Auto Shows
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Named for the sunny Italian town with its legendary beaches, the Portofino vehicle concept, based around the coachbuilt Fiat beach-cars of the 1960s, features an odd yet attractive marriage of form and function. Built from a Fiorino Combi van, the Portofino strives to offer utility with five-person seating and substantial cargo room. The appearance of the Portofino is stylish, but firmly rooted in function, with the open-top and door-less configuration designed for maximum access and exposure on the beach. Water-proof seating ensures neither surf nor rain will mar the interior, while a split...
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Update: 2009 Honda Fit priced at $15,220 in the U.S.Update: The 2009 Honda Fit, or Jazz as it's known outside the U.S. will be arriving in dealerships early next month, priced to start at $15,220. While that's a $600 increase over the 2008 model, it covers a brand-new design plus a better package of features and technology. Equipped with a...
Nelson Ireson -
Opel Insignia 'Sports Tourer' to join hatch & sedan at Paris Motor ShowUpdate: The much-anticipated Opel Insignia will debut a new station wagon variant at this October’s Paris Motor Show, where it will join the previous sedan and hatchback versions of the upcoming car. Dubbed the 'Opel Insignia Sports Tourer,' the new station wagon carries the stylish design of...
Alex Kaufmann -
Suzuki shows Alto minicar ahead of Paris Motor Show debutSuzuki has released the first image of its all-new Alto minicar, which the carmaker plans to debut at November’s Paris Motor Show before a global launched pegged for early next year. As expected, the production Alto shares much in common with last year’s A-Star concept that was...
Ralph Hanson -
Update: Volkswagen Golf Mark VI official detailsVolkswagen’s sixth-generation Golf, the latest iteration of the carmaker’s most successful model to date (with more than 26 million sold), has been revealed ahead of its world debut planned for October’s Paris Motor Show. The European market launch will begin that same month, and...
Ralph Hanson -
Hyundai to show custom Genesis Coupe at SEMATeaming up with Rhys Millen Racing to build a SEMA show car, Hyundai will perform its part of the bargain by supplying a 2.0L turbocharged version of the car. Designed to showcase the tuning potential for the Coupe, the car will be called the 'Art of Speed' and will be on show in Las Vegas this...
Nelson Ireson -
Combining the hottest power source of the moment with one of the hottest hatchbacks on backorder makes for a good chance of success. With the statistics the Micro-Vett Fiat 500 electric car presents, the chances are even better. Built by NICE, the same company that presented the all-new MyCar electric vehicle just yesterday, the Micro-Vett is powered by a lithium-polymer battery pack by Kokam, capable of storing 22kWh of electricity. That much power is enough to take the 500 to a 70mi (112km) range and a top speed of 60mph (96km/h). Recharging takes just 6-8 hours. The car uses a five-speed...
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£10,000 Bentley notebook to launch at London Motor ShowLuxury laptop designer 'Ego' has teamed up with Bentley to come up with a Bentley-themed laptop planned for sale. The laptop is in a similar shape to other Ego designed laptops, but the handle is said to be modeled on the Bentley's chunky door handle. The leather upholstery in the car is...
Kenneth Hall -
Update: High-Res Ferrari California ImagesThe first official images of Ferrari’s latest model, the all-new GT California convertible have finally been released after months of tantalizing spy shots and recent teasers. The new model will be available exclusively as a convertible and will feature several firsts for Ferrari including a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Update: Left-hand-drive only Cadillac CTS-V planned for EuropeUpdate: Despite reports from Top Gear claiming the CTS's brawny force-fed brother - the CTS-V - won't be sold in Europe, a rival publication has word from a senior GM official that the high-performance saloon will make it to Europe in left-hand-only drive and will even be sold in the UK. Autocar...
Nelson Ireson -
Ferrari showing ultra-rare Californias at Pebble BeachWith the introduction of Ferrari's new California model, the Maranello company is planning to celebrate by showing off some of the new car's genetic predecessors, including the prototype that started it all at the Pebble Beach Concours this August. The range of California's spans half a century and...
Ralph Hanson -
Fiat 500 Abarth SS to debut at Paris Motor ShowThe sporty Abarth versions of the Fiat 500 may still be in the midst of their first release phase, but already an even more powerful model dubbed the '500 Abarth SS' is in the works that will lift power output to 160hp (120kW) and make the car even more aggressive than the just-released Abarth...
Alex Kaufmann -
November's SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show will play host to Chrysler's unveiling of a supercharger it plans to fit to the 2009 Dodge Challenger. Available through dealers as a Mopar aftermarket kit, the supercharger will boost power and torque with little additional weight or fuel economy penalty. The Challenger that will house the first example of the Mopar supercharger will also get a full range of bolt-on upgrades, as befits any SEMA show car. A cold-air intake, improved exhaust and new wheels will be part of the package, reports Edmunds InsideLine. The additional power...
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2010 Camaro chosen as as official show vehicle of SEMAAlways good for some over-the-top takes on muscle cars, sports cars and SUVs, the Specialty Equipment Market Association's (SEMA) annual show has chosen the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro as its official vehicle. The tuner-fest kicks off November 4-7 in Las Vegas, but it's industry-only - the public is not...
Nelson Ireson -
Opel reveals new logo to accompany brand refreshJust like its corporate cousin Vauxhall did earlier this year, Opel is set to unveil a new logo in time for the addition of the Insignia to its ranks. The all-new sedan is the first of a series of new cars that will replace the aging line-up with a fresh design language and a new commitment to...
Nelson Ireson -
Cadillac prepping hybrid motorbike for L.A. Auto ShowThe Los Angeles Auto Show is still half a year away but already we have details of what is likely to be one of the event’s standout attractions. In a recent interview, Cadillac boss Jim Taylor revealed plans to showcase a new motorbike concept fitted with a hybrid drivetrain containing an...
Ralph Hanson -
Roewe releases new pictures of 550China's auto design industry has been lambasted for being everything from farcical to downright plagiaristic, and it has largely deserved the criticism. Nevertheless, makers like Roewe - the Chinese owners of what used to be MG Rover - soldier on, producing cars that look vaguely like the...
Nelson Ireson -
Geely prepping 23 debuts for Beijing Motor ShowChinese car designers are rarely lauded for their efforts, mostly because of the country’s reputation for ‘borrowing’ designs from other carmakers, but one company, Geely, is helping to turn around the bad rep with a number of interesting concepts and new models it has planned for...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Update: Lamborghini set records for sales in 2007, more than doubling its profit from the year before - itself a banner year. The record mark was set largely on sales of the popular Gallardo. With the new, lighter and more powerful Gallardo LP560-4 on the horizon, Lamborghini expects to push sales up another four percent to 2,500 units worldwide in 2008. The new Gallardo is priced at $198,000 - a bargain in supercar terms - and should be the driving force in the increased sales when it becomes available later this year. Original: Lamborghini rode the Gallardo's immense success to record sales...
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Beijing 2008 preview: Brilliance BS2The Brilliance BS2 was shown at last year's Frankfurt auto show, but it was unclear at the time what plans the company had for the car - partly due to indecipherable press materials. Now pictures of the production variant have leaked onto the web ahead of what is likely to be the official reveal at...
Nelson Ireson -
Suzuki shows Kizashi 3 conceptThird in a line of concepts designed to move the Suzuki brand into the performance and luxury markets, the Kizashi 3 was unveiled this morning in New York. The first two Kizashi concepts came at Frankfurt and Tokyo late last year, and all three feature a similar futuristic design language. Behind...
Nelson Ireson -
Mazda 2 Wins 2008 WCOTY AwardMazda’s diminutive Mazda2 (Demio) hatch has taken out the annual World Car of the Year (WCOTY) awards in New York, beating 38 other cars for the top spot including the Ford Mondeo and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in the top three. The Mazda2 was nominated by 47 World Car jurors from 24 countries and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Scion Hako concept: boxy, bizarreThe oddly-chosen teaser for the Scion Hako concept should have been a hint that the vehicle itself would be, well, unique. And that is about the most gracious way to describe the oddly boxy yet curvaceous creature that is the Hako concept. Inspired by the Scion xB, it takes that car's design...
Nelson Ireson -
New York: Hyundai Genesis coupe official detailsThe cat has been out of the proverbial bag on the Genesis coupe for quite some time now, complete with full high-res photographic evidence. However, despite the massive holes in the photo embargo, factual details of Hyundai's new front-engine rear-drive coupe have been scarce. That has been...
Nelson Ireson