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Nissan 360: the design future, and the new 370Z?
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There were crisp images of a blurry car being swapped and discussed today at Nissan 360. When Shiro Nakamura, the head designer at Nissan, revealed the barest hints of a car outline hidden behind a taut sheet of fabric, speculation began as to whether it represented the new Z. The arced flanges over the wheels, and the way they follow the wheels, have 370Z written all over them. However, it doesn\’t look as if it would fit this rendering exactly — which is not a bad thing. All Nakamura would say is that we\’ll be seeing that wheel later this year, which, coincidentally, is when the next Z — supposedly lighter and four inches shorter than the current car — is slated to be unveiled.
The other design teaser was a top-view sculpture of future Infiniti design elements. Who knows… Read the rest of this entry
Nissan 360: the Cube
Let\’s just get this out of the way right now: this blogger is going to buy one of these cars when they come to America. And I\’m a die-hard 385-plus-horsepower sports car owner for years now. And I live in LA. But the Cube is just that great. So Nissan, don\’t pull a bait-and-switch, please…
The Cube is basic, and makes no attempt to dress it up. In fact, not only is the car not gussied up, but the entire interior of the car I drove was beige. And it was still hot. It\’s basic done completely right, with tons of cubbies and comfort in an enormous (relatively speaking) cabin and a unified design theme inside and outside that… Read the rest of this entry
Tuner Tuesday: Steinmetz tweaks the Opel Corsa OPC
The Opel Corsa is small, cool, and like most other neat U.S.-automaker Euro offerings, unavailable to us — at least for now. As good as the current car would look wearing Saturn badges and slotted beneath the Astra, we\’ll have to wait a good while until the next-gen Corsa arrives to see it in Saturn stores. Nifty though it may be in standard guise, it\’s the OPC performance variant that really strikes our fancy. 192 horsepower, a 6.8-second 0-60, and fuel economy in the neighborhood of 30 mpg is a compelling combo.
Longtime Opel tuner, Steinmetz, has unveiled a suite of mods for the butched-up Corsa OPC. The factory hot hatch gets a new exhaust that adds ten horsepower,… Read the rest of this entry
Nissan 360: the Qashqai
The Qashqai is a European-designed, Japan- and Euro-market crossover. We didn\’t drive the gasoline version, but the diesel is doable, if a little slow off the line, and the steering is pretty crisp for a CUV. The Qashqai +2 adds a third row… but there really isn\’t a lot of room back there, only suitable for new additions to the family. In a theme among all of the Nissan vehicles we drove today, the interior is quite pleasant. As ever, the Euros get mid-range vehicles with some really nice fit and finish. The leather in the diesel was especially nice, if a little puffy. The center console pleases the eye at a glance, but when you look closely at it you realize there are enough buttons and glyphs for a Sikorsky helicopter. It really takes scrutiny to decipher, and you don\’t want… Read the rest of this entry
Audi launches Sportscar Experience at Infineon Raceway
Driving a car on a racetrack, a controlled environment where the vehicle\’s limits can be safely probed, is an experience that not only increases driving skills, but it builds confidence too. Recognizing this, and offering car enthusiasts a way to legally wring-out some of their hottest products, Audi has partnered with Emotive to launch their 2008 Audi Sportscar Experience. Unlike last year\’s marketing-oriented Audi Driving Experience, or any other Driver Education event, the Sportscar Experience is focused on high-performance driving.
The program consists of several different one- and two-day programs held at Infineon Raceway in California. Drivers sign up for the event of their choice, and each one includes a high-performance Audi \”S\” model for flogging (yes, tires and brakes are included). The vehicles include the 420-hp Audi RS4, the 354-hp Audi S5, the 450-hp Audi S8, and the awesome 420-hp… Read the rest of this entry
eBay Find of the Day: 2009 BMW 7 Series front bumper?
Well, waddaya know… you really can find anything on eBay. We have no way of knowing for sure if this front bumper offered for auction on eBay Germany is really from a preproduction 2009 BMW 7 Series, but it sure looks the part based on spy shots and renderings that we\’ve seen. We can\’t imagine just how somebody would end up with this particular piece, but we\’re having fun imagining a bit of dumpster-diving around the BMW design studio. One can\’t help but wonder where the rest of the car may be. Didn\’t anybody notice the missing front end?
The seller claims that the front bumper comes from a prototype next-gen 7 Series and prefers that the item be picked up in Munich. Want it? As of this writing, the high-bid is just 25.5 euros. Seems worth at least that much, assuming it\’s for real.
Renault Megane leaked in French mag
Renault has been hard at work on the replacement for the current Megane. Following the new Clio, which came out three years ago, the Megane is an important model for the French automaker, designed to face off against volume leaders like the Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit and Ford Focus. French magazine Auto Plus has managed to obtain some undisguised shots of the car, presumably obtained from a Renault employee in exchange for a case of wine, a carton of Gauloise and/or a joke about Americans.
As promised, the new Megane will be substantially more subdued in its styling than the love-it-or-hate-it current model, with its curved upright rear window. The front end borrows heavily from the new Laguna, hinting at a common design language for the company. There\’s certainly some similarity between the production version and the Megane Coupe Concept unveiled at the… Read the rest of this entry
City (Car) of Night: Renault Twingo Night & Day Limited Edition
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The floral theme extends, optionally, to the key design as well. (Photo courtesy of Renault)
BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT, France — Invigorated by the success of the New Twingo city car, Renault is launching a Night & Day limited edition. The special version of the popular little vehicle is for sale in Europe only.
The Night & Day Twingo appears aimed at the female market: It has \”distinctive floral graphics\” on the foglamp, B-pillars, rear bumper and even the key. Renault calls the car \”feminine, modern and practical in every detail.\” Details include black headlamp masks, extra-tinted glass, black pearlescent mirror housings on the exterior and dark metal wheel… Read the rest of this entry
Bentley Unveils Electric Greenpower
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Power of one: The Greenpower is an electric-powered one-seater with one-wheel drive. (Photo courtesy of Bentley)
CREWE, England — To all Bentley aficionados who have been waiting for the upscale British marque to roll out an electric car: Your day has come.
Bentley on Monday showed off the one-wheel-drive “Greenpower,” an electric-powered one-seater that was designed, engineered and built by a group of its factory apprentices here. The automaker said the car, which gives new meaning to the phrase “racing green,” runs off a 24-volt motor supplied by two 12-volt batteries. It has a top speed of 40 mph and boasts zero emissions.
The Greenpower features a bright chromed grille, fixed carbon-fiber suspension wishbones, carbon fiber wheels with Michelin low-resistance tires and a Bentley hide/Alcantara-trimmed interior.
The car and team will compete in several race events, ending in a final race at Goodwood in… Read the rest of this entry
General Motors Slashes Truck Production in Wake of Record Gas Prices
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…and this Chevrolet Suburban (LTZ model pictured). Meanwhile, GM notes that small-car sales are up. (Photo courtesy of General Motors Corporation)
DETROIT — Rising gas prices and the continuing economic downturn have forced General Motors to make a dramatic cut in full-size truck production. The announcement was made on Monday as the Detroit automaker said it will remove about 88,000 units of full-size pickup and 50,000 units of full-size SUV production from its North American production capacity for the rest of 2008.
The price of gas nationally averaged $3.60 a gallon on Monday, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
General Motors said it will “explore options to expand car production,” noting that it is seeing strong sales of the Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet Malibu and other passenger cars. There are no changes to car production at this time, however.
“With rising fuel… Read the rest of this entry
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