kong. The opening of the showroom saw the Essence, the latest sleek concept car from Infiniti, receiving the spotlight. For your information, the Infiniti Essence was also introduced to the public for the very first time in China. Besides the concept car, the showroom opening also saw a famous local actress and model, Jennifer Tse in the spotlight, posing right next to the car. According to Nysschen, the opening of the Infinity Gallery marked Infiniti's latest milestone that with a total of 50 markets all over the world. This first ever Infiniti showroom in Hong Kong is situated at 10 Harcourt Road, G/F Hutchinson House, near Hong Kong's business centre. So, for those that live in Hong Kong, what are you waiting for? Start visiting the Infinity Gallery now.
-
Hiroshima-based carmaker, Mazda, has got a good reason for celebration. The company returned to profitability for the fiscal year that ended on 31st March 2013. This is after four years of losses, including a loss of US$1.14 billion (S$1.41 billion) for FY2011. Mazda posted a global net profit of US$364.3 million (S$450 million) for FY2012. Mazda CEO, Takashi Yamanouchi, attributed the result to restructuring and a falling Yen, which has depreciated by 21 percent against the US dollar since November last year. This helped to improve Japanese exports. However, the North American market continued to bleed in fiscal year that had just ended, posting an operating loss of US$519.1 million (S$641 million) although all the other regions remained in the black. Sales in North America also fell short of the company's forecast. Looking forward, Mazda expects the region to get a boost from the full year impact of the all new Mazda6 and the debut of the next generation Mazda3. For FY2013, Mazda expects global net and operating profit to double in the wake of the Yen's decline and the rolling out of more vehicles equipped with the company's latest Skyactiv engine, transmission and chassis technologies.
-
Volkswagen is extending the appeal of the new seventh-generation Golf with three new R-Line packages designed by Volkswagen R GmbH. The 'Exterior' package emphasises the striking appearance of the Golf and complements it with a rear spoiler finished in body colour, fog lights, R-Line logo on the special glossy black radiator grille, special bumpers, flared sills and sporty black painted diffuser. The package is available with the Highline trim for the price of
-
MG is developing a range of turbocharged, direct-injected gasoline engines which will be launched in China at the end of 2014, and arriving in Europe a year later. These engines include 1.4-litre and 1.5-litre force-fed units as well as a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit that claims to rival Ford's Ecoboost unit. Given that Ford's 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine has been named the 2012 'International Engine of the Year' - MG has got some very serious work to do. "Our benchmark for the 1.0-litre has to be the Ford Ecoboost engine," commented MG's Head of Powertrain, Paul McNamara. "Ford has got the technology to market first and changed perceptions. Our goal is to be competitive with their figures and attain the best real-world results possible," McNamara added. The larger 1.4-litre and 1.5-litre turbocharged engines will be available in the MG3, MG5, MG6 and a production version of the CS Concept (above) displayed at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. In addition to new power plants, MG is also working on two dual-clutch transmissions, namely a wet version that can handle 359Nm of torque and a dry version that can take up to 223Nm of torque. The wet dual-clutch transmission will go on sale in China this year while the dry one will likely go into production in 2015. The MG Car Company Limited was a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s. On 22nd July 2005, the Nanjing Automobile Group purchased the rights to the MG brand and the assets of the MG Rover Group, creating a new company called MG Motor.
-
The sports coupe to succeed the 350Z from the Japanese automaker Nissan, the 370Z, was officially unveiled for the European market back in 2012, during the Paris Motor Show. However, the model has now made it into the spotlight, again, with Nissan announcing an imminent launch of a facelifted version of the 370Z in China. Like its predecessor, the Nissan 370Z facelift maintains its sporty look. In fact, it looks a bit sportier and more luxurious now with a new front bumper, revised front end, and also a pair of vertical LED daytime running lights, the latter being the trend in the present day automotive market. However, expect no increase or decrease when it comes to performance as Nissan will not make any alteration to the engine. That said, the Nissan 370Z maintains a 3.7-litre V6 engine capable of spitting out 324bhp of total power output. Thanks to this engine, the car is able to go from a complete standstill to a speed of 100km/h in no more than five and a half seconds. For the facelift, Nissan is offering two new colours - Midnight Blue and Magma Red. Personally, I would choose the Magma Red over other colours as I think the car looks stunningly wonderful in it. Of course, apart from the colours, you also get to choose whether you want to drive in a coupe or to feel the air blowing on your hair. For the coupe version of the Nissan 370Z facelift, you'll have to pay 608,000 Chinese yuan (S$121,000). As for the roadster version, you'll have to spend a total of 668,000 Chinese yuan (S$134,000). Of course, you can only get the car at those prices in China, at least for now.
-
When Cadillac displayed its all new CTS saloon at the 2013 New York Auto Show, the car's vertical LED strip that stretches from the headlamp right down to the bumper captivated the crowd in attendance. It is a unique design that distinguishes the American luxury brand from other makes. Cadillac has now shared more details behind the design of this intriguing feature. According to Cadillac, each headlamp houses 16 indirect fire LED lights, with eight LEDs on the fender of the car and the rest continuing down the front bumper. The eight LED lights mounted on the front bumper function as turn indicators hence eliminating the need for additional lights, which helps to improve aesthetics. Furthermore, these LEDs work as daytime running lights as well while the HID projector lamp provides for both low and high beam illumination. "The CTS is the first Cadillac to combine DRL and turn signal under the same lens," commented CTS Exterior Design Manager, Brian Smith. "Giving the HID projectors a dual purpose allowed us to shorten the front headlamps and give the CTS the most dramatic signature lighting of any Cadillac to date," he added.
-
Evo pits the Jaguar F-Type against the Porsche 911 Cabriolet
SYF77 posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Recently, Evo magazine pitted the brand new Jaguar F-Type against its arch rival, the Porsche 911 Cabriolet at the Bedford Aerodrome circuit. The review is done by Tiff Needell, who is a British racing driver and television presenter. The F-type in the group test is powered by a 375bhp 3.0-litre supercharged V6. The engine is mated to an eight-speed 'Quickshift' automatic transmission. At the other corner, the Porsche 911 Cabriolet is propelled by a naturally aspirated 3.4-litre flat-six that produces 345bhp. The seven-speed manual transmission sends the power to the real wheels. Although the British car has a horsepower advantage over its German rival, it is significantly heavier by 160kg. So, who is going to come out on top ? -
Claimed to be the fastest street car Ferrari has ever produced so far, there's almost nothing to criticise regarding the LaFerrari. From its eye catching styling cues to its mild hybrid powertrain featuring 963bhp, I don't see anything this car is lacking of. Instead of sporting a single focal point, as in the case with most other cars, there isn't any on the LaFerrari. Well, the only one perhaps, is its canopy like roof that seems quite interesting to me. In short, this is one dream Italian prancing horse built in Maranello. Some other models such as the Ferrari 458 Spider and the Ferrari FF were also built in the aforementioned Italian city. The Ferrari LaFerrari has been detailed perfectly by means of carbon fibre material. As far as design is concerned, it seems to me that the only thing which can outdo the design is the car's stunning performance with a top speed of 350km/h and an ability to accelerate from 0-100km/h in just less than 3 seconds. As mentioned earlier, the LaFerrari is a hybrid model which means it carries a V12 petrol engine along with an electric motor. The Italian automaker is planning to sell no more than 499 units of its latest supercar - which happens to be the company's first hybrid prancing horse. Well, it seems quite a good idea to bring the model to China - through the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show - as the country may be able to 'swallow' all units of the model based on financial ability. That also leads to figuring out the actual number of units that will actually see the land of the Far East. That said, I believe that there'll be some for the Middle East to 'consume' as well. Regarding the price, as far as I know, Ferrari will stick a price tag ranging somewhere around
-
Jaguar's short dramatic film on F-type premieres at Sundance London
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Today, media at Sundance London was the first to see the global premiere of 'Desire', the short dramatic film by Jaguar in collaboration with Ridley Scott Associates (RSA). The film stars British actor Damian Lewis, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, together with Spanish actor Jordi Molla and American actress Shannyn Sossamon were there to grace the event. The short film was shown for the first time at The O2, after the festival's opening press conference, which attracted media from all over the world. The film director Adam Smith, introduced the film and described the project as a real adventure - a story of betrayal, retribution, passion and greed. "Working with Damian, Shannyn and Jordi has genuinely been a privilege. To see actors of that calibre at work and to watch them contribute massively to the development of their own characters really brought them to life, which has all together made this an incredible film to be a part of," added Adam Smith. Caspar Delaney, the Producer of Desire, described the shoot location, Chile's Atacama Desert, as being perfect for the film and claimed it to be one of the most spectacular landscapes and locations in the world. Award-winning singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey penned the title song to the film, entitled -
Acura presents three models in Shanghai including the global debut for one
PetrolHead posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Acura formally debuted its SUV-X design concept at the Shanghai Motor Show - a global concept vehicle for a small SUV that is targeted mainly for the Chinese market. This is the first in Acura's 27-year long history, it has globally introduced a new concept outside of North America. Emotional and sharp styling and driving performance, together with the environmental performance of a small vehicle and excellent utility of an SUV are all fused together at a high level in this vehicle. Acura is planning to begin local production and sales in China of a mass-production model based on this concept vehicle for its market in about the next three years. Sadly no technical details were unveiled. "We are planning to produce the mass-production model of the Acura Concept SUV-X locally in China. With the hope that our Chinese customers will more closely feel the values offered from Acura, we will begin preparing for the start of the local production. In China, where dynamic growth continues, both Acura and Honda will keep up our efforts to enhance products and technologies that will offer new joys of mobility to our customers," said Takanobu Ito, President & CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. On top of the SUV-X design concept, the Chinese market Acura RLX was also announced. The RLX is a luxury flagship sedan which will go on sale in China in June 2013. Excellent manoeuvrability and comfort are pursued through the adoption of a number of advanced technologies including a newly developed 3.5-litre SOHC i-VTEC V6 engine and Precision All-Wheel Steer - the world's first technology to achieve both outstanding turning performance and vehicle stability. The well received next generation NSX concept was also on display which made its debut at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in January. -
Infiniti launched the long wheelbase version of the Q50 saloon at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. The Q50 is a class competitor against the likes of the BMW 3 Series. For readers' information, BMW showcased its Chinese market only BMW 3 Series long wheelbase saloon at the Beijing Motor Show last year. The Infiniti Q50 saloon will be built alongside with the QX50 crossover at the Nissan-Dongfeng plant in Xiangyang, Hubei Provence. "We are expanding our product portfolio with two new models especially for the Chinese market in 2014, and plans are underway to significantly increase the dealer network from the current 60 dealers to 80 in 2014," said Infiniti President, Johan de Nysschen. At the Shanghai Motor Show, two variants of the Q50 were displayed
-
We know that the MPV market in China is dominated by commercial vehicles instead of passenger cars. Honda sees this, too, which is why it's developed the Honda Concept M. Sketched by Honda designers at Honda's Automobile R&D Centre in the land of the rising sun, the Honda Concept M has been developed mainly for the Chinese market and has now been officially launched in the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show. According to Honda, the Concept M is a next generation MPV that will offer an added value by realising a spacious as well as comfortable cabin. The Honda Concept M looks sporty and futuristic in front. It sports a pair of slanted headlamps and a large front grille that extends to the front bumper and is surrounded by chrome accents. A sporty design can also be sensed from the design of the front bumper. On its sides, the body curves and sloping roofline make the car look dynamic. In addition to that, its side mirrors sport a futuristic slim design. Last but not least, the sharp edges on the rims emphasise the sportiness of the car even further. At the rear, the car looks luxurious with its combination taillights that are likely to feature LED bulbs. Honda has also equipped the car with a rear roof spoiler. Just like the front fascia, the rear also gets treated with chrome accents. The Japanese automaker is planning to release the car next year. Unfortunately, aside from that, Honda is currently pretty tight lipped regarding the details of the Honda Concept M. As for now, you may want to watch the video below to see the car in action.
-
If you happen to be quite well off or have some spare savings, it might be a good idea to consider staying at China. The economy in the country keeps growing positively that it has become a good place to live in. This has been proven even further with the recent huge investment by Volkswagen (VW) and the fact that the South Korean automaker KIA has now launched a new brand targeted specifically at the Chinese market. The brand is known as Horki and comes under parent company KIA. What we know is that, in Mandarin, 'Hor' or 'He' means together whereas 'Ki' or 'Qi' means air or atmosphere. And the word as a whole, means 'harmony'. Well, that makes sense to us as we think the first Horki concept vehicle looks dynamic indeed. For now, there's only one model that KIA is building for the brand Horki. Of course, we believe that there'll be more models later on. The model has yet to receive its official name but it is based on the platform also used by the KIA Forte. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that the first Horki model borrows design cues from the KIA Forte. As a matter of fact, from what we can see as far as design is concerned, this Horki concept vehicle doesn't have any similar design from any of KIA models. Slated for a 2015 release date in the Chinese automotive market, the first Horki model looks aggressive as well as sleek. This can be seen on the designs of the headlamps, front grille, air intakes, and rear taillights
-
After the 2013 Kia Forte sedan and hatchback made their debut, the two-door version (or better known as the Koup) has been captured in heavy camouflage while undergoing cold weather testing in Northern Scandinavia. The overall profile of the prototype displays an evolutionary design of its predecessor. Although the front fascia is covered up, it is expected to draw styling details from the Forte sedan. Details on the engine lineup are not available at the moment. However, if the Forte hatchback is available with the 201bhp 1.6-litre GDI turbocharged option, we should expect nothing less from the sporty two-door Koup. The naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre GDI with 140bhp could serve as the base model. The Forte Koup is expected to be launched globally in Q2 of 2013. Hopefully the COE system would be revamped by then so that we can afford some "affordable fun" in the new Forte Koup. Photo Credit: Worldcarfans.com
-
Italdesign Giugiaro - more commonly known as Italdesign - is a design and engineering company based in Italy and since August 9th (National Day) 2010, Lamborghini acquired 90.1 percent of the shares to the firm - which by extension means it belongs to Volkswagen. Volkswagen and Italdesign go a long way and the design firm has been responsible for the design of several notable Volkswagen vehicles including the first generation Volkswagen Golf (1974), Volkswagen Scirocco (1974) and Volkswagen Passat (1973). Quite recently Italdesign revealed the Parcour crossover that is powered by Lamborghini. It was named after the modern sport of - pioneered by the French group Yamakasi. Parkour focuses on moving around urban obstacles with speed and agility - though basically to me they are modern day, very flexible ninjas. Either way, the Parcour car has a coupe and roadster variant which fuses elements of crossovers, sports cars and the sharp styling expected of a modern Lamborghini. In fact, paint it orange, slap a raging bull logo and christen it with the name of a famous bull - and we have a striking Lamborghini CUV. The coupe and roadster have enough room for two and are powered by a 542bhp 5.2-litre V10 engine lifted from the parent company's Gallardo. The engine is mated to a seven-speed double-clutch automatic transmission that drives all four tyres on 22-inch rims. The concepts measure 4,530mm long, sit 2,070mm wide and stand 1,335mm tall and weigh just 1.5 tonnes. Italdesign believes the Parcour could hit 100km/h in a rather brisk 3.6 seconds before hitting a top speed of 320km/h.
-
Targeting the younger people aging somewhere around their twenties in China, the Friend-ME Concept is Nissan's approach for decades to come that may give other automakers a run for their money. Nissan claims that the car has been designed for those who have a very distinctive automotive outlook. The reason why Nissan is targeting youths is because Nissan believes it will shape the global automotive trend in the decades to come. This was revealed by Nissan's Advanced Planning and Product Strategy Division General Manager, Fancois Bancon. Looking at the design of the car, there's nothing wrong for Nissan to be proud of its Friend-ME Concept. Sporting both flowing and edgy lines, the car is able to sit four passengers altogether in a spacious and comfortable cabin. Speaking of the cabin, it's here that all the main attractions lie. Featuring a cockpit-like cabin, the car enables all the passengers inside to access everything the car has to offer. This is an unconventional approach that we aren't likely to get with other cars, at least not for now. According to Nissan, this is possible thanks to its console that the company considers to be kind of like an 'Oracle Stone'. With the so-called 'Oracle Stone', everyone inside (not just the driver) the car will be able to have a look at the road in front of them, access music, navigation, speed, and a lot more. As we mentioned earlier, this is something that other cars can't offer us at present. Nissan said, "Our console is like an Oracle Stone that gives the Friend-ME crew the power to look down the road ahead, over the horizon, through walls