German engineering firm EDAG will be showcasing its new LUV Concept at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, a vehicle that combines the styling theme of luxurious private yachts with the familiar body style of a large SUV. The concept has oiled teakwood on the hood, floors and cargo area, plus an interior fully decked out by BRABUS.

The German tuner was also called upon to prep the LUV’s 6.1L engine, which develops 462hp (340kW) and drives all four wheels. Accelerating to 100km/h from rest takes a little over 6 seconds and top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h. BRABUS also provides a set of unique 22in alloy wheels housing huge 380mm discs with 12-piston fixed aluminum callipers up front and 6-piston units biting 355mm discs at the back.

Inside, there’s room for up to five passengers, two UltraMobile PCs integrated into the headrests and keyboards built into neat folding tables. Background lighting makes it possible to work even while travelling at night, which should ensure backseat drivers remain quiet. There are currently no production plans for the LUV, but we’re sure it would lure away many buyers of cars like the Cadillac Escalade or Porsche Cayenne if it ever went on sale.

High-res images after the jump.
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After just repurchasing the rights to the TVR brand last week, its current owner Nikolai Smolenski is reported to have sold it again, this time to a pair of Florida businessmen. Adam Burdette and Jean Michel Santacreu, who live in Orlando, initially contacted TVR 18 months ago for a possible import deal, but now it’s thought they have bought out the company. Their plan would see TVR become a “virtual car company,” with only the brand name, its UK-based management team and roughly 20 engineers remaining.

Up to 5000 cars could be built per year, and the Florida-duo claim they already have 2000 firm orders in the US. The deal would also mean that less than 500 cars would be sold in the UK, with the bulk of cars being sold to dealers across America.

Currently, UK’s Ricardo Engineering is said to be supplying the engines, while Italy’s Bertone is expected to complete the final assembly of cars. If all goes to plan, we may even see production start in less than three months with the first cars being released set to be updated versions of the Sagaris and Tuscan.

Via Autoblog

Lotus’ racing arm Lotus Sport will be using next week’s Geneva Motor Show to debut its new Lotus 2-Eleven track car, a powerful stripped out racer with a power to weight ratio similar to that of a 1960’s Formula One car. With a supercharged and intercooled motor developing 252bhp (188kW) and 179 lb/ft (242Nm), combined with a curb weight of just 670kg (1,477 lbs), the Lotus 2-Eleven should reach 100km/h from rest in 3.9 seconds all the way to a top speed of 250km/h.

Completing the mechanical package is a back-up engine oil reservoir with twin oil coolers, while a sports-type clutch plate and heavy duty clutch cover transfer the engine power and torque to the lightweight aluminum C64 six-speed gearbox. Five-spoke lightweight forged black alloy wheels shod with Lotus Sport specific Yokohama tires complete the rolling stock. The brakes are 288mm cast iron cross drilled and ventilated discs with aluminum alloy AP Racing two-piston at the front and Brembo single sliding piston at the rear. Handling is enhanced with a fully independent suspension utilizing unequal length wishbones and a set of Öhlins’ two-way adjustable dampers with coil over springs and a Lotus Sport adjustable front anti-roll bar.

Production of the new track car is scheduled to start in April and there will be two different versions, a road-legal car equipped with front and rear lights, a catalytic converter, single plane rear wing plus a few other minor additions. The track only version gets an enhanced aerodynamics package including high downforce single plane carbon fiber rear wing, high downforce front splitter, brake lights, rear indicators and a FIA approved driver’s race seat. Pricing for the road-going version starts at £39,995 and rises to £49,575 for the track-only option.

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Swiss company Weber Sportscars, best known as an auto parts supplier, will be displaying its own in-house designed supercar during April’s Top Marques Monaco Auto Show. The car’s chassis construction consists of aluminum and weighs just 65kg. It’s so rigid that during testing, a strain of 14 tons could only bend it by one degree. The aerodynamic package has been honed over a period of nine months, and its developers are so confident of its slippery shape that they guarantee the new car will reach 400km/h. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h is estimated at 2.7 seconds.

Its body will consist of carbon-fiber to conserve weight, while propulsion will come from a mid mounted and supercharged 7.2L V8 engine. It will feature dry sump lubrication and a coil for each cylinder, just like a race engine. Drive will be sent to all four wheels via a semi automated sequential six-speed gearbox with gear changes that occur in just 80 milliseconds. The entire power train, as well as the differentials, were designed by Weber themselves and are partly produced by them too.

The storage for fuel will consist of four separate tanks displacing 110L in total, which will be located at each corner of the car to improve balance and weight distribution. The expected dry weight of the car is expected to be 1,100 kg. Standard equipment will include a full leather and Carbon-fiber interior, a fully functioning steering wheel with Formula One-style controls, 380mm carbon-ceramic brakes with 12 piston calipers, traction control, different drive modes, hydraulic steering, complete audio and navigation systems, an on-board camera, electric windows and central locking. Weber’s claims are very bold, and it will be an amazing feat if it can actually build a car that meets these specifications.

These images reveal Alpina’s new twin-turbo B3 coupe, ahead of its expected unveiling at next week’s Geneva Motor Show. The car is based on the already potent twin-turbo 335i coupe from BMW and is said to develop close to 360hp and 500Nm of torque from its force-fed 3.0L straight-six engine. That’s an extra 60hp and 100Nm over the official ratings for the standard E92 335i.

With its electronic speed limiter removed, the Alpina B3 should reach up to 285km/h and complete the 0-100km/h sprint in less than 5 seconds, a significant improvement over its sedan-based D3 cousin. Another highly tuned model based on the 5-series sedan is also rumored to be making a showing in Geneva. The car will be an upgraded version of the twin-turbo B5 model, and is expected to deliver even more than the current car’s output of 500hp and 700Nm of torque.

Via: Autoblog.nl

Mercedes Benz has released a new sports package for its SL-Class that includes styling enhancements both inside and out plus a few minor modifications to the car’s intake system and transmission programming. Setting apart cars kitted with the sports pack from standard models are the unique 19in five-spoke alloys, which house silver-painted front brake calipers and huge perforated brake discs. Dark-tinted tail light units form a further distinguishing feature.

Mechanical changes include a new sports air filter and the upgraded 7G-TRONIC Sport seven-speed automatic transmission. Apart from a manual shift program, the new transmission also comes with steering-wheel shift paddles in both the SL350 and the SL500. The interior gets silver-colored stitching combined with perforated Nappa leather and aluminum trim. The sports pack is only available for the SL350 and SL500 models and is priced at €2975.

Jaguar has updated its conservatively-styled XJ saloon to inject some much needed excitement to the model range and help boost lagging sales of the big cat. For the update, designers revised the front end styling by adding a new grille with a more pronounced badge. Sitting below this is a more aggressive gaping mouth bumper with round fog lights positioned at either side.

These images also reveal reworked side vents similar to those on the XK coupe, a new rear bumper and subtle boot lid spoiler, plus new side-indicators integrated into the side-view mirrors. Rear legroom has been increased thanks to the installation of thinner front seats, which now come with heaters as standard. Several new trim options have been added to the catalog, with more traditional wood finishes as well as an all-alloy alternative.

Coinciding with the release of the 2008 model year XJ is a slight price increase, with the XJ now starting at £43,540 for the 3.0L gasoline version and topping out at £60,150 for the range topping XJR.

Former Rolls Royce boss Klaus Dieter Frers and a team of auto-industry experts have developed the new Artega GT Coupe. The car, which will be officially unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, is roughly the same size as Volkswagen’s small Polo hatch. It measures just 3.95m in length and 1.87m wide, and with a height of only 1.18m, is no taller than a Lamborghini Gallardo.

The car’s lines were penned by none other than former Aston Martin designer, Henrik Fisker, while its running gear was developed by former Porsche technical designer Hardy Essig. Under the hood is a 3.6L V6 engine borrowed from Volkswagen that develops 300hp, enough to propel the Artega to its 270km/h top speed. Production will start in November this year at a plant in Delbrueck, Germany, with sales expected to begin in the middle of next year.

The creators hope to sell the car in markets as diverse as the US, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia and in the Middle East, however, sales will be limited to Germany initially. Only 500 units will be constructed per year, and according to Auto Motor und Sport, it should sell for roughly €75,000.

GTM Cars only confirmed its plans to build the biofueled 40TR racer last month, but the niche manufacturer has already announced the arrival of a more powerful 300bhp version. GTM will boost output of the 2.0L Honda Type R powerplant by up to 80bhp using a turbocharger and revise the styling to satisfy public demand.

General Manager Lloyd Taylor said “potential and existing GTM customers made us aware of the requirements for a more powerful version of the 40TR so we have boosted the Honda engine to over 300bhp, making the ultra light racing car even faster but still superb value for money.”

With the increased output, the lightweight roadster is capable of completing the 0-62mph dash in roughly 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 150mph. The final price will still remain between £14,000 and £16,000, and first test-drives should start in May. GTM is developing two versions of the car, one for track use and another road legal model both of which will be able to run on biofuel.

German automaker Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur (yes, that’s how you spell it) will be displaying the new Apollo Sport supercar at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. Following the strong response received for its original Apollo model at last year’s Geneva Show, Gumpert has come out with all guns blazing to trump its previous effort.

The new Apollo Sport features a tubular space frame of chrome-molybdenum steel with an integrated safety monocoque structure fabricated in carbon-fiber. The huge air intakes on the roof and side panels feed cold air to the twin-turbo mid-engine powerplant that’s based on an Audi sourced 4.2L V8. Final output is a massive 800hp, and with only 1200kgs to lug around, the Apollo Sport can reach 100km/h from rest in only 3 seconds. Top speed is a claimed 360km/h.

The Sport edition is differentiated to the standard Apollo thanks to the addition of a full racing aero package with a huge GT wing and lower front spoilers, while the interior gets comfort mod-cons not usually found in such vehicles. The list includes Alcantara trim, air-conditioning, a CD player and sat-nav, and even a reversing camera as standard. The list price for the Apollo Sport is €299,500 plus taxes.

Swiss auto-tuner Rinspeed will be showcasing its own version of the Saab 9-5 BioPower at the Geneva Motor Show alongside its transparent eXasis concept. Like the plastic eXasis roadster, the Rinspeed modified Saab 9-5 rides on a lowered sports suspension and utilizes fiberglass and aluminum in its construction. It even has the eXasis’ gaudy yellow paint scheme.

Powering the wagon concept is a 180hp motor that runs on E85 bioethanol, and if the clean fuel is not available you can simply fill up with petrol, or any mix of the two. But when running on bioethanol, you get more performance and at the same time you help to reduce fossil CO2 emissions by up to 80%.

Inside, Rinspeed has added a yellow fiberglass dashboard with matching yellow seatbelts, while new seats padded with a new cushioning material labeled Technogel have been installed.

Via: Autoblog.nl

Volkswagen is rumored to be developing a new entry-level model positioned below its small Fox hatch that’s due for release by 2009. The vehicle will be aimed at emerging markets and is likely to be built in Russia, India or China. Buyers in these regions value low costs over style and accessories, and accordingly the new model is expected to priced between €5000 and €6000. Renault’s budget-based Logan has proven popular and industry giants General Motors and Toyota are rushing to release econo models of their own.

VW won’t be selling the low-cost car in western markets, but it may release a new premium small hatch to compete with cars such as the MINI Cooper. Germany’s Auto Bild has suggested that the car could even feature a rear-engine RWD configuration. The same publication created this rendering of the budget-based model, which you can see in full over at The German Car Blog.

Toyota is a clear market leader in hybrid-electric technology, so it’s not surprising that Ford’s CEO Alan Mulally is interested in forming an alliance with the Japanese giant in order to co-develop the enviro-friendly drivetrains. Mulally met with Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho in December last year, signaling that a possible deal could be announced soon, and in an interview with Japan’s Kyodo News, Mulally admitted working with Toyota in developing technologies such as fuel-cells would be valuable for both.

“I anticipate that the automobile manufacturers will increase their collaboration and their partnership on developing the technology for even more fuel-efficient vehicles,” he said. “It’s a kind of natural thing for all of us to do, to accelerate the development of the technologies.”

In most cases, if senior executives are talking about it this much then it’s highly likely that it will happen. The two companies have already signed a licensing agreement that allows Ford to use Toyota’s own hybrid patents, and Mulally added in the interview that he “looks forward to regular exchanges with the Toyota leadership team.”

DaimlerChrysler’s supervisory board today approved the partnership between Chrysler and Chery to develop a new small vehicle to be manufactured in China and exported to global markets. However, the deal will only be finalized with the agreement of the Chinese government, which is expected to make its decision by the end of March.

Back in December, Chrysler and Chery formed a joint-venture to assemble a new small car in China for worldwide export, but until now the only progress made was the signing of a letter of intent. The vehicle will be aimed primarily at North America and Western Europe.

Chrysler’s original plan was to export a vehicle based on one of Chery’s existing designs, but recent reports suggest that it’ll likely build a production version of its Dodge Hornet concept pictured above.

The recently facelifted 2008 VW Touareg has a raft of changes, including new front and rear styling, upgraded interior, and better audio options. New safety technologies also include ABSPlus and anti-rollover protection. Check out this video of the Touareg in action off the road.