2011

Concept Flashback – 2011 Unimog 60th Anniversary Design Concept

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While we’re in the Unimog mood, here is a fun look back to the recent past for the 60 Years design concept. This sought to strip the Unimog to its core, function-required elements. Enhancing the insane wheel travel and semi-flexible chassis with showy red springs visible easily through the giant front fender/hood combination. Deconstruction and modernization are the clearest themes visible in this design. The bodywork is pared to the bare minimum, while the roll cage for the passenger cell becomes the only structural element of the open-air cabin. Similarly flowing new frame rails swoop upward around the rear suspension …

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2011 Morgan AeroMax LHD Tall-Boy Special – RM London 2017

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Just 100 of these AeroMaxes were produced for sale!  Seems a small quantity compared to the outsized reputation this machine has for its Top Gear and UK car-mag popularity.  The AeroMax is sure to be collectible thanks to its well-known teardrop hardtop design, split rear window and somewhat cross-eyed appearance from certain angles. This edition to be sold by RM Sotheby’s London sale this week is a delicious metallic blue over lipstick red inside.  It has less than 2000 miles from new and was originally sold to a member of the British royal family. A coupe special features of this …

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Concept Debrief – 2011 SAAB PhoeniX was Dead on Arrival

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  The only thing we really recalled about the final SAAB concept car was its tail. With backlit red lighting through a screen mesh, the PhoeniX reminded us of a nasty reborn Pontiac Bonneville SSEi.  Cheap body cladding and all, unfortunately. Reviewing the PhoeniX design today four years later, the look of this sports coupe is no more appealing. Put simply, this car would have flopped like a pancake on the market. Imagine comparing this with a $50k BMW 435i? It is not just the detailing that is overwrought, but all the surfaces and even the proportions. This thing is …

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Concept Debrief – 2011 SAAB PhoeniX was DOA

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  The only thing we really recalled about the final SAAB concept car was its tail. With backlit red lighting through a screen mesh, the PhoeniX reminded us of a nasty reborn Pontiac Bonneville SSEi.  Cheap body cladding and all, unfortunately. Reviewing the PhoeniX design today four years later, the look of this sports coupe is no more appealing. Put simply, this car would have flopped like a pancake on the market. Imagine comparing this with a $50k BMW 435i? It is not just the detailing that is overwrought, but all the surfaces and even the proportions. This thing is …

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Concept Flashback – 2011 Volkswagen Up! Azzurra Sailing Team was Playful Blue Sky Thinking

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A harborside revival of many beach cars, the Up! Azzurra Sailing Team concept for the 2011 show circuit was the most whimsical part of a five-pack of custom Up! variants. The vehicle features exquisite wood and brass detailing for its doorlets and seatbacks, and a totally bespoke solid sill and rear window. The entire roof is just blue sky. And while this type of cabrio is questionable from all perspectives, it is exceptionally well-executed as a showpiece for the standard Up! Even with that million-dollar four-seat cabin, the nose, bumpers and even mini steel wheels are all exactly what Euro …

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Concept Debrief – 2011 Volkswagen NILS – Govt-Funded EV Commuter Now Seems Like Unfathomably Bad Joke

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It is very, very challenging to read (and write) about VW’s eco mobility ideas in light of the company’s current emissions scandals. The “diesel issue” — as it is known in German — really puts all the last ten years of innovative, visionary concept cars in the shameful, punishment corner of the automotive universe. What about the “C02 issue”?  Oh, that has resolved itself.  Not a pattern of lies and systemic fraud.  Hooray! Super, super trustworthy company, obviously. Beyond that obligatory caveat… This NILS concept shows how seriously the VAG once took its mission to mass-produce zero-emissions automobiles. VW was actually …

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Concept Flashback – 2011 Gumpert TORNANTE by Touring SuperLeggera

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Touring Superleggera is one of the most iconic names in the history of Italian design boutiques. A resurgence of late has been hard-earned — many smaller projects during the financial crisis left the studio in gorgeous form, only to be let down by the realities of the market. The business of small-volume supercars is exceptionally precarious, and swallowed the AC Cars rebirth as well as Gumpert two years after this Tornante made its world debut in 2011. Gumpert is on life-support now — their Apollo hypercar was meant to be joined by a smaller and cheaper siblings: the Tornante and …

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Concept Flashback – RENNtech 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 SPEC.R Hybrid Pikes Peak

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Renntech won the Mercedes SEMA 2010 tuner challenge, and was awarded a little present as a result! Another iteration of the concept — but this time as a real rally car! All the enhanced aero is needed when climbing up to 14,000-feet at Pikes Peak International Hillclimb — when the KW springs and new NITTO grip setup are also helpful. The powertrain is a RENNtech-tuned V6 pushing 350HP, an increase of around 80 ponies versus the atmospheric petrol. Non-turbo at Pikes Peak is challenging, so the SPEC.R Hybrid adds a jumbo PHEV battery under the rear floor. Finally, custom graphics …

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VW Diesels Face Massive EPA Fraud Allegation – TDI Stop Sale Notice Is Days Away

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Very unsettling news today that casts a dark shadow on Volkswagen TDI “Clean Diesel” engines sold in the United States since 2008. The EPA’s legal “notice of violation” to Volkswagen of America is deathly serious. And, as we predict below, will lead to TDI models being pulled from US showrooms almost immediately — as soon as this coming week. Unlike recall notices to fix even serious safety issues, a willful violation of the Clean Air Act would incur significantly higher monetary damages than a typical recall. Even the Takata airbag scandal is not this alarming. Max fines per vehicle sold …

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2011 BMW 1M Coupe by OK-Chiptuning

2011 BMW 1M Coupe Adds 111HP Via OK-Chiptuning.de Re-Flash + Racing Intake, Intercooler, Downpipe and Exhaust

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  Upon first glance at these photos, we were fairly sure that this German rocket wore a custom widebody. But no! Just lowering springs, a new wheel/tire setup and a giant dragon of a turbo under the hood. From the stock 340HP, the OK-Chiptuning crew has liberated a full 111 more ponies for a 451 count. A gigantic torque plateau hits like a sledge hammer from just 2500 rpm— making this short-wheelbase 1M into the M1 it always dreamed of…! The N54 engine series was a fairly short run for BMW. It proved to be a bit delicate and trouble-prone …

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2015 Volkswagen Tanner Foust Racing ENEOS RWB Beetle 992

2015 Volkswagen Beetle Rear-Drive Widebody by Tanner Foust Racing

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What is the best way to make the VW Beetle a credible sports-car? Make it rear-drive! But a race-prep overhaul and a widebody package from famous Japanese Porsche tuner RAUH-Welt Begriff on top of that? Yes yes yes! 2015 Volkswagen Beetle Rear-Drive Widebody by Tanner Foust Racing   2015 Volkswagen Tanner Foust Racing ENEOS RWB Beetle ft. RAUH-Welt Begriff Widebody This Volkswagen Beetle that represents a collaboration between Volkswagen rallycross driver Tanner Foust and famed Porsche tuners RAUH-Welt Begriff is set to be unveiled this week at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. The Tanner Foust Racing ENEOS RWB Beetle …

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Concept Flashback – 2011 Fiat 500 Coupé Zagato

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  How would Zagato do with a modern Fiat 500? Regretfully, the Double Bubble Zagato 500 concept from 2011 is remarkably normal and flair-free. The intersecting side and rear glass is present and correct, as is the bubble hardtop. But… somehow we have lost most of the depth in the bubbles seen on the 1958 750GT, as well as missing trunk humps.  The most joyful part of this design is the flip of the ducktail spoiler.   2011 Fiat 500 Coupé Zagato 01 MAR 2011 World Premier: 500 Coupé Zagato   One of the most iconic names in automotive design, …

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Mecum Kissimmee 2015 Preview – 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Super Sport

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Do you like classic musclecars? Then you are in luck this week – we are featuring a dozen of the finest available from the Mecum Florida auctions in January 2015. Kicking things off is this triple black Chevelle SS. We think of the Chevelle as the Camaro’s stronger and meaner older brother — so clearly not one to mess with at the lights. The 454 badges show and tell the power of this machine loud and clear, as does its bellowing V8 roar on hard throttle. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Super Sport 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Engine 454/450 HP Trans …

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Update1 – 2016 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 Shooting Brake Shuns LA Debut; USA-Bound?

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Updated 12.4.14 with 22 new photos.   As you may or may not have noticed, Mercedes and BMW seem to have given the LA show this week a big middle finger. Neither revealed anything significant (Maybach S600 aside) and have both been relatively quiet on the overall announcement front. Detroit and New York are generally the German’s favorite North American shows to make a splash – but here is one curio. The CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake revealed online just moments ago. Would this car not have made a good Los Angeles debut? If it were coming to the US, it …

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Concept Flashback – 2011 Chevrolet Miray Roadster Was Chevy Europe Halo Sportster

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Chevy Europe! Eeek. Remember that adventure? The ManU jerseys are definitely bow-tie-blazing this year, thanks to a huge a executive media marketing decision that costs General Motors more than half a billion dollars. During that rush of launching Chevrolet as a global brand — including Europe — the Opel Germany teams were suddenly tasked with a variety of extremely mundane projects. One extra sexy spinoff project slipped through the net for Frankfurt 2011, however. It was called Miray and is a breathtaking roadster vision. Designed in the same zeitgeist as the BMW i8 Roadster and Porsche 918 Spyder, the Miray …

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Concept Flashback – Part Two – 2011 Land Rover DC100 Sport

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PART TWO: The DC 100 Sport Let’s start this one off with a look back – at the Defender’s roots as the Land Rover Series I and later the Series II. Here is Winston Churchill with his.       PREVIOUS In Land Rover’s medium-term product plans, the lineup is broken apart into three main groups: Range Rovers, Discoveries and Defenders. Each will bloom into a sub-brand into its own right, as we have seen with the Range Rover, RRS and RR Evoque so far, and the current Discovery Sport replacement for the LR2 in 2015. This leaves the rough-and-tumble …

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Concept Flashback – 2011 Land Rover DC100 in 5 Colors and 67 Photos

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In Land Rover’s medium-term product plans, the lineup is broken apart into three main groups: Range Rovers, Discoveries and Defenders. Each will bloom into a sub-brand into its own right, as we have seen with the Range Rover, RRS and RR Evoque so far, and the current Discovery Sport replacement for the LR2 in 2015. This leaves the rough-and-tumble Defender family as the main unseen item in production form. The best idea of where Land Rover is heading is shown in the DC100 and DC100 Sport cabrio concepts from 2011. As image-builders, the Defenders at present are terrific at bringing …

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Concept to Reality – 2011 Kia GT Was Stunning; Too Bad About The K900

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Looking over the details of the gorgeous 2011 Frankfurt concept from Kia, the GT, really triggers frustration. Sure, some of these ideas like the C-pillar and roof accent made it into the latest Optima — but the most desirable rear-drive nature was lost on that front-drive model. Lost forever? One would think — until the K900 flagship debuted this year with pricing from $60,000, rear-drive, and a V8 engine. But where the GT concept is artful in its form, the K900 is a blob of vaguely-melted shapes, like a plus-size model who is not afraid to show some skin. The …

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Hypercar Halloween! 202MPH 2012 Lexus LFA Nurburgring Pack in 110 Scary-Sexy Wallpapers

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Trick or treat! Criteria for being a Halloween Hypercar? Amazing performance, stunning design, delicious details and exclusivity for the ages. What meets these criteria in spades? The 2012 Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package — an orange stunner with V10 legs for miles and a bite to sate even the sweetest tooth. Enjoy these photos – we have never seen many of them published in their full glory, and they are worth considering in detail. Interspersed are the LFA’s official specs from Lexus.com. Overall, the Nurburgring pack brought a fixed rear wing, an extra 10-horsepower, firmer and remapped suspension and transmission, and …

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Hypercar Hall of Fame – 2011 Bugatti Veyron L’Or Blanc Really Is White Gold

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  What if that enchanting effect of light dancing on paint could be immortalized? Kept flowing forever in perfect for an artistic dream in glowing white? That is the result with the 2011 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport L’Or Blanc. The one-of-a-kind porcelain inlays create a Veyron that is unlike any other Bugatti — and unlike any other car. There is real artistry in creating the ‘white gold’ effect shown on this masterpiece, and Bugatti details the process below. We estimate that the design and creation of L’Or Blanc took at least 12 months — from the time the Veyron was …

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Part Two: 2011 Audi Urban Concept SPYDER is 2-Seater for Scooter-Phobes

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PART TWO: Showcasing through a few favorite concept cars ahead of the Paris Motor Show! This  2010 Urban Concept from Audi is a battery EV design to be ultra-light and ultra-efficiency, while also packing the maneuverable of a scooter. Okay, that would be one large scooter… but still. It is easy to pilot around and the enclosed cockpit promises far more safety and security than anything on two wheels. A standard steering wheel and pedals make this a perfect machine for those who would never feel safe on a motorcycle, but do not require anything as huge as a Smartcar. …

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2011 Audi Urban Concept is 2-Seat Commuter EV For Stylish Yuppies

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Showcasing through a few favorite concept cars ahead of the Paris Motor Show! This  2010 Urban Concept from Audi is a battery EV design to be ultra-light and ultra-efficiency, while also packing the maneuverable of a scooter. Okay, that would be one large scooter… but still. It is easy to pilot around and the enclosed cockpit promises far more safety and security than anything on two wheels. A standard steering wheel and pedals make this a perfect machine for those who would never feel safe on a motorcycle, but do not require anything as huge as a Smartcar. It is …

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2011 Volkswagen Cross Coupe SUV Concept is Future MQB-Sized BMW X4 Competitor

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Volkswagen has been flirting with an expanded large SUV line for more than five years, with this 2011 Cross Coupe concept a sportier Touareg variant. Since then, we have seen the CrossBlue Concept and the CrossBlue Coupe Concept, but both are believed to carry underpinnings from the US-market Passat. This extra-wide machine is clearly from another family altogether — despite its quoted MQB (Golf) underpinnings. VW CrossBlue concept VW CrossBlue Coupe concept The look of the car shown here is quite interesting, but may or may not be en route to production. Volkswagen’s adventures in the Phaeton-land have established a …

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Update1 Racing Heritage: the Silver Arrows from Mercedes-Benz (100+ Rare Photos)

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Imagine a combination of all forms of racing – off-road to high-speed – done by one core chassis design.   During the 1930s, the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows were storming every type of racing one could imagine: both competitively in Formula races and for world record attempts outside the circuit. This sent the Silver Arrows up hillclimb events, on ultimate Vmax runs, and even a few winter setups that included a dually rear wheel and a closed shell cockpit at one point.   All these variants were highly ingenious engineering achievements around one core chassis design. The open-wheel profile of any …

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Concept Flashback – 2011 Nissan Esflow Showed Potential EV Mini-Z

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Once upon a time… As recently as the 2011 Tokyo auto show… Nissan was more excited about its EV technology’s prospects, and less terrified by the scale of the huge EV investment that is still not working as we enter 2015. The possibilities in 2011 seemed endless for new packaging and new powertrain layouts. No longer enslaved to front-drive or rear-drive platforms by engine location, the battery EV revolution was indeed promising. But how to inject a little fun into the extremely dull and practical sales appeal of the Leaf EV. Enter the ESFLOW concept. With proportions and detailing like …

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Updated With Pricing: 2015 Toyota Camry Preview

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 UPDATED 9.3.14 With Pricing Prices are here for the new Camry! 2015 Toyota Camry – Pricing The Camry LE receives a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $22,970 while the SE will carry a base price of $23,840.  The XSE and XLE models will carry identical MSRP’s of $26,150 for models equipped with the four-cylinder and $31,370 for the V6 versions. Pricing for the Camry Hybrid will start at $26,790 for the LE model, $27,995 for the SE, and $29,980 for the premium XLE. The MSRP for the 2015 Camry does not include the delivery, processing, and handling (DPH) fee …

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Road Test Review – 2010 Porsche Panamera S is Gorgeous, Potent and Precisely Adjustable German U-boat

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A Banker’s Hot Rod. Have you heard this term before? There are a few ways to define this old Buick advertising tagline from the 1950s: — a car for financial gurus at the top of the global banking markets. A commuter special – able to beat many muscle-cars in stoplight drag races, but also able to wow prospective clients on a lunch outing — the other definition? a car for successfully robbing banks. A getaway car that is so fast and so adept at outrunning normal machines that it will easily haul four newly-affluent people far and fast from the …

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LARTE Design INFINITI QX60 Is Completely Transformed into Gorgeous Performance SUV

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If you liked the LARTE Design makeover of the Qx80 – brace yourself for what the LARTE team has done with the QX60 and the QX70! The QX60 is perhaps the most transformed and benefits the most from such a deep and thorough style overhaul. The QX60 is actually deeply slinky and sexy in person, but is let down a bit on the coolness stakes with small wheels and chrome galore. The LARTE Design QX60 package fits the new QX60 and QX60 hybrid, as well as the previous JX35 from Infiniti. Great stuff. Especially eager to see those low-beam projectors …

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LARTE Design Arrives in California! INFINITI QX80 Customs Are Scary-Cool With 3 Levels of Upgade Kits Offered 51

LARTE Design Arrives in USA With Scary-Cool INFINITI QX80 Upgrades

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America, please meet LARTE Design. It is pronounced like “Bart,” but with an L. Larte. LARTE Design, meet America. This exciting new automotive upgrade house in California brings all the bad-ass appeal of a Brabus Mercedes-Benz or KAHN Range Rover — but with its own unique design aesthetic and a fleet of upgrades for the often-overlooked INFINITI SUV range. The designs of the Infiniti QX80 and its siblings are clearly high-quality and highly sophisticated in their appeal and aesthetics – right from the factory. 2014 INFINITI QX80 (stock) But what they might lack is a big hit of testosterone. A …

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2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo is Track Star With A Trailer Tow Bar!

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SuperTruck? Muscle Truck? SuperSUV? What is the best descriptor for ultra-high-performance crossovers? Still being determined, it seems. But when you see this Cayenne Turbo parked outside the Atlanta Motorsports Park private garages, next to a GT-R and while the guys inside work on their Radical SR3 SL and a few formula racers… you get it. Best of the best only. Porsche GT3 office chairs….!? Yes.   The Cayenne Turbo is unlike 99-percent of other SUVs. It will keep up with a GT-R on the track, and make the driver of a base Carrera 911 very nervous about his times. It …

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Supercar Hall of Fame – 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 BALBONI – 80 High-Res Photos

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Big day today! 1,000 photos on my memory card from a visit to Atlanta Motorsports Park for Velocity Motorsports. Much easier to start with some mega photo galleries of cars I have not driven …yet.   2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni INTERIORS 2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni EXTERIORS          

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Canned Hypercar Debrief – 2010 JAGUAR C-X75 Is Too Sexy For Its Turbines

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Too sexy for Milan, New York and Japan? Just kidding. Despite the jokey “I’m too sexy” headline, the Jaguar C-X75 really could do no wrong when it debuted in Paris in 2010. It was a design so captivating that they painted it a dull beige – and people still went absolutely mad for it. As you can see in the difference between the 2010 Paris announcement at the bottom, and the production announcement in 2011 directly below — the car had a rough gestation period. The initial gas turbine hybrid technology was no-where near production feasible, and the truly jet-age …

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2011 Peugeot EX1 is Part EV Quad-Bike and Part Track-Day Supercar

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As part of our continuing delve into the latest Peugeot design renaissance, the EX1 is exciting for a few reasons. It is gorgeous and fresh and extremely interesting from a design perspective, fast as all hell in a straight line with a 62-mph sprint in 3.5-seconds, and also quicker than anything else from France around the Nurburgring. The design itself is perhaps the most critical element for the EX1’s lasting importance: it shows a completely fresh idea on form sculpting, a new nose, and new layered surfacing techniques not seen before from PSA, the parent company. The idea of a …

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2011 Peugeot HX1 Concept Shows Sumptuous Detailing and Scale, But Front-Drive Proportions

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A low, long and and wide super-wagon! YES! Is there anything not to like? Very little, in the case of the gorgeous HX1 concept from Frankfurt 2011. The car is part of a numerous series of concepts exploring and fleshing out the latest Peugeot design themes – ideas that are in a final point of production-readiness via the latest 508 RXC and 508 Estate. But while the exterior panels of the crash-safety-obsessed French car brands can easily be re-stamped in sexier shapes, the underlying platforms will require a much bigger overhaul. Therefore, even the fantasy HX1 rides with a far …

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Update1 – Exec Shuffle Analysis – Infiniti QQX Rebadge Architech Johan de Nysschen Joins Cadillac

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Updated with Infiniti USA sales figures below. Uh oh! All signs indicate that Carlos Ghosn is furious today. Another key executive is gone just 10 months after the wacky Carlos Tavares was booted from Renault. Former Audi and Infiniti executive Johan De Nysschen has just been announced as the new Cadillac global leader. This is an unusually sudden departure from Renault-Nissan – and an odd hire for Cadillac as well. It is not yet clear if De Nysschen was terminated or recruited away from Infiniti, but his efforts there have been a nightmare overall. Cadillac’s global ambitions are well-known, and …

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New-for-2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S – Tops 8-Strong Cayenne Lineup in U.S. – Pricing and Style Comparisons by Trim

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The current Cayenne series has been on U.S. streets since 2011, but it sure does not feel like it. These trucks all still really deliver a massive visual punch versus standard cars or SUVs. A second magic thing for the Cayenne gen2? There really is not a bad-looking one in the bunch. Some may recall the first cars looking amazing in full Turbo kit, and slowly becoming less and less macho with every tiny new engine introduced. That is really no longer the case. The below cars are the Turbo, the GTS and the Cayenne S in descending order. All …

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2016 BMW Z4 Rendering - Vision Car_Revs_Daily Future-Proofs 328 Hommage Concept GIF

2016 BMW Z4 Rendering – Vision Car_Revs_Daily Future-Proofs 328 Hommage Concept

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PART FOUR! How to Make the Next BMW Z4 As Sexy As It Should Be. What a chain of articles… This is the last segment in this BMW Z4 Concept series – one that shows below how many more people like the modern Vision ConnectedDrive more than they like the 328 Hommage. The X-ed out lights do the 328 Hommage no favors, nor does the brown carbon-fiber. But regardless, they both have issues. So we took to photoshop to blend the best elements of both with a dash of future spice for good measure. This seems alot easier than it …

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Photo Polls VOTE For Your Favorite BMW Roadster Design – 328 Hommage versus Vision CD

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PART THREE: How to Make the Next BMW Z4 As Sexy As It Should Be. Okay now! We’ve decided in the previous Concept Flashback articles that both these 2011 BMW concept cars have some unusual bits. They are harder to love than they should be. These are not four-door sedans, or even hot SUVs. These are pure-bred sports cars. Two-seat, rear-drive roadsters. Remember how you felt when the 1994 BMW Z3 came out? That is what we are going for here. An immediately craving. ON TO THE VOTING… Here are two photo polls of the BMW concept roadsters. Including each …

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Concept Flashback, Part Two – 2011 BMW Vision ConnectedDrive is Future-Themed 2016 BMW Z4 Testbed

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PART TWO: First Part is here. And also included at bottom of page below. http://www.car-revs-daily.com/2014/06/20/2011-bmw-328-hommage/ 2011 BMW Vision ConnectedDrive In the previous 328 Hommage article, we outlined all the reasons the current Z4 is struggling to find a sexy new direction for its next-gen model, expected in 2015 or 2016. This pair of concepts from 2011 explore two different paths to luring buyers back into the two-door BMW roadster fold. Let us begin on a positive note: we love the tail of both cars, and like the doors in the Vision Connected Drive. We animated them here sinking into the …

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Concept Flashback – 2011 BMW 328 Hommage is Retro-Themed 2016 Z4 Teaser

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BMW has some awesome concept cars. This is beyond a doubt. Even if they seem totally bonkers when they are revealed – cars like the ~2001 X-Coupe – the logic behind their creation and display often makes sense in the decade that follows. So what to make of the 2013 BMW 328 Hommage? A car created with an overt nod to the BMW 328 roadster and coupe racecar in the 1930s — but with a decidedly unusual and future-looking appearance. After preparing articles about both the 328 Hommage and the 2011 BMW Vision ConnectedDrive — much new information has come …

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Future Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow Racer Pairs Open Wheels with Closed Cockpit

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Renderings done by students are sometimes the most exciting new ideas out there. Phil Berger is one such visionary first-year mechanical engineering student. He is an active participant in the Local Motors Forge project, which is a co-creation community and a bit of a gathering place for dreamers. Mechanical dreamers! The tricky part of student, or any renderings, for that matter: brand names and logos. All this company IP is fiercely protected, especially in a bold new age of shameless counterfeiting. But there are other concerns besides factories running mystery “ghost shifts,” or the adage of a complete twin factory …

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Aston Martin V12 Zagato – Future Classic Showcase in 5 Flawless Color Turntables

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THE WHO Like many small British brands who shall not be named, Aston can feel a victim to its own design success, at times. The DB7 kick-started this modern styling vogue, which led smoothly to the 2000s Vanquish and DB9 and the modern range. But sometimes what is needed is not evolution, but revolution. This latest safe-design kick is the blowback from Aston-Martin’s aggressive design flirtations in the 1970s and 1980s — cars like the Lagonda sedan and the Bulldog wedge concept were so ‘out there’ that they nearly bankrupted the company of customers and ideas. All while making the …

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2015 Toyota Camry Redesign Delivers Greater Chassis Strength, Wider Stance and Full LED Style

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  By Special Contributor Anthony Alaniz     Look out in your driveway. Go look. We’ll wait. Did you see it? The best-selling car in the country? It’s very possible you have one, two, maybe even three Toyota Camrys lounging out there in front of your house. Since 1983, 10.2 million Camrys have been sold. It is the best-selling car in America for a reason—though the reason is still unbeknownst to us. The Camry exudes beige and boring like a badge. So, it should come as no surprise that the Camry has received an update for 2015 for the ever …

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Engineering Student Envisions Future W154 Silver Arrow Racer (Open-Wheel, Closed-Cockpit!)

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Renderings done by students are sometimes the most exciting new ideas out there. Phil Berger is one such visionary first-year mechanical engineering student. He is an active participant in the Local Motors Forge project, which is a co-creation community and a bit of a gathering place for dreamers. Mechanical dreamers! The tricky part of student, or any renderings, for that matter: brand names and logos. All this company IP is fiercely protected, especially in a bold new age of shameless counterfeiting. But there are other concerns besides factories running mystery “ghost shifts,” or the adage of a complete twin factory …

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2014 Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost in Deep Impact Blue – 69 All-New Photos and 2 Driving Videos

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This Escape is a really fun, well-equipped and affordable crossover in SE front-drive guise. It also runs the deceptively powerful 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine, with the badge and twin pipes on the back just like the 240-horsepower models! 2014 Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost – Exterior Gallery 2014 Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost – Interior Gallery Drake meeting a new friend Only $29,000 out the door!

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BOX SOCIAL: New 2014 Kia Soul Takes On Scion xB, xD and Nissan Cube

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The Scion xB brought a series of updates for 2013, including LED running lights up front and LED brake lights out back. The Kia Soul is also new for 2014, but to call this all-new is a bit far-fetched. It is refreshed — but where it counts. The LED brake lights are really cool at night, on the highway, from behind. This should be a simple article to write: xB has a $17,500 base price and one engine, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder making 158 horsepower. This boxy shape is still pretty useful and popular – see the all-new 2014 Kia Soul’s …

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2013 SAAB 9-5 Turbo6 XWD Aero — 48 HQ Photos — The Coolest AWD, Turbo V6 Limo You Cannot Buy

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The 9-5 is an exceptional car caught in the wrong place at a disastrous time. The rapid pullout and poison IP pill from General Motors is still causing major delays in all efforts to restart the storied Trollhatten brand. The saddest part of the SAAB downfall were the two models launched as a Hail Mary pass deep downfield in 2011. The 9-6X and 9-5 are both fantastic cars. Ultimately, some time in the 9-5 shows exactly how excellent the core package is at matching SAAB’s brand and design ambition, market priorities with giant rear seat, and even XWD and turbo-diesel …

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Travel Adventure Series — Dog Sledding in Colorado

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Here is the second part of the dogsledding photos from yesterday’s status update post! Just shared a fresh batch of vacation photos with Facebook.com/Carrevsdaily — and want to highlight this fun outing here as well. Dog sledding? YES! It is a hilarious way to spend a few hours when your legs are noodles from days of hard skiing. There are numerous tours in almost every ski town — usually advertised in all the local glossy magazines somewhere. It is pretty cheap. About $50 a person in Breckenridge, and a bit more in Beaver Creek. [Lift tickets are about $99 per …

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New-for-2014 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S — Tops 8-Strong Cayenne Lineup in U.S. — Pricing and Style Comparisons by Trim

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The current Cayenne series has been on U.S. streets since 2011, but it sure does not feel like it. These trucks all still really deliver a massive visual punch versus standard cars or SUVs. A second magic thing for the Cayenne gen2? There really is not a bad-looking one in the bunch. Some may recall the first cars looking amazing in full Turbo kit, and slowly becoming less and less macho with every tiny new engine introduced. That is really no longer the case. The below cars are the Turbo, the GTS and the Cayenne S in descending order. All …

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Concept Flashback - 2011 Citroen Tubik Brings Delightful Shapes of 1930's Tub Vans 5

Concept Flashback – 2011 Citroen Tubik Brings Delightful Shapes of 1930's Tub Vans

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There are numerous elements of the 2011 Citroen Tubik concept that are inspiring. The nose itself is very chic, and sets the tone for the Tub’s wild, semi-spherical curving panels. White gloss effect acrylic forms the entire nose and tail of the machine, but the central section is a floating layer of stainless steel. The idea has aero principles, recalls Apple’s best product designs, and is a fresh take on the corrugated steel panels of the original Type H vans from the 1930s. The interior, like many French concepts, completely drops the ball. It is far too space-age, with silly …

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Concept Flashback - 2011 Citroen Tubik Brings Delightful Shapes of 1930's Tub Vans 5

Concept Flashback – 2011 Citroen Tubik Brings Delightful Shapes of 1930's Tub Vans

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There are numerous elements of the 2011 Citroen Tubik concept that are inspiring. The nose itself is very chic, and sets the tone for the Tub’s wild, semi-spherical curving panels. White gloss effect acrylic forms the entire nose and tail of the machine, but the central section is a floating layer of stainless steel. The idea has aero principles, recalls Apple’s best product designs, and is a fresh take on the corrugated steel panels of the original Type H vans from the 1930s. The interior, like many French concepts, completely drops the ball. It is far too space-age, with silly …

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CarRevsDaily

Future VW SuperBeetle Options May Finally Entice More Dudes

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A fifth and sixth Beetle featured on CarRevsDaily today? The 2012 SEMA SuperBeetle Concept, and the 2013 Beetle R Concept. 2012 SEMA – VWVortex.com SuperBeetle Concept 2013 Beetle R Concept A seventh Beetle featured on CarRevsDaily? Yes, the seventh is an extremely tough Dude Beetle, if there ever was one:the ABT Sportsline. 2011-2014 Volkswagen Beetle by ABT Sportsline – Exterior Upgrades —  ABT BEETLE: FRONT SPOILER —  ABT BEETLE: HEADLIGHT COVERS —  ABT BEETLE: REAR SKIRT SET —  ABT BEETLE: LICENCE PLATE INSERT —  ABT BEETLE: TAIL LIGHT COVERS —  ABT BEETLE: VALVE CAPS —  ABT BEETLE: SUSPENSION SPRINGS   …

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Update1 Racing Heritage: the Silver Arrows from Mercedes-Benz (100+ Rare Photos)

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Imagine a combination of all forms of racing – off-road to high-speed – done by one core chassis design.   During the 1930s, the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows were storming every type of racing one could imagine: both competitively in Formula races and for world record attempts outside the circuit. This sent the Silver Arrows up hillclimb events, on ultimate Vmax runs, and even a few winter setups that included a dually rear wheel and a closed shell cockpit at one point.   All these variants were highly ingenious engineering achievements around one core chassis design. The open-wheel profile of any …

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ItzKirb Photographs the Lexus LFA 18

Supercar Showcase: ItzKirb Photographs the 2011 Lexus LFA

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ItzKirb Photography is a fancy name for one brilliant artist. A man whose camera lenses really bring supercars to life on film. And to do that, he gets to prowl around his favorite locations driving multi-million-dollar exotics – which is a great reason to wake up for work! ItzKirb  also has a fine eye for beauty in women, boats, and other fast-moving objects. He brings his best lighting and magic eye to all topics. The 2011 Lexus LFA is quite beautiful from where he stands, I think you will agree.   Please cruise over to Like ItzKirb’s Facebook page, which …

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RM Acutions 64 Hemi Charger Mont2011

Concept Flashback: 1964 Dodge Hemi Charger – Speedster Prototype

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Can you guess who hates Camaro and Mustang news? Dodge. This one-off concept’s HEMI engine gurgles and rocks the car as it revs with indignity at the 2.3-liter turbo four heading to the 2015 Mustang. No cubes = no pubes, the Hemi Charger growls to itself. Packing a 7.0-liter V8 engine with a quoted 600 horsepower, the Hemi Charger concept is part Batmobile part race-car and part street fantasy The proportions of this machine are hilariously retro. Clearly converted from a much longer sedan platform, the back deck of the Hemi Charger is a few feet longer than even the …

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